Blackbird
by The Beatles
🌟 Must-Learn Songs
Difficulty
★★★★☆
Tuning
Standard
Capo
None
Paul McCartney's fingerstyle masterpiece from the White Album, inspired by Bach's Bourree in E minor. The piece uses a unique technique of playing simultaneous bass notes and melody on the higher strings, creating the illusion of two guitars. The song moves through various positions on the neck using the G major scale. This is one of the most important fingerstyle pieces any guitarist can learn.
[Verse 1]
G Am G/B G
e|-------0--------1--------3---------3--------3----------|
B|-----0--------1--------0---------0--------0------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------|
A|---0--------0--------2---------0--------0--------------|
E|-3--------3--------------------------------------------------------|
"Blackbird singing in the dead of night..."
A Cmaj7/G A7/G D/F#
e|---5--------5--------5--------3--------2--------0------|
B|-----5--------5--------5--------3--------3--------3----|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------|
A|-0--------0-------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------3--------3--------2--------2----------|
"Take these broken wings and learn to fly..."
G C Cm G/B A7 D7 G
e|---3----0----3-----0----2------2------3----------------|
B|---0----1----4-----0----0------1------0----------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
D|-0----2----5----0----2------0--------------------------|
A|------3----3----2----0------0--------------------------|
E|-3--------------------------------------------3--------|
"All your life..."
Am7/G D/F# G
e|---1--------0--------2---------3-----------------------|
B|---1--------3--------3---------0-----------------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
D|---2--------0--------0---------0-----------------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------|
E|-3--------2--------2---------3------------------------|
"you were only waiting for this moment to arise"
[Verse 1 - Full Fingerpicking]
e|---3---1---0---------0---1---3---3---0---1---0----------|
B|-0---0---0---1---0-1---0---0---0---0---0---0---0--------|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------0---0---0---0-------------------------------|
E|-3---3---3-----------------------3---3---3---3----------|
e|---5---5---5---3---2---0-------------------------------|
B|-5---5---5---3---3---3---------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------|
A|-0---0---0--------------------------------------------|
E|---------------3---2---2------------------------------|
e|---3---0---3---0---2---2---3---------------------------|
B|-0---1---4---0---0---1---0-----------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
D|-0---2---5---0---2---0---------------------------------|
A|-----3---3---2---0---0---------------------------------|
E|-3-------------------------------------------3---------|
[Verse 2]
G Am G/B G
e|-------0--------1--------3---------3--------3----------|
B|-----0--------1--------0---------0--------0------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------|
A|---0--------0--------2---------0--------0--------------|
E|-3--------3--------------------------------------------------------|
"Blackbird singing in the dead of night..."
A Cmaj7/G A7/G D/F#
e|---5--------5--------5--------3--------2--------0------|
B|-----5--------5--------5--------3--------3--------3----|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------|
A|-0--------0-------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------3--------3--------2--------2----------|
"Take these sunken eyes and learn to see..."
G C Cm G/B A7 D7 G
e|---3----0----3-----0----2------2------3----------------|
B|---0----1----4-----0----0------1------0----------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
D|-0----2----5----0----2------0--------------------------|
A|------3----3----2----0------0--------------------------|
E|-3--------------------------------------------3--------|
"All your life..."
Am7/G D/F# G
e|---1--------0--------2---------3-----------------------|
B|---1--------3--------3---------0-----------------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
D|---2--------0--------0---------0-----------------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------|
E|-3--------2--------2---------3------------------------|
"you were only waiting for this moment to be free"
[Bridge]
F C/E Dm C Bb6 C F C/E Dm C
e|-1----0----1----0----1----0----1----0----1----0---------|
B|-1----1----3----1----3----1----1----1----3----1---------|
G|-2----0----2----0----0----0----2----0----2----0---------|
D|-3----2----0----2----0----2----3----2----0----2---------|
A|------3---------3----1----3---------3---------3--------|
E|-1---------1--------------------------------------------|
"Blackbird fly... blackbird fly..."
Bb6 A7 D7
e|---1-----1-----2-----2-----2-----2--------------------|
B|---3-----3-----0-----0-----1-----1--------------------|
G|---0-----0-----2-----2-----2-----2--------------------|
D|---0-----0-----2-----2-----0-----0--------------------|
A|---1-----1-----0-----0-----0-----0--------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------|
"into the light of a dark black night"
[Interlude - Tapping/Picking on Body]
e|------------------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------|
E|-3-----3-----3-----3-----3-----3-----3-----3----------|
(tap on guitar body for percussive beat, bass note G)
[Verse 3]
G Am G/B G
e|-------0--------1--------3---------3--------3----------|
B|-----0--------1--------0---------0--------0------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------|
A|---0--------0--------2---------0--------0--------------|
E|-3--------3--------------------------------------------------------|
"Blackbird singing in the dead of night..."
A Cmaj7/G A7/G D/F#
e|---5--------5--------5--------3--------2--------0------|
B|-----5--------5--------5--------3--------3--------3----|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------|
A|-0--------0-------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------3--------3--------2--------2----------|
"Take these broken wings and learn to fly..."
G C Cm G/B A7 D7 G
e|---3----0----3-----0----2------2------3----------------|
B|---0----1----4-----0----0------1------0----------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
D|-0----2----5----0----2------0--------------------------|
A|------3----3----2----0------0--------------------------|
E|-3--------------------------------------------3--------|
"All your life..."
Am7/G D/F# G
e|---1--------0--------2---------3-----------------------|
B|---1--------3--------3---------0-----------------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
D|---2--------0--------0---------0-----------------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------|
E|-3--------2--------2---------3------------------------|
"you were only waiting for this moment to arise"
[Bridge 2]
F C/E Dm C Bb6 C F C/E Dm C
e|-1----0----1----0----1----0----1----0----1----0---------|
B|-1----1----3----1----3----1----1----1----3----1---------|
G|-2----0----2----0----0----0----2----0----2----0---------|
D|-3----2----0----2----0----2----3----2----0----2---------|
A|------3---------3----1----3---------3---------3--------|
E|-1---------1--------------------------------------------|
"Blackbird fly... blackbird fly..."
Bb6 A7 D7
e|---1-----1-----2-----2-----2-----2--------------------|
B|---3-----3-----0-----0-----1-----1--------------------|
G|---0-----0-----2-----2-----2-----2--------------------|
D|---0-----0-----2-----2-----0-----0--------------------|
A|---1-----1-----0-----0-----0-----0--------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------|
"into the light of a dark black night"
[Interlude 2 - Tapping on Body]
e|------------------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------|
E|-3-----3-----3-----3-----3-----3-----3-----3----------|
(tap on guitar body for percussive beat, bass note G)
[Verse 4]
G Am G/B G
e|-------0--------1--------3---------3--------3----------|
B|-----0--------1--------0---------0--------0------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------|
A|---0--------0--------2---------0--------0--------------|
E|-3--------3--------------------------------------------------------|
"Blackbird singing in the dead of night..."
A Cmaj7/G A7/G D/F#
e|---5--------5--------5--------3--------2--------0------|
B|-----5--------5--------5--------3--------3--------3----|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------|
A|-0--------0-------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------3--------3--------2--------2----------|
"Take these broken wings and learn to fly..."
G C Cm G/B A7 D7 G
e|---3----0----3-----0----2------2------3----------------|
B|---0----1----4-----0----0------1------0----------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
D|-0----2----5----0----2------0--------------------------|
A|------3----3----2----0------0--------------------------|
E|-3--------------------------------------------3--------|
"All your life..."
Am7/G D/F# G
e|---1--------0--------2---------3-----------------------|
B|---1--------3--------3---------0-----------------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
D|---2--------0--------0---------0-----------------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------|
E|-3--------2--------2---------3------------------------|
"you were only waiting for this moment to arise"
[Outro]
Am7/G D/F# G
e|---1--------0--------2---------3-----------------------|
B|---1--------3--------3---------0-----------------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
D|---2--------0--------0---------0-----------------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------|
E|-3--------2--------2---------3------------------------|
"you were only waiting for this moment to arise"
Am7/G D/F# G
e|---1--------0--------2---------3-----------------------|
B|---1--------3--------3---------0-----------------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
D|---2--------0--------0---------0-----------------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------|
E|-3--------2--------2---------3~-----------------------|
"you were only waiting for this moment to arise" (let ring)