Sometimes beginner guitarists use a capo to “cheat” their way to simpler chord shapes, but in this case, it’s not a cheat—that’s how Noel Gallagher originally played it.
This is referred to as a “pedal point” or just a “pedal,” and it gives your playing a little more depth and harmony. [4] X Research source Pedal points are used in a lot of rock and pop songs. The technique has been around since Bach—once you know it, you’ll start hearing it everywhere.
Strum a couple of times just to get used to the shape and you’re ready to move on to the 2nd chord.
Strum a couple of times just to get used to the shape and you’re ready to move on to the 2nd chord.
Pause here and practice switching between your Em7 and your G. Just give the Em7 a couple of strums, then switch to G for a couple of strums, then switch back to Em7.
Pause here and practice switching between your Em7 and your G. Just give the Em7 a couple of strums, then switch to G for a couple of strums, then switch back to Em7.
Practice making the transition from Em7 to G to Dsus4 with 2 strums for each chord.
Practice making the transition from Em7 to G to Dsus4 with 2 strums for each chord.
Now you have the whole chord progression for the verses, starting with Em7. Play 2 strums of Em7, 2 strums of G, 2 strums of Dsus4, 2 strums of A7sus4, then back around to Em7. Keep playing this progression until the chord changes become automatic. You can probably hear the verses in your head now—this is starting to sound like the actual song!
Now you have the whole chord progression for the verses, starting with Em7. Play 2 strums of Em7, 2 strums of G, 2 strums of Dsus4, 2 strums of A7sus4, then back around to Em7. Keep playing this progression until the chord changes become automatic. You can probably hear the verses in your head now—this is starting to sound like the actual song!
Practice transitioning from A7sus4 to Cadd9, then from Cadd9 to Dsus4, with 2 strums for each chord.
Practice transitioning from A7sus4 to Cadd9, then from Cadd9 to Dsus4, with 2 strums for each chord.
Practice going back and forth between G and F# with only one strum for each chord. Start slow, then gradually speed up until you’ve developed the muscle memory. You’ve got this!
The key to the strum pattern for this song is to keep your strumming hand moving up and down all the time, even if you’re not actually strumming the strings. This will help you keep time so the rhythm stays consistent.
It takes a little practice to get the hang of this. Start slow! You can gradually speed up until you’re playing at the correct tempo for the song.
This will likely be easier to get the hang of once you start playing the full song with the chords—the variation of the strumming pattern naturally falls in line with the lyrics.
Remember, 2 strums for each chord. This means some of your chord changes are going to be happening on odd beats—just roll with it. Changing chords in the right way with the strumming pattern is part of what gives this song its signature vibe.
In the original recording, Oasis repeats the chorus here—so the total song structure is 2 verses, bridge, 1 chorus, then 1 verse, bridge, 2 choruses.
