"Wonderwall", the 1995 hit by British rock band Oasis, is a classic, played in front of beach bonfires and in dormitories around the world. The chords that make up this song have names that may scare you, but they are very easy to play, making it the ideal tune for beginner or intermediate guitarists. The rhythm of the strumming can be a bit tricky, but follow the original recording and you will learn to master the technique in a short time.
Steps
This article describes many of the basic "open" guitar chords without explaining them in detail. If you need help, read our chord basics article, which includes a fingering chart you can download.
Part 1 of 5: Play the Introduction
Step 1. Put a nut on the second fret
The original song is performed this way. You don't have to, but if you don't use the capo, the whole song will be two semitones lower. When you sing, adjust your voice accordingly.
-
Note:
from this point on, all the keys are indicated relative to the nut. In other words, the "third key" is actually the fifth and so on.
Step 2. Hold the ring and little fingers on the third fret of the two highest strings
Put the little finger on the third fret of the E string (G) and the ring finger on the third fret of the B string (D). You won't have to move them for most of the song!
Step 3. Play the E minor chord (Mim), keeping the ring and little fingers still
Use your index and middle fingers to press the second frets of the A and D strings. Now, play all the strings. You will play an E minor seventh chord (Mim7) modified. Below you will find a guide on how to position your fingers:
-
Mim7 agreement
Sing me:
3
Yes:
3
Sol:
0
King:
2
There:
2
Me:
0
Step 4. Play the G chord
Now, move your middle finger to the third fret of the E string. Keep your other fingers still and play all the strings. You will execute a chord of G majormodified.
-
Chord of Sol
Sing me:
3
Yes:
3
Sol:
0
King:
0
There:
2
Me:
3
Step 5. Play the D chord
Again, don't move the little and ring fingers. Move your index finger to the second fret of the G (A) string. Vibrate the four thinnest strings. You will play a D major chord with the highest note (normally a F #), increased by a semitone (up to G), known as Resus4.
-
Resus Agreement4
Sing me:
3
Yes:
3
Sol:
2
King:
0
There:
X
Me:
X
Step 6. Play the A7 chord
Move your index finger one string lower, so that it is on the second fret of the D (E) string. Vibrate the five thinnest strings. You will perform a La7sus4. If that's easier for you, you can also hit the second fret of the G string (A), without changing the sound much.
-
La7sus4 agreement
Sing me:
3
Yes:
3
Sol:
0
King:
2
There:
0
Me:
X
Step 7. Repeat these four chords
Now you know everything you need to play the intro. In this section the agreements Mim7-Sol-Resus4-La7sus4are repeated continuously.
Listen to the recording to learn the rhythm of the strumming. With a little practice it is not difficult; you will repeat the same rhythm for the entire section
Part 2 of 5: Playing the Verses
Step 1. Learn the Doadd9 chord
The verses of the song are very similar to the intro. In reality, the only one difference is this agreement, which it appears only in the first verse. To play it, hold the little and ring fingers still, then press the two low notes of the C chord with the other two fingers. In other words, put your middle finger on the third fret of the A (C) string and your index finger on the second fret of the D (E) string.
-
Doadd agreement9
Sing me:
3
Yes:
3
Sol:
0
King:
2
There:
3
Me:
X
- For reference, the verses are the parts of the song starting with "Today was gonna be the day…", "Backbeat, the word is on the street…" and so on.
Step 2. Repeat the intro pattern four times for the verses
As mentioned earlier, the verses of the song are very similar to the intro. Use the same scheme Mim7-Sol-Resus4-La7sus4you learned earlier, repeating it four times for each verse.
Step 3. Only in the first verse, substitute Doadd9 for the last Mim7. The first verse contains this little variation and nothing else; otherwise it is identical to the others. Change the last Mim7 only in this verse.
If you're singing, enter this chord just as you start the last word of the verse ("now"): "I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do / about you now(Doadd9)."
Part 3 of 5: Playing the Bridge
Step 1. Play Doadd9-Resus4-Mim7-Mim7 twice
The basic bridge progression is (finally) different from the intro and verse. Fortunately, you already know almost all the chords you will use. Start by playing Doadd9-Resus4-Mim7-Mim7 twice. Notice that the Mim7 repeats itself.
For reference, the bridge is the part of the song that starts with "… and all the paths we have to walk are winding …"
Step 2. Play Doadd9-Resus4-Sol5-Sol5 / F # -Sol5 / Mi
This is undoubtedly the hardest part of the song, but a little practice is all it takes to learn it. It begins the progression as you did before, but ends with a quick alternation of G5 chords by modifying the bass note.
- First, play the G5 chord by simply placing the middle finger on the third fret of the E (G) string.
-
Sol5 chord
Sing me:
3
Yes:
3
Sol:
0
King:
0
There:
2
Me:
3
- At that point, move the middle finger down one fret and place your index finger on the second fret of the G (A) string.
-
Chord of G5 / F #
Sing me:
3
Yes:
3
Sol:
2
King:
0
There:
0
Me:
2
- Then, move your fingers together on the second frets of the A and D strings (B and E), much like the Mim7 chord learned earlier:
-
Sol5 / Mi chord
Sing me:
3
Yes:
3
Sol:
0
King:
2
There:
2
Me:
0
- Play these chords on "like", "say" and "you": "There are many things that I would like(G5) to say(G5 / F #) to you (Sol5 / Mi) …"
Step 3. Finish with Sol5-La7sus4-La7sus4-La7sus4
After the quick passage above, repeat the G5 chord, then switch to the A7sus4 chord and continue playing for a few bars. You just completed the bridge. Switch from sustained La7sus4 to the chorus (which you'll find later).
Play the La7sus4 chord on "how": "… like to say to you, but I don't know how (A7sus4) …"
Part 4 of 5: Playing the Chorus
Step 1. Play and repeat Doadd9-Mim7-Sol-Mim7
The refrain is easy; you just have to play chords that you have already learned, in a sequence that does not change. Play this progression four times to complete the chorus.
For reference, the chorus is the part of the song that begins with "because maybe / you're gonna be the one that saves me…"
Step 2. Move on to the next section with a Lasus4
You have to do it only after the first refrain. In the original song, there is about a bar rest after the last Mim7 of the chorus. Then, when the song moves to the third verse, there is a bar about La7sus4 that switches to Mim7 as soon as the verse starts.
Listening to the original song will be very useful in this case. It can be difficult to pause correctly at first
Part 5 of 5: Play the Entire Song
Step 1. Play the introduction progression four times
Now that you know all the parts of the song, you need to put them together. For the intro, you will play:
Mim7-Sol-Resus4-La7sus4 (4X)
Step 2. Play the first verse, then the second
The chord progression is the same as the intro with the exception of the one Doadd9, but for reference, the verse begins with the first "Today was gonna be the day…". The first two stanzas are consecutive, but remember that only in the first you will have to replace the Doadd9. In other words, you will play:
- Mim7-Sol-Resus4-La7sus4
- Mim7-Sol-Resus4-La7sus4
- Mim7-Sol-Resus4-La7sus4
- Doadd9-Sol-Resus4-La7sus4
- Mim7-Sol-Resus4-La7sus4 (4X)
Step 3. Play the bridge, then the chorus
It's pretty easy; you have to play each part only once. In other words:
- Doadd9-Resus4-Mim7-Mim7 (2X)
- Doadd9-Resus4-Sol5-Sol5 / Fa # -Sol5 / Mi
- Sol5-La7sus4-La7sus4-La7sus4
- Doadd9-Mim7-Sol-Mim7 (4X)
- La7sus4 (just before the third verse)
Step 4. Play the third verse, then the bridge, then the chorus (twice)
In this case, you will play a single verse and two choruses. In other words:
- Mim7-Sol-Resus4-La7sus4 (4X)
- Doadd9-Resus4-Mim7-Mim7 (2X)
- Doadd9-Resus4-Sol5-Sol5 / Fa # -Sol5 / Mi
- Sol5-La7sus4-La7sus4-La7sus4
- Doadd9-Mim7-Sol-Mim7 (8X)
Step 5. Finish by repeating the progression of the chorus
After the third chorus, the vocal part stops, but the instruments play the Doadd9-Mim7-G-Mim7 part four more times. If you play live, make sure all band members know when to stop!
If you lengthen this section, it is the ideal time for a solo, because the singer will no longer sing
Advice
- It is essential to learn the chords before attempting to play this song live. If you don't practice enough, you will be forced to take pauses between chords to get your fingers back in place, ruining the rhythm of the song.
- Here you can find a link to the "Wonderwall" video. Listen to the original song and you will be able to perfectly reproduce the most difficult parts.
