Blackbird (The Beatles)
No lyrics here
Copyright rules mean this note has chords and structure only — pull the words up separately (Spotify/lyric site) while you play.
Song Info
- Artist: The Beatles (Paul McCartney)
- Key: G major
- Capo: none
- Difficulty: Advanced (Ultimate Guitar’s own rating)
Free Chord Chart
Ultimate Guitar — Blackbird (Chords)
Songsterr — Blackbird (synced playback, free) — useful for this one since it’s fingerpicked; the cursor follows along in real time so you can see exactly where you are in the pattern.
Chords Used
Simplified backbone (fine for early practice): G, Am7, G/B, C, D, Em
Full chord set from the linked chart (what’s actually on the record — a lot more passing chords than the simplified version): G, Am7, G/B, G* (fingerpicked passing shape), C, C#dim, D, D#(b5), Em, Ebaug, Dbdim, Cm, A7, C/D, F, Fadd9, Dm, Gm/Bb
Song Structure & Chord Progression
Matches the free chart linked above (verified 2026-09-19) — this version does have a labelled Chorus, unlike what an earlier version of this note said:
- Intro: G – Am7 – G/B – G*
- Verse: G – Am7 – G/B – G* – C – C#dim – D – D#(b5) – Em – Ebaug – D – Dbdim – C – Cm – G/B – A7 – C/D – G
- Instrumental: C – G/B – A7 – C/D – G
- Chorus (“Black-bird, fly”): F – Em – Dm – C – Gm/Bb – C, then F – Em – Dm – C – Gm/Bb – A7 – C/D – G – Am7 – G/B
- Instrumental: variations on the verse/chorus shapes
- Verse 3: closes the song, repeating the final line
No separate Bridge — the Chorus and instrumental breaks carry that role.
Picking Pattern
This is a fingerpicked piece throughout — alternating thumb bass note under a melodic line picked on top, not strummed. The exact right-hand pattern isn’t notated on this chart; a dedicated Blackbird fingerstyle video lesson (Justin Guitar has one) is the better source for the picking hand itself. Start with the simplified backbone chords above if the full chord set feels like too much at once, then work in the passing chords once the shape changes feel smooth.
Practice Notes
- Can play the chord shapes cleanly
- Thumb-bass pattern is steady on its own
- Can play first half of verse at slow tempo
- Can play the full song without looking
Practice Log
| Date | Minutes | Notes |
|---|---|---|