Train Wreck

How to play Train Wreck by James Arthur on guitar

These are the sounding chords. With a capo on fret 2 you play Em, Bm, Am, C, D, G, the shapes the player above shows.

This song is a strong one to learn if you want a steady, emotional pop feel at a moderate pace. It sits well under the fingers and gives you a good workout without feeling overly busy, so you can focus on clean changes and a smooth groove.

You’ll spend time moving between open shapes and barre shapes, with D, E, and A feeling more relaxed and F#m, C#m, and Bm asking for more hand strength and accuracy. The change to watch closely is the opening move from F#m to C#m to Bm to D, since it shifts you through several harder grips before landing on an easier shape.

Start by looping the opening progression slowly until your fingers find each shape without tension. Then practice the barre chords on their own, add the open shapes, and only after that bring everything up toward the song’s tempo. Once the changes feel automatic, play along from start to finish and keep the rhythm even.

Use the play-along above to follow each chord change in time with the music, or learn the shapes first with the chord diagrams below.