Chords for "I Shot the Sheriff" Eric Clapton Guitar Lesson
Tempo:
115.15 bpm
Chords used:
G
Dm
Gm
Bb
Eb
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[D] [Dm]
[G] [G]
[Dm]
[F] [Gm]
[Cm]
[Gm]
[G] [Gm]
[Cm] [Gm]
[Dm]
[Gm] [Eb] [Dm]
[G] [Eb]
[Dm] [G]
[Eb] [Dm]
[G] [Eb]
[Dm] [G]
[C]
[G]
Hey guys, it's Seth, Stage Right.
Today we're [N] going to do a lesson on the old Bob Marley song, I Shot the Sheriff.
We're actually going to do the Eric Clapton version of it.
That was the one that you guys are probably more familiar with.
This is going to be in the key of G minor.
You're going to use some inversion chords for this [B] to get that kind of reggae, kind
of funky feel to it.
I'm going to go over those chord shapes and then [Bb]
we'll split it up between the verses
and [N] the choruses.
Then I'll show you the little riff too for the bridge.
We'll just start off with the main part, which is the chorus.
It's going to start off with G minor and then you're going to go into a C minor using the
same chord shape.
The chord shape is going to be, you're going to do basically like the F inversion, but
instead of doing that, that would be the major, you're going to take it off and you're going
to bar all the strings on [A] the third fret.
Then you're going to [Bb] use your ring [Am] finger on the fifth [Ab] fret on the D string.
That chord will sound like this.
[Gm]
[Bm] You're just going to play that and then you're going to go into [Bb] a C minor and then you're
going to [N] come back into a G and you're going to hold out that G and then it starts with G again.
Basically, it goes G, C, G, G, back into G.
It's like a four chord [Eb] progression.
[Gm]
[Cm]
[Gm]
That would end the progression and then you'd start back in G again.
[Cm] [Gm]
[B] That'll be the choruses.
You're going to play that for the chorus.
[F] Then what's cool about that too when you come back to the G after [B] hitting that C is a lot
of times Clapton will do little riffs within the G minor pentatonic scale.
[Bb] You can improvise a little bit because he does that a lot, especially when he plays [Gm] live.
[Cm] [Gm]
[G] [Bb] Just little things like that he does in between that really spice [N] it up.
That's what you'll do during the choruses there.
When it comes to the verses, basically you're going to play what would be an E flat and
then you're going to play a D minor and then you're going to play the G minor again.
I'm just going to use power chords for these just for simplicity.
That's what I usually do anyway and I think that's what Eric Clapton does during the songs too.
That'll sound like this.
[Eb] [Dm]
[G] [Eb]
[Dm] [G]
[Eb] [Dm]
[G] [Gm] [Eb]
[Dm] [G]
During [Db] that section, when you get to that last one after going through four [C] times, you're
going to hold that G out and then what you'll do is you'll play the little riff [E] that he
plays in between that'll lead you back into the chorus.
That little [B] riff is going to be [N] in the G, extended G minor pentatonic scale.
You're going to slide in on your root note for the G on your D string fifth fret.
[G] Then you're going to come down [Fm] to your third fret.
Then [B] you're going to go back up a string [D] but to your fifth fret and then to your third
fret, [C] same string, and then to [Bb] your first fret.
Then you're going to hammer on and slide up.
All together it'll sound like this.
[D]
[C] [Bb] [G]
[N] You're basically just going to run it up the pentatonic scale there.
[Fm] [D] [C]
[Bb]
[G] You [Ab] notice there that last little note before I hit [Bb] the root note on the G, you do a little half bend.
[G] [D]
[Bb] [G]
Then from that you just go right back into the [B] chorus and that's basically the whole [D] song.
Really, you just got to focus on learning that little inversion [Gm] [Cm]
[D] that's going to get
you through the whole [B] song.
Again, this is a really fun one to improvise to and jam along [Am] with and [B] learn your G minor
[N] pentatonic scales that way.
I hope this was helpful.
Stay tuned for more.
[Dm] Thanks for watching.
[G]
[D] [Dm]
[G]
[G] [G]
[Dm]
[F] [Gm]
[Cm]
[Gm]
[G] [Gm]
[Cm] [Gm]
[Dm]
[Gm] [Eb] [Dm]
[G] [Eb]
[Dm] [G]
[Eb] [Dm]
[G] [Eb]
[Dm] [G]
[C]
[G]
Hey guys, it's Seth, Stage Right.
Today we're [N] going to do a lesson on the old Bob Marley song, I Shot the Sheriff.
We're actually going to do the Eric Clapton version of it.
That was the one that you guys are probably more familiar with.
This is going to be in the key of G minor.
You're going to use some inversion chords for this [B] to get that kind of reggae, kind
of funky feel to it.
I'm going to go over those chord shapes and then [Bb]
we'll split it up between the verses
and [N] the choruses.
Then I'll show you the little riff too for the bridge.
We'll just start off with the main part, which is the chorus.
It's going to start off with G minor and then you're going to go into a C minor using the
same chord shape.
The chord shape is going to be, you're going to do basically like the F inversion, but
instead of doing that, that would be the major, you're going to take it off and you're going
to bar all the strings on [A] the third fret.
Then you're going to [Bb] use your ring [Am] finger on the fifth [Ab] fret on the D string.
That chord will sound like this.
[Gm]
[Bm] You're just going to play that and then you're going to go into [Bb] a C minor and then you're
going to [N] come back into a G and you're going to hold out that G and then it starts with G again.
Basically, it goes G, C, G, G, back into G.
It's like a four chord [Eb] progression.
[Gm]
[Cm]
[Gm]
That would end the progression and then you'd start back in G again.
[Cm] [Gm]
[B] That'll be the choruses.
You're going to play that for the chorus.
[F] Then what's cool about that too when you come back to the G after [B] hitting that C is a lot
of times Clapton will do little riffs within the G minor pentatonic scale.
[Bb] You can improvise a little bit because he does that a lot, especially when he plays [Gm] live.
[Cm] [Gm]
[G] [Bb] Just little things like that he does in between that really spice [N] it up.
That's what you'll do during the choruses there.
When it comes to the verses, basically you're going to play what would be an E flat and
then you're going to play a D minor and then you're going to play the G minor again.
I'm just going to use power chords for these just for simplicity.
That's what I usually do anyway and I think that's what Eric Clapton does during the songs too.
That'll sound like this.
[Eb] [Dm]
[G] [Eb]
[Dm] [G]
[Eb] [Dm]
[G] [Gm] [Eb]
[Dm] [G]
During [Db] that section, when you get to that last one after going through four [C] times, you're
going to hold that G out and then what you'll do is you'll play the little riff [E] that he
plays in between that'll lead you back into the chorus.
That little [B] riff is going to be [N] in the G, extended G minor pentatonic scale.
You're going to slide in on your root note for the G on your D string fifth fret.
[G] Then you're going to come down [Fm] to your third fret.
Then [B] you're going to go back up a string [D] but to your fifth fret and then to your third
fret, [C] same string, and then to [Bb] your first fret.
Then you're going to hammer on and slide up.
All together it'll sound like this.
[D]
[C] [Bb] [G]
[N] You're basically just going to run it up the pentatonic scale there.
[Fm] [D] [C]
[Bb]
[G] You [Ab] notice there that last little note before I hit [Bb] the root note on the G, you do a little half bend.
[G] [D]
[Bb] [G]
Then from that you just go right back into the [B] chorus and that's basically the whole [D] song.
Really, you just got to focus on learning that little inversion [Gm] [Cm]
[D] that's going to get
you through the whole [B] song.
Again, this is a really fun one to improvise to and jam along [Am] with and [B] learn your G minor
[N] pentatonic scales that way.
I hope this was helpful.
Stay tuned for more.
[Dm] Thanks for watching.
[G]
[D] [Dm]
[G]
Key:
G
Dm
Gm
Bb
Eb
G
Dm
Gm
_ _ [D] _ _ [Dm] _ _ _ _
_ _ [G] _ _ [G] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [Dm] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [F] _ _ [Gm] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [Cm] _ _ _ _ _
[Gm] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [G] _ _ _ [Gm] _ _ _
_ [Cm] _ _ _ _ _ _ [Gm] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _
[Gm] _ _ [Eb] _ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _
_ [G] _ _ _ _ _ [Eb] _ _
_ _ [Dm] _ _ [G] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [Eb] _ _ _ [Dm] _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ _ _ [Eb] _ _
_ _ [Dm] _ _ [G] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _
_ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ Hey guys, it's Seth, Stage Right.
Today we're [N] going to do a lesson on the old Bob Marley song, I Shot the Sheriff.
_ We're actually going to do the Eric Clapton version of it.
_ That was the one that you guys are probably more familiar with.
This is going to be in the key of G minor.
You're going to use some inversion chords for this [B] to get that kind of reggae, kind
of funky _ feel to it.
I'm going to go over those chord shapes and then [Bb] _
we'll split it up between the verses
and [N] the choruses.
_ Then I'll show you the little riff too for the bridge.
We'll just start off with the main part, which is the chorus.
_ It's going to start off with G minor and then you're going to go into a C minor using the
same chord shape.
The chord shape is going to be, _ _ you're going to do basically like the F inversion, but
instead of doing that, that would be the major, you're going to take it off and you're going
to bar all the strings on [A] the third fret.
Then you're going to [Bb] use your ring [Am] finger on the fifth [Ab] fret on the D string.
That chord will sound like this.
_ [Gm] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Bm] _ You're just going to play that and then you're going to go into [Bb] a C minor and then you're
going to [N] come back into a G and you're going to hold out that G and then it starts with G again.
Basically, it goes G, C, _ G, G, back into G.
It's like a four chord [Eb] progression.
[Gm] _
_ _ _ _ _ [Cm] _ _ _
_ _ [Gm] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ That would end the progression and then you'd start back in G again. _ _ _
_ _ [Cm] _ _ _ _ _ [Gm] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [B] That'll be the choruses.
You're going to play that for the chorus.
[F] Then what's cool about that too when you come back to the G after [B] hitting that C is a lot
of times Clapton will do little riffs within the G minor _ _ _ _ pentatonic scale.
_ [Bb] You can _ _ improvise a little bit because he does that a lot, especially when he plays [Gm] live. _ _ _ _
_ [Cm] _ _ _ _ _ _ [Gm] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ [Bb] Just little things like that he does in between that really spice [N] it up.
_ That's what you'll do during the choruses there.
When it comes to the verses, _ _ _ _ _ basically you're going to play what would be an E flat _ and
then you're going to play a D minor and then you're going to play the G minor again.
_ I'm just going to use power chords for these just for simplicity.
_ That's what I usually do anyway and I think that's what Eric Clapton does during the songs too.
_ That'll sound like this.
_ [Eb] _ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ _ _ [Eb] _ _
_ _ [Dm] _ _ [G] _ _ _ _
_ _ [Eb] _ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _
[G] _ _ _ [Gm] _ _ _ [Eb] _ _
_ [Dm] _ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _
_ During [Db] that section, when you get to that last one after going through four [C] times, you're
going to hold that G out and then what you'll do is you'll play the little riff [E] that he
plays in between that'll lead you back into the chorus.
That little [B] riff is going to be [N] in the G, extended G minor pentatonic scale.
You're going to slide in on your root note for the G on your D string fifth fret.
_ _ [G] _ _ Then you're going to come down _ [Fm] to your third fret. _
Then [B] you're going to go back up a string [D] but to your fifth fret _ _ _ and then to your third
fret, [C] same string, _ _ and then to [Bb] your first fret. _ _
_ Then you're going _ to hammer on and slide up.
All together it'll sound like this.
[D] _ _
_ _ _ _ [C] _ _ [Bb] _ [G] _
_ _ _ [N] You're basically just going to run it up the pentatonic scale there.
_ [Fm] _ _ [D] _ [C] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Bb] _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ You [Ab] notice there that last little note before I hit [Bb] the root note on the G, you do a little half bend. _
[G] _ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ _ [Bb] _ [G] _ _ _ _ _
_ Then from that you just go right back into the [B] chorus and that's basically the whole [D] song.
Really, you just got to focus on learning that little inversion _ [Gm] _ _ _ _ [Cm] _
_ _ _ _ [D] that's going to get
you through the whole [B] song.
Again, this is a really fun one to improvise to and jam along [Am] with and [B] learn your G minor
[N] pentatonic scales that way.
_ _ I hope this was helpful. _
Stay tuned for more.
[Dm] Thanks for watching. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [D] _ _ [Dm] _ _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [G] _ _ [G] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [Dm] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [F] _ _ [Gm] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [Cm] _ _ _ _ _
[Gm] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [G] _ _ _ [Gm] _ _ _
_ [Cm] _ _ _ _ _ _ [Gm] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _
[Gm] _ _ [Eb] _ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _
_ [G] _ _ _ _ _ [Eb] _ _
_ _ [Dm] _ _ [G] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [Eb] _ _ _ [Dm] _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ _ _ [Eb] _ _
_ _ [Dm] _ _ [G] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _
_ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ Hey guys, it's Seth, Stage Right.
Today we're [N] going to do a lesson on the old Bob Marley song, I Shot the Sheriff.
_ We're actually going to do the Eric Clapton version of it.
_ That was the one that you guys are probably more familiar with.
This is going to be in the key of G minor.
You're going to use some inversion chords for this [B] to get that kind of reggae, kind
of funky _ feel to it.
I'm going to go over those chord shapes and then [Bb] _
we'll split it up between the verses
and [N] the choruses.
_ Then I'll show you the little riff too for the bridge.
We'll just start off with the main part, which is the chorus.
_ It's going to start off with G minor and then you're going to go into a C minor using the
same chord shape.
The chord shape is going to be, _ _ you're going to do basically like the F inversion, but
instead of doing that, that would be the major, you're going to take it off and you're going
to bar all the strings on [A] the third fret.
Then you're going to [Bb] use your ring [Am] finger on the fifth [Ab] fret on the D string.
That chord will sound like this.
_ [Gm] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Bm] _ You're just going to play that and then you're going to go into [Bb] a C minor and then you're
going to [N] come back into a G and you're going to hold out that G and then it starts with G again.
Basically, it goes G, C, _ G, G, back into G.
It's like a four chord [Eb] progression.
[Gm] _
_ _ _ _ _ [Cm] _ _ _
_ _ [Gm] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ That would end the progression and then you'd start back in G again. _ _ _
_ _ [Cm] _ _ _ _ _ [Gm] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [B] That'll be the choruses.
You're going to play that for the chorus.
[F] Then what's cool about that too when you come back to the G after [B] hitting that C is a lot
of times Clapton will do little riffs within the G minor _ _ _ _ pentatonic scale.
_ [Bb] You can _ _ improvise a little bit because he does that a lot, especially when he plays [Gm] live. _ _ _ _
_ [Cm] _ _ _ _ _ _ [Gm] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ [Bb] Just little things like that he does in between that really spice [N] it up.
_ That's what you'll do during the choruses there.
When it comes to the verses, _ _ _ _ _ basically you're going to play what would be an E flat _ and
then you're going to play a D minor and then you're going to play the G minor again.
_ I'm just going to use power chords for these just for simplicity.
_ That's what I usually do anyway and I think that's what Eric Clapton does during the songs too.
_ That'll sound like this.
_ [Eb] _ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ _ _ [Eb] _ _
_ _ [Dm] _ _ [G] _ _ _ _
_ _ [Eb] _ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _
[G] _ _ _ [Gm] _ _ _ [Eb] _ _
_ [Dm] _ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _
_ During [Db] that section, when you get to that last one after going through four [C] times, you're
going to hold that G out and then what you'll do is you'll play the little riff [E] that he
plays in between that'll lead you back into the chorus.
That little [B] riff is going to be [N] in the G, extended G minor pentatonic scale.
You're going to slide in on your root note for the G on your D string fifth fret.
_ _ [G] _ _ Then you're going to come down _ [Fm] to your third fret. _
Then [B] you're going to go back up a string [D] but to your fifth fret _ _ _ and then to your third
fret, [C] same string, _ _ and then to [Bb] your first fret. _ _
_ Then you're going _ to hammer on and slide up.
All together it'll sound like this.
[D] _ _
_ _ _ _ [C] _ _ [Bb] _ [G] _
_ _ _ [N] You're basically just going to run it up the pentatonic scale there.
_ [Fm] _ _ [D] _ [C] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Bb] _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ You [Ab] notice there that last little note before I hit [Bb] the root note on the G, you do a little half bend. _
[G] _ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ _ [Bb] _ [G] _ _ _ _ _
_ Then from that you just go right back into the [B] chorus and that's basically the whole [D] song.
Really, you just got to focus on learning that little inversion _ [Gm] _ _ _ _ [Cm] _
_ _ _ _ [D] that's going to get
you through the whole [B] song.
Again, this is a really fun one to improvise to and jam along [Am] with and [B] learn your G minor
[N] pentatonic scales that way.
_ _ I hope this was helpful. _
Stay tuned for more.
[Dm] Thanks for watching. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [D] _ _ [Dm] _ _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _ _