Hey Jude is an iconic Beatles tune with an engaging chord progression. This makes it an excellent song to learn for both beginning and advanced players alike.
Chord charts (or guitar chord diagrams) help you locate where to place your fingers on the fretboard. Guitar chords utilize groups of notes played together that create a more full sound than individual single strings alone.
Basic Chords
Hey Jude is an iconic Beatles tune, famous for displaying their harmonies and songwriting talents. Additionally, it provides an excellent opportunity for beginners to practice chord progressions and strumming patterns; beginners may wish to begin by starting with simple down-strum patterns before gradually adding up-strums until comfortable.
Paul McCartney initially wrote this song as an act of comfort for Julian Lennon during his parents’ separation and divorce, yet its popularity has extended far beyond this original purpose. Now it has become a universal crowd pleaser perfect for social gatherings or impromptu jam sessions alike.
Hey Jude is widely considered an easy song for guitarists of all levels to learn in F key. The chord progression provides a good practice opportunity to transition between sections of songs – it can even be found on Traffic’s “Mr. Fantasy” and Donovan’s “Atlantis.” Additionally, its presence can be found on The Beatles’ White Album.
Chord Changes
When practicing your chord changes, it’s essential that you focus on transitioning smoothly from one shape to the next. This will keep your rhythm steady and prevent unnecessary chord progressions from dragging on for too long. If this proves challenging for you, start slowly using a metronome before gradually increasing its speed as your proficiency grows.
Anchor fingers can help make chord changes smoother by staying put while changing other fingers – an invaluable aid if switching from more challenging chords to easier ones.
Once you are ready to attempt a full song, start off with a basic strumming pattern of four down-strums per beat. This will enable you to practice playing chords together with rhythm. As soon as this step has become second nature, add up-strums and more complex rhythms for even greater musical expression!
Rhythm
Hey Jude is an excellent song to start out learning guitar with. Its simple four down-strum rhythm allows beginners to easily follow along and keep time. Once you progress further, try adding up-strums or different rhythms – but be careful: overdoing it could result in mechanical, uninspired playing!
Hey Jude’s chord progressions may appear straightforward at first glance, yet beginners might be confused by some tricky variations on standard chords – specifically an F7 and Eb. Both these variants feature variations such as adding a ninth where sevenths would normally exist and John Lennon and Paul McCartney often used such subtle changes to add their personal stamp to songs they wrote together.
Once you know how to play Hey Jude guitar chords, it’s time to learn its lyrics! And don’t forget to practice singing along with it as this will help perfect your tone and expand your musical vocabulary.
Singing
Hey Jude is an accessible song to learn for beginners while providing more advanced guitarists an opportunity to practice chord progressions and rhythm. Additionally, Hey Jude introduces more complex chords such as D major and E minor 7, providing you with an opportunity to expand your guitar vocabulary.
The Beatles recorded two versions of “Hey Jude.” Take one was featured on the 2018 super deluxe reissue of the White Album; take two appeared on 1996’s Anthology 3. Sir Paul McCartney initially named this track “Hey Jules”, but changed it after Julian Lennon experienced depression after John Lennon passed away.
Hey Jude is an easy, sing-along chorus perfect for parties and spontaneous jam sessions, perfect for practicing chord progressions and strumming patterns before performing it live! For additional Beatles-esque tunes to learn with, take a look at these Yer Blues and While My Guitar Gently Weeps guitar lessons.