"The Scientist" by Coldplay – Easy Acoustic Guitar Version

Hey, how you doing? It’s Justin here today for an easy version of The Scientist by Coldplay, one of the all-time great pop tunes.

Check out my other lesson on The Scientist in 4ths tuning if you want a more adventurous version. That one is a little above most beginner players, but do check it out if you want to try your hand at a trickier song. :)

For now, let's look at the beginner version. Get your capo on fret 5, and let’s go.

The Scientist by Coldplay – Chords

Just five chords in this song! The first chord we need is a regular old Am chord (X02210). Nothing fancy here – just remember to mute the thick string with the thumb.

The next one is FMaj7/C (X33210). Don’t worry about the name – think of it as a simplified F chord. In fact, let’s call it an F chord to make things easier. :) Finger 3 plays 5:3 (string 5, fret 3) and mutes string 6, finger 4 plays 4:3, finger 2 goes on 3:2, and finger 1 goes on 2:1. It kinda looks like a C chord.

🧐 F Chord Variations: the FMaj7/C chord in this version is one of several F chord grips you can switch for the F barre chord. Check out the other F Chord Variations – no barre required. :)

We switch from FMaj7/C to a regular open C chord (X32010). To switch, keep fingers 1 and 3 in place, lift off finger 4, and move finger 2 up to 4:2. Again, remember to mute the thickest string with either the thumb or finger 3. We’ll also need a Cadd2 chord (X30010). To get there from C, just lift off finger 2.

The Scientist by Coldplay – Song Structure

The verse progression is Am, F, C, then Cadd2, each for a bar. Play this four times for each verse. In the chorus, we go F for two bars, C for one bar, then Cadd2 for one. Repeat this twice, then switch to G for two bars. The song pauses for a few beats, so only strum on beat 1 in the final bar.

💡 Chord Book: We’re exploring a few different chords in this lesson, so now is a great time to start your own chord book.

There’s another option for the G. Leave finger 1 down in 2:1 (string 2, fret 1) and use fingers 3 and 4 for 6:3 and 1:3 (3X0013). This chord is called Gsus4 and sounds really cool. :) The bridge (the part separating the chorus and the verse) is C, F, C, and Csus2 for one bar each.

The Scientist – Moving The Capo

Once you have memorized this song, move the capo to fit your voice. For me, an adult male with a deep voice, this means moving it down! The “Nobody said it was easy…" part is pretty high. Move it around until you find a key that suits you, and you’re ready to go.

🎤 Capo To Suit Your Voice: follow the link if you need a little more help finding the right capo for your voice. :)

That’s all there is to it. If you’ve nailed that, come check out my lesson on The Scientist using 4ths tuning. This one sounds wicked, especially when you’re playing acoustic guitar alone. The sound of the guitar totally changes! Enjoy playing this one for your friends, and I’ll see you for more song lessons real soon. :)

🎵Take your playing to Intermediate Level and beyond with my Intermediate Modules.