No Woman No Cry is more complex than your standard beginner song, employing power chords (C and E), an attention-holding bass rhythm, and even a melody!
It also introduces the I IV V progression found in many songs; such as Green Day’s Basket Case and Aerosmith’s Cryin’.
C Major
An understanding of the key of C provides the perfect starting point for beginning guitarists to start learning theory, reading music and improvising. While it’s beneficial to gain proficiency in other keys as well, learning C’s theory provides the ideal starting point.
As you begin learning chords it is advisable to start off with white note triads in root position – this way each chord will have the same shape under your fingers, making it easier for you to locate them. Once comfortable with them you can move onto chord inversions which change their appearance while maintaining their white notes.
C Major in Root Position can be played using three fingers: index finger playing the first fret, middle finger second fret and ring finger third fret; however, for an alternate playing experience you could also add your pinkie finger and play this chord one octave higher by adding in another fret at this same position.
G Major
G Major guitar chords no woman no cry are an excellent way to play without making anyone cry because they consist of a major third, B, and perfect fifth D – two powerful sounds in themselves that combine beautifully together to produce powerful results. Learn more about this scale and its key signature here.
Start off by placing the index finger on G, followed by middle and ring fingers on A, E and D with thumb, before finishing up by using our pinky on F# as our last note.
This chord progression is one of the most frequently played by beginner acoustic guitarists and can be applied to virtually any song. To gain more knowledge of these basic chords and how they’re built, check out my course Beginner Acoustic Guitar Chords & Chord Progressions which includes notation and TAB to set you up to learn any song like Bob Marley’s No Woman No Cry as well as fundamental theory like triads and scales.
A Minor
Discover how to play No Woman No Cry on acoustic guitar with this easy step-by-step video course for beginners. This beginner lesson covers chord progression and strumming patterns for this Bob Marley song as well as its iconic descending bassline.
Advanced players have the option of adding melody notes into their playing, creating an exciting change and giving themselves a breather from strumming! It is an effective way of diversifying sound while keeping it fun!
Beginners may want to start off simply strumming C, G and A minor chords in a repeating progression; or experiment with its special touches like pushing on F chord or its bass riff – this song still charts after 40 years! Learn this classic reggae tune by one of its legendary musicians and prophets of Rastafarian faith!
F Major
F Major can be one of the hardest chords for beginner guitarists to master. Indeed, for some players it may even be their first “fallback chord”, since its characteristic barred form often requires four strings to be covered by just one finger at once.
Watch Anna in this video, and you’ll see that it is much simpler. She uses a smaller barre with just her second and third fingers playing thinnest string; this helps maintain clean sound as she frets; additionally, her thumb remains on back of neck so as to leverage an enormous area in her palm for leverage purposes.
This song demonstrates how guitar can make even difficult pieces more manageable for your skill level – this is truly one of its many beauties!