We Are Young (feat. Janelle Monáe)

How to play We Are Young (feat. Janelle Monáe) by Fun. on guitar

This song is a great beginner play-along because the groove is steady, the tempo sits around 120 BPM, and the progression gives you a strong, anthem-like feel right away. It is satisfying to strum along to because the changes are simple enough to lock in, but the sound still feels big and energetic.

You can start with mostly open shapes, since Am, Dm, F, D, C, and G are the easier grips here. The main thing to watch is the move into the barre shapes, especially Cm and A#, because that switch can slow you down if your hand is not ready. The opening Am - Cm - Am - Cm loop is the first change to get smooth.

Practice the opening progression very slowly until the shape changes feel automatic, then add the rest of the open chords in small chunks. After that, work the barre chords one at a time, keeping your fingers close to the strings. When the changes feel clean, bring it up to full tempo and focus on staying relaxed through the loop.

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.