How to Play "Thank You" by Dido on Acoustic Guitar!

Let's learn Thank You by Dido on guitar. This is one of the songs that epitomized the female pop vocals of the 90s and early 2000s. Many of you have probably heard it sampled in Eminem’s hit Stan, but the original can certainly stand on its own. It's a wicked tune. :)

Thank You by Dido is great for beginner and intermediate players who want to practice strumming patterns and chord changes. We’ve got a sneaky B minor chord in there, along with some tricky thumb work, but we'll look at cheats for them.

We'll need a capo on fret 4 to play in the original key. Let's go!

Thank You by Dido: Guitar Chords

The intro is nice and easy: we alternate between open Em and CMaj7. Stay on each for two beats. :)

In the verse, we go Em, CMaj7, D, each for two beats, then G to D/F#, each for one beat. We look at several options for D/F#, and you can always play regular D instead. If you find this chord tricky, master the chords and strumming separately, then bring them together.

As for the chorus, we play G to C three times, then Bm to Am. Oh no, it's the Bm barre chord!

The Bm Barre Chord

Let’s talk about the B minor chord for a moment. Dido threw this into a song that mostly contains open chords, but no problem - it’s one of the easier barre chords.

💡 Barre Chords for Beginners: Have you learned your F barre chord? Then Bm is easy! Check out my Barre Chords for Beginners lesson to play Bm using the F chord.

There's also an open Bm7 you can use as a cheat for the B minor chord. :) It's a bit awkward but should get you through the tune if you haven’t quite mastered barring. If you’ve done my beginner’s course, you'll remember the B7. To get Bm7, grab this B7 but leave off finger 1. Try both options and see what you’re most comfortable with.

Rhythm Patterns

The strumming pattern here is pretty fun! There are tons of variations, so get creative and find the sound you like. This is also a good tune to practice your 16th note strumming. We learn a fixed pattern for the verse, but the chorus pattern isn't easy to identify, so I suggest you feel the rhythm and get creative. Regardless of what pattern you land on, remember to keep your strumming hand moving.

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Start by learning your patterns with muted strings, then with one chord, then start switching between chords. Once you've mastered your strumming and chords, it's time to make it feel good. Relax your entire body as you strum - you'll notice a difference in your sound.

Thank You by Dido: Song Structure

Thank You starts with a standard structure: intro, verse, chorus. Then things get interesting: we repeat the chorus but with no vocal, a verse with the chorus chords, then a double chorus! It's a strange arrangement, but it means we play the chorus progression repeatedly after the first verse. :)

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