In The Air Tonight

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

These are the sounding chords. With a capo on fret 5 you play F, G, Am, A, C, Em and more, the shapes the player above shows.

This song is a great pick if you want a moody, steady groove that builds tension without rushing. You get to focus on clean changes and timing, and the slow-burn feel makes it satisfying to play once it locks in.

Most of the chart uses open shapes like C, Dm, D, F, and Am, with A# and Gm as the harder barre shapes. The main thing to watch is the opening move between A# and C into Dm, since that shift can feel awkward until your hand learns the shape changes.

Start by looping the opening progression slowly, then add the rest of the chord cycle one change at a time. Once your switches feel smooth, play through the full song at a relaxed tempo and only speed up when the chords stay clean.

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.