When learning guitar chords of Elton John songs, it is essential that you try incorporating songs that stretch outside of your comfort zone into your learning. Doing this will broaden your musical vocabulary and help make you a more versatile guitarist.
A7, B7 and E7 dominant chords have long been used as part of rock and blues music to give tunes their distinctive, signature sound – great for dancing hipswiveling on.
1. Dominant 7th Chords
Dominant 7th chords can add tension to your guitar songs, and are fairly straightforward once you understand their basics.
A dominant 7th chord is a 4-note chord comprised of a major triad with an added minor seventh note above it. To create this type of chord, start off by playing your major triad in root position before lowering its seventh note by one whole step (or two half steps, depending on how you count). So for instance a C dominant 7th chord would look something like this: C-E-G-Bb.
Bernie Taupin truly values women, even though many of his songs in the ’90s reflected otherwise. On this track he’s just singing about being left behind and needing someone with “the kind of love you can trust”. And with its upbeat rock sound backed by slide guitar it’s impossible not to sway your hips; a triumphant return.
2. Chord Changes
Chords can be divided into major or minor chords based on how they sound, with major chords creating an upbeat sound while minor ones conveying sadness. You can also add extensions to a chord to alter its character – one such extension being the b9 (flat ninth).
Elton John often employs these brief riffs to highlight particular notes within a chord, often placing them on an accented beat before transitioning them into its 3rd.
This intro in F utilizes an unusual chord progression that moves from I to IV and V back to its tonic (F). Additionally, this piece includes both Bb chord and modified E7 chord.
Notably, Elton often works around 4-note chords as this provides an easy way to develop rhythm and accompaniment patterns that work with melodies – something we will see more examples of in our Pop Accompaniment Patterns 1 and 2 courses with 48 patterns each!
3. Fingerstyle Patterns
Elton John’s timeless classic “You Are So Beautiful” sets the stage for romantic moments and has resonated with millions of fans globally. To play it yourself, start by capo-ing on the first fret; this allows beginners to use open chords like C, D and Em more easily.
Disney-Pixar’s geological love story Lava features an endearing Hawaiian tune. While originally composed for ukulele, its melody and rhythm translate perfectly onto guitar. When performing this piece for intro and verses use palm muted strums for added dynamics in your playing.
Roxette’s 1987 hit song combines catchy elements of rock music with more melodic structures that novice guitarists can learn quickly. You only need basic strumming on at least five simple chords; adding expression to your performance through palm muted patterns may further expand on it.
4. Barre Chords
Barre chords can be an initial source of difficulty for guitarists. While initially daunting, once you adapt to them they can become invaluable tools in learning songs.
Simply put, barre chords work like capoes. Once you master their primary shapes (known as chord forms), you can move them around the fretboard to change the chords they form – giving much greater freedom than just using open strings alone.
For these kinds of chords, the key is making sure that pressure is being applied equally across all six strings. To do this effectively, finger strength training or using a grip trainer might help give you more power to press down on all six strings at the same time – this will enable you to produce clear sounds from each string even as you switch between different barre chords.