Learn how to play "Fix You" by Coldplay on the guitar

In this lesson, we'll learn how to play Fix You by Coldplay on the guitar. This beautiful tune is mainly a piano piece in its original version, giving us a lot of freedom to interpret it on the guitar.

Chord Progression

The way that works nicest and is close to what is actually played on the record is to use a capo at the third fret. We're generally using open chords, but there are some nice little variations you can put in that really enhance the sound and help replicate the sound of the whole track.

The chord sequence for the intro is a C chord for two beats, then an E minor for two beats, A minor for two beats, and G. It does this sequence twice for the intro. The first verse starts with A minor to G, which is then repeated.

Then we come to the chorus, which starts with an F barre chord for three beats and then switches to a C with an E bass on the fourth beat. This sequence is then repeated three times, creating a beautiful melody.

Rhythm Pattern

Once you've sorted out all those chords, the next thing to talk about is the rhythm. Start with a 16th-note strumming pattern. This approach becomes a lot more intuitive to play, rather than trying to think of a specific pattern.

One thing that you definitely want to explore is dynamically making it a little less busy in the verses. So, in the verses, keep it really simple. You can let loose and get into the rhythm when it comes to the chorus.

This song is a great one to practice. The chords are pretty simple, but there are those nice little melodic elements you can add in that really make the song shine. This is a beautiful song to play and a great addition to your guitar repertoire.

Final Notes

For people who have the very first edition of the pop songbook, I'd like to point out that I wrote the song out as all barre chords. But having just run through it before this lesson, I much prefer the version using the capo. You can definitely do it using those regular chords.

I recommend that you go for the capo version rather than the big barre chord version, and I'll be changing it for future editions of the book.

Watch the video for a full look at Fix You by Coldplay. Take care of yourselves. Bye-bye.

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