Francis Forever

How to play Francis Forever by Mitski on guitar

These are the sounding chords. With a capo on fret 2 you play Em, C, Am, G, F, E and more, the shapes the player above shows.

This song is worth learning because it has a steady, driving feel that sits well under the voice and lets you focus on clean changes. At about 120 BPM, it feels upbeat but controlled, so you can aim for a smooth, even pulse rather than a flashy attack.

You can lean on the open shapes D, A, G, and E, with the harder barre shapes F#m, Bm, and F# adding the main challenge. The change to watch most closely is the opening move from F#m to D, then into Bm and A, since that sequence asks for quick hand shifts without losing the groove.

Start by looping the opening progression slowly until your fingers land cleanly, then add the next chord changes one at a time. Once the shapes feel automatic, keep a steady count and bring the tempo up in small steps. When you can switch without pausing, play the whole song through with the same relaxed motion.

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.