Learn How To Play "Do They Know It's Christmas" by Band Aid On Guitar!

A powerhouse Christmas classic with some of the best of 80's voices.

This Christmas song was released back in the 80s by Band Aid.

Band-Aid was a supergroup that featured different famous artists of that time. This includes legends like Bono, Phil Collins & even Boy George!

In this lesson, you'll learn how to play Do They Know It's Christmas on guitar. You'll mainly need all open chords - it should not give you too many problems! I'll also show you how you can experiment with the rhythm patterns. :)

💡 If you dig this tune, watch the original film clip too, it's hilarious :) Live aid was an awesome idea and helped many thousands of people. I was lucky enough to play at the more recent version at Live Earth in Hamburg with Katie Melua (YouTube clip, I'm in the red and black striped top!)

How To Play Do They Know It's Christmas Guitar

To play this Christmas song, you'll mainly need open chords. There is an F chord in there - but don't panic. You don't need the bass note in it, so it'll be much easier. This makes the F chord an F major 7th chord - and it sounds better in this song!

To play this tune, you're mainly alternating between C, F, G chords, with an odd D minor chord here and there. Don't worry about how I do the G chord grips in the video. Choose whatever grips feel more comfortable to you!

🚨 Want faster chord changes? Check out my One Minute Chords exercise - it helps improve this skill!

Now let's talk strumming. You can keep it simple by playing standard strumming. Personally, I enjoy using a 6:8 pattern and adding an accent on 1! Experiment how you want - and see what you like! There's room for interpretation here. :)

What Is Do They Know It's Christmas About

Band Aid's goal was to combine musical talents to raise awareness of world issues like famine and poverty. For this song, they aimed to bring attention to the famine in Ethiopia. This massive event was a success and raised more than 28$ million for this issue.

As cheesy as it sounds, music can bring people together and make a difference! If you're interested in donating to a charity, check out The Ryvanz-Mia Orphanage in Ghana. This is where I volunteered some years ago.

Hope you dig this lesson! Wishing you all a very safe & merry Holiday season.

Want chords, tabs, and lyrics to follow along with my song tutorials? Check out JustinGuitar Tabs!