Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight

How to play Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins on guitar

This song is a great beginner pick because it has a steady, dramatic feel and lets you focus on clean changes instead of speed. You can play it in a calm, controlled way and still get the moody build that makes it memorable.

Most of the chart uses open shapes like G, Dm, D, F, A, and C, with the harder barre shapes A#, Cm, and G#. The main change to watch is the opening move between A# and G, then into Dm and back again, since that shift sets the feel of the whole song.

Start by looping A# - G - Dm - G slowly until the shapes feel automatic. Then add the rest of the chord changes from the chart one at a time, keeping your hand relaxed. Once the movement is smooth, bring it up toward tempo and stay focused on even, steady changes.

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.