Spirit In the Sky

How to play Spirit In the Sky by Norman Greenbaum on guitar

This song is a great beginner pick because it stays upbeat, steady, and easy to lock into. You get a strong, familiar groove right away, and the repeating chord cycle makes it feel rewarding fast. It is the kind of song that helps you build confidence while keeping your hands busy in a simple, musical way.

You only need open shapes here, so your fretting hand can stay relaxed and avoid barre chords entirely. The main thing to watch is the move between A, D, and E, especially when the progression starts over after E. Keep your fingers close to the strings so the changes stay clean and quick.

Start by practicing each shape one at a time, then loop A - D - A - E slowly until the motion feels automatic. Once the changes are smooth, bring it up toward the song's tempo and keep the rhythm even. After that, just repeat the cycle until you can play it without stopping.

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.