Hallelujah is one of the world’s most enduring songs, first recorded by Leonard Cohen for his 1984 album Various Positions and later covered by Jeff Buckley for his 1994 album Grace.
This song features a straightforward chord progression and repetitive strumming pattern. To be successful at playing it, one needs to become familiar with all of its chords and know when and how to switch between them.
1. G chord
G is often one of the first chords beginners are introduced to on guitar. This chord has straightforward open shapes that are straightforward and all it requires are three top strings of your instrument to play it. G can also accompany more complicated songs like Ed Sheeran’s Perfect or AC/DC’s You Shook Me All Night Long.
One thing that makes this chord challenging for beginners is that it requires many downward strums per measure, which may cause them to lose track of the beat or sound too busy.
To avoid this problem, the best strategy is to arpeggiate chords rather than strumming them – an approach commonly found in folk music which helps keep rhythm from dissipating too quickly. Here is how it should be done:
2. D chord
You can strum or fingerpick this chord as desired; either option works great and sounds lovely. I have provided two versions: an easy strumming version as well as one featuring Leonard Cohen’s original recording’s basic finger picking pattern – both available to members only along with TAB files.
The D chord is the second-most-common open position chord on guitar, composed of three notes (D, F# and A). These correspond to their placement within the D major scale.
Practice using D chord as an intermediate chord between G and A chords to develop switching techniques seamlessly without stopping; and rhythm, an essential aspect of playing guitar well. Don’t use one song over and over as this could develop bad habits!
3. Em chord
This chord may seem daunting on its own, but its use within a song with other major chords can prove challenging. Luckily, there’s an easier version we can use to power through verse and give our song some flair!
To create this variation, move your thumb up to the first fret of the sixth string and play open, without fretting the fifth or fourth strings. This open variation is ideal for beginners as it does not involve fretting.
Make sure that your thumb remains securely in its position so it does not accidentally muffle other strings, and arch your fingers to keep them off of hitting the back of the neck; this will make them more precise while decreasing any accidental finger smudges. By following these simple techniques, you’ll be able to perform six downward strums in one measure without losing your timing or losing momentum.
4. C chord
Hallelujah is a slow song and maintaining the beat can be tricky when strumming chords. One way to stay on pace and feel the beat is to accent two downward strums per measure in the song; this will help keep pace with it and feel its beat more strongly.
Beginners often make the mistake of placing their fingers too shallowly on the fretboard when first learning this chord, leading them to touch D string with third finger which mutes it. To prevent this happening again, try positioning finger nearer fret wire (strip of metal) so it won’t buzz.
The C chord is composed of three notes – C, E and G – which can be arranged to create different voicings of this chord. One such voicing is known as C/G; this chord can also be called the basic C chord or its variants.