"Wonderwall", the 1995 hit by British rock band Oasis, is a favorite to play at bonfires and hostels around the world. This song uses guitar chords with intimidating names, but they're all easy to play, so it's suitable for beginners and intermediate guitar players. The shuffle may be a little difficult, but if you play along with the original, you'll quickly master the song.
Step
This article discusses many standard "open" guitar chords without going into detail. If you need help, look on our site for how to play the guitar.
Part 1 of 5: Playing the Intro
Step 1. Put the capo on the second fret
This is how the song plays on the record. You don't have to do this, but if you don't use a capo, the whole song will be two semitones lower. If you sing, adjust the height of your voice.
-
Notes:
After this section, all fret names are counted according to the position of the capo. In other words, the "third fret" is actually the fifth fret, and so on.
Step 2. Keep your third and fourth fingers on the third fret, on the top two strings
Your little finger will hit the high E (G) string at the third fret, and your ring finger will hit the B (D) string at the third fret. These two fingers will stay in place for most of the song !
Step 3. Play the Em key keeping your third and fourth fingers in position
Use your middle and index fingers to press the A and D strings on the second string. Now, sound all the strings. You're playing the key Em7 which has been modified. Here's a guide to the position of your fingers:
-
Em7 Kunci Key
High E string:
3
B:
3
M:
0
D:
2
A:
2
low E:
0
Step 4. Play the key of G
Now, move your middle finger to the low E string on the third fret. Keep the other finger in position. Sound all the strings. You are now playing the key G major which has been modified.
-
G key
E high:
3
B:
3
M:
0
D:
0
A:
2
low E:
3
Step 5. Play the key of D
Again, keep the little finger and ring finger in position. Move your index finger to the G (A) string on the second fret. Sound the four thinnest strings. You are now playing the chord of D major with the highest pitch raised by half (from F# to G). This key is called the key Dsus4.
-
Dsus4 Chord
E high:
3
B:
3
M:
2
D:
0
A:
X
low E:
X
Step 6. Play the key of A7
Move your index finger down once, until it's on the D (E) string on the second fret. Sound the five thinnest strings. You're playing the key A7sus4. You can also hit the G (A) string at the second fret if this is easier for you. The sound won't be too different.
-
Key A7sus4
E high:
3
B:
3
M:
0
D:
2
A:
0
low E:
X
Step 7. Alternate between these four keys
Now, you know how to play the Wonderwall intro. The whole intro uses only keys Em7-G-Dsus4-A7sus4 which is repeated again and again.
Listen to the recording to learn the shuffling pattern. With just a little practice, it's not that hard to do - basically, you'll be doing the same thing for the rest of the song
Part 2 of 5: Playing the Bait
Step 1. Learn the Cadd9 key
The verse in this song is very similar to the intro. In fact, the difference is only in one key, which only appears once in the first stanza. To play it, keep your pinky and ring fingers on both frets, then press the bottom two notes of the C chord with your other two fingers. In other words, place your middle finger on the A (C) string on the third fret and your index finger on the D (E) string on the second fret.
-
Cadd9 Kunci Key
E high:
3
B:
3
M:
0
D:
2
A:
3
low E:
X
- For reference, verses that are part of the song and begin with the words "Today was gonna be the day…," "Backbeat, the word is on the street…," and so on, are the parts that use this key.
Step 2. Repeat the intro pattern four times for the verse
As noted above, the verses in this song are more or less the same as the intro. Use pattern Em7-G-Dsus4-A7sus4 the same thing you learned for the intro. Repeat four times for each stanza.
Step 3. Special in the first stanza, use the Cadd9 key in the last Em7 key position. The first stanza has this minor change - other than that, the rest is unchanged. Make sure you only change the last Em7 key, and only this stanza.
If you're singing, press this key just as you start singing the last word of the verse ("now"). In other words, "I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do/ about you now(Cadd9)".
Part 3 of 5: Playing the Bridge
Step 1. Play the Cadd9-Dsus4-Em7-Em7 key sequence twice
The basic pattern for this part of the bridge is (eventually) different from the pattern for the intro/verse. Luckily, we've already learned most of the keys we'll be using. Start by playing the chord sequence Cadd9-Dsus4-Em7-Em7 twice. Note that the Em7 key will repeat itself.
For reference, this bridge is the part of the song that reads, "…and all the paths we have to walk are winding…". Switch from Em7 to Cadd9 when the second line begins, "…and all the lights that lead…"
Step 2. Play the key sequence Cadd9-Dsus4-G5-G5/F# -G5/E
This is the hardest part of the song, but you just need to practice a little to get the hang of it. You'll start the same way as before, but end with a quick sound of the G5's key, at a different bass position. This is easier to do than it sounds.
- First, place your finger in the key of G5 by placing your middle finger on the low E (G) string on the third fret.
-
G5. key
E high:
3
B:
3
M:
0
D:
0
A:
2
low E:
3
- Then, slide your middle finger down one fret and place your index finger on the G (A) string of the second fret.
-
Key G5/F#
E high:
3
B:
3
M:
2
D:
0
A:
0
low E:
2
- Then, move your fingers over the A and D (B and E) strings on the second fret, so that you're basically strumming the key of Em7:
-
G5/E. Key
E high:
3
B:
3
M:
0
D:
2
A:
2
low E:
0
- Sound these keys on the words "like", "say", and "you": "There are many things that I would like(G5) to say (G5/F#) to you (G5/E)…”
Step 3. Finish with the G5-A7sus4-A7sus4-A7sus4 key chain
After the quick part above, ring the G5 key again, then switch to the A7sus4 key and continue shuffling a few times. You just passed the bridge section. Move from the key of A7sus4 to the chorus (guidance is below).
A7sus4 key ring in "how": "…like to say to you, but I don't know how (A7sus4)…”
Part 4 of 5: Playing the Refrain
Step 1. Play and repeat the Cadd9-Em7-G-Em7 key sequence
The refrain is easy - you just have to play the chords you've learned, in a steady pattern. Play four times for this chorus.
For reference, the refrain is the part of the song that begins with the words, "because maybe/ you're gonna be the one that saves me…"
Step 2. Move to the next section with Asus4 key
This transfer is immediately after first refrain. On the recording, there is a short pause after the last Em7 key in the refrain. Then, when the song moves to the third verse, there is a slight shuffle of A7sus4, which immediately switches to Em7 as soon as the verse begins.
You will be greatly helped by listening to the recordings. This lag timing may be difficult to master at first
Part 5 of 5: Putting It All Together
Step 1. Play the intro part four times
Once you've mastered all the parts of this song, you just need to put it all together. For the intro part, you must play:
Em7-G-Dsus4-A7sus4 (4X)
Step 2. Play the first verse, then the second verse
The play on the stanzas isn't too different from the intro, with the exception of the one-of-a-kind Cadd9 key, but be aware that the verse will start with the first "Today was gonna be the day…". The next two stanzas will soon follow, but you should remember that only the first stanza gets the Cadd9 key. In other words, you will play:
- Em7-G-Dsus4-A7sus4
- Em7-G-Dsus4-A7sus4
- Em7-G-Dsus4-A7sus4
- Cadd9-G-Dsus4-A7sus4
- Em7-G-Dsus4-A7sus4 (4X)
Step 3. Play the bridge, then the refrain
Here the gameplay is pretty self-explanatory - you only have to play each part once. In other words, play:
- Cadd9-Dsus4-Em7-Em7 (2X)
- Cadd9-Dsus4-G5-G5/F# -G5/E
- G5-A7sus4-A7sus4-A7sus4
- Cadd9-Em7-G-Em7 (4X)
- A7sus4 (just before the third stanza)
Step 4. Play the third verse, then the bridge, then the refrain (twice)
Here, you will play one verse, but two refrains. In other words, play:
- Em7-G-Dsus4-A7sus4 (4X)
- Cadd9-Dsus4-Em7-Em7 (2X)
- Cadd9-Dsus4-G5-G5/F# -G5/E
- G5-A7sus4-A7sus4-A7sus4
- Cadd9-Em7-G-Em7 (8X)
Step 5. Finish by repeating the key sequence
After the third refrain, the singing stops, but the instrument continues to play the Cadd9-Em7-G-Em7 chord for four more times. If you're playing live, make sure all your band members know when it's time to stop!
If you extend this section, you can use it to perform solo, since the singer has stopped singing
Tips
- Here is the link to the "Wonderwall" video. Listening to them can help you master more difficult shuffling patterns more easily.
- Learning the necessary keys before you try to play this song live is a must. Without hard practice, you may end up pausing between keys to find your finger position, causing the rhythm of the song to become chaotic.
