My Universe

How to play My Universe by Coldplay on guitar

These are the sounding chords. With a capo on fret 4 you play F, Am, G, C, Dm, the shapes the player above shows.

This song is a great beginner pick because it sits in a bright, steady groove and feels satisfying to lock into. You can get a lot of mileage out of a few familiar shapes, and once the changes settle in, it feels upbeat and confident to play.

You’ll use open shapes for A and E, while C#m, B, and F#m are the harder barre shapes. The main thing to watch is the move from A into C#m and B, since that shift can feel like a jump at first. Keep your fretting hand relaxed and aim for clean chord changes over speed.

Start by looping the opening progression slowly: A - C#m - B - A. Then add E and F#m where they appear in the song, making sure each shape rings clearly before you increase tempo. Once the changes feel smooth, practice along with the track and bring it up to full speed little by little.

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.