Amazing Grace is an iconic classic that should be part of every guitarist’s repertoire. In this lesson we will cover guitar chords for this song as well as sheet music with tablatures for its melody as well as finger style guitar arrangements for this piece.
This version consists of only four simple open chords, making it simple for beginners to pick up and practice different hand positions and transitions.
G Major
Amazing Grace is one of the world’s most beloved spiritual songs. Not too difficult to play, this tune can sound very rich when added more chords into its arrangement.
This particular version is in G major, which is an ideal key for beginners to start out in. There is only one sharp (F), and finger positions on the fretboard don’t become overly complex as soon as learning these notes.
Once you become more comfortable with G major chords, you can begin adding complexity and exploring variations to create your own distinctive sound and style.
D Major
Amazing Grace is an iconic song that can be played on guitar in various ways. While its complexity may appear daunting at first, anyone with basic guitar skills can pick it up easily – the chord progression is straightforward and manageable.
For most audiences, this song is most frequently played in G major, making it easy and comfortable for singing. But if you prefer adding an extra flourish, try switching it up a little by switching over to D major – it only requires adding one additional flat note (B) but provides a richer chord progression sound!
C Major
Amazing Grace is one of the world’s most beloved traditional songs that can be performed in different musical styles. While most frequently associated with funeral services, its performance can also bring great enjoyment in other settings.
This song’s chords are relatively easy to arrange to fit different genres and styles of music; here, for example, is an arrangement suited for beginners called claw finger picking that features three simple chords arranged in claw style finger picking arrangement.
As with other major scales, C Major Scale requires mastery of various fret positions to enable finger dexterity for effortless song performance.
E Major
Amazing Grace is typically played in G major, but you can switch up its key with different versions such as A minor for an interesting sound and to enable finger style playing (by plucking strings rather than strumming with a pick).
To master the chord progression, focus on learning the E major scale. That way, you will quickly recognize patterns on the fretboard and transfer them across other regions of your guitar for faster learning that allows you to memorize songs without needing music sheets as reference.
F Major
Try playing Amazing Grace in F Major for a fun variation – chords remain identical but with one whole step down, making the song easier! Just be sure to arch those second and third fingers to avoid buzzing the strings!
This version also employs a smaller barre at the second fret to make playing easier by not covering thickest strings with it; just make sure that only thinnest strings touch you while touching all.
This song provides an ideal opportunity to practice your finger picking technique. Set to a Mississippi John Hurt-inspired arrangement, this track lets you get into the groove of the tune!
A Minor
For an added challenge, try playing Amazing Grace in A Minor key. This adds more complexity to its chord progression while still being easy enough for beginners to play.
Practice block and broken chords in this key to strengthen your fingers and make chord changes quicker and simpler on the fly.
Amazing Grace is a beloved hymn composed by slave trader-turned-minister John Newton that has become one of the world’s most iconic Christian songs, beloved by people of all ages and backgrounds worldwide.
Discover this classic traditional song through an accessible chords melody arrangement aimed at beginners. Set to 3/4 time, so each chord gets three beats in this arrangement. Additionally, this version provides excellent practice for finger dexterity as well as two-finger hammer-ons and pull-offs.
Amazing Grace chords can be played open position (your index finger plays the third fret of the sixth string and your ring finger plays the second fret of the fifth string), so beginners might benefit from taking this simplified route to get started. Check out this beginner-friendly version here to start your musical journey!
1. G Major
G Major is a beautiful and straightforward key for playing chords in. It can be found across many musical genres and makes an ideal home for songs such as Amazing Grace.
God Save The Queen is both the national anthem and hymn for New Zealand, while it’s also home to classic hits like Sweet Home Alabama and Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.
Once mastered, its one sharp key signature can be challenging for beginners, but after this initial hurdle has been cleared it becomes easier to play the rest of the song in 3/4 time (three beats per bar). Strumming with your foot can also help improve timing. A metronome can keep your pace consistent.
2. C Major
Amazing Grace is a classic religious song, as well as being celebrated outside of religious contexts. Because of this, it serves as an excellent starting point to learn guitar chords.
When learning a scale, it can be helpful to practice both ascending and descending orders of that scale, in order to help your fingers become more nimble and be able to navigate around the fretboard more effortlessly.
C Major is an easy scale to play as it only has white keys – meaning no interval exists between any of its notes. Yet we can add our own signature by using suspended chords which simply take regular triads and alter one note by moving it up or down one fret.
3. D Major
Amazing Grace is one of those songs that has the power to move people deeply, from large choirs with multiple guitars and fingerpicking soloists, all the way down to solo fingerpickers who prefer fingerpicking it alone. And its versatility means it can be played many different ways from full block chords to broken chords – just pick your style!
The D Major Scale features two sharps in its key signature and is typically the first major scale you will come across on your guitar fretboard. It is the starting point for many triads, such as G major seventh seventh, F# minor seventh seventh flat five, A dominant seventh seventh and B minor seventh flat five; which makes it an excellent way of learning chord progressions and improvisation techniques as well as inverting chords which is very helpful when performing chord inversions – an invaluable skill!
4. E Major
As with other Major chords, E Major is a tonal chord and can be used as part of the melody for Amazing Grace. However, when performing by ear without sheet music it is recommended to utilize a key and scale finder in order to determine which notes will make up its melody.
As with anything, when playing Amazing Grace it’s key to keep the rhythm steady. One way of doing so is using the “down-up-down” pattern or tapping your foot with every note played – both will help maintain rhythmic continuity. As is true with everything, practice makes perfect; be patient if mistakes arise and embrace learning along your musical journey!
5. F Major
This key often employs minor chords; for example, this song opens with one that uses a minor version of an F major chord (as demonstrated below). Though dissonance and unease might arise with its use elsewhere in music compositions, in this particular piece it works beautifully.
One can play an F major chord in this key without using a capo, though a capo can make things much simpler.
To play an F major scale, place your index finger on the 1st fret of the low E string (the thickest string and closest to you when looking down at your guitar), and move up each string note until reaching an octave note.