Let's Learn "Shotgun" by George Ezra on Guitar

In this easy lesson, we'll learn how to play Shotgun by George Ezra on the acoustic guitar! This four-chord song has only one progression, making it great for beginners. :)

Beginners need a capo on fret 5 and the chords C, FMaj7, Am, and G. Easy peasy. :) We'll also go through several strumming patterns and look at how to vary the dynamics to keep your audience engaged.

But first, let's quickly look at the capo-free Intermediate version of Shotgun.

Shotgun by George Ezra – Intermediate Guitar Version

You'll need barre chords if you want to play this one without a capo. Shotgun is in the key of F, and the chords are F (133211, E shape), B♭ (X1333X, A shape), Dm (X57765, Am shape), and C (X3555X, A shape).

🎸 Keen to learn these barre chords? Head to my Intermediate grades for detailed lessons on all of them.

Do you know why these chords are right? I'll let you ponder that. ;) Time to look at the open-chord version.

Shotgun by George Ezra – Guitar Chords

Remember – this song has one repeating four-chord sequence: C, FMaj7, Am, and G.

The first chord in the sequence is C (X32010). Remember to mute string 6 with the tip of finger 3. :) It's common for beginners to hit open string 6 when they play C, which muddies the chord's sound.

💡 Open Chords: need some help with these open chords? Head to my Beginner’s Course for in-depth explanations of each one.

Next, we switch to FMaj7. The easiest grip is XX3210, which is easy to get from C. All you need to do is move fingers 2 and 3 down one string and keep finger 1 in place. The only complication is that you have to mute string 5 with the tip of finger 3 and avoid hitting string 6. Those strings sound horrible over FMaj7!

Another possibility for FMaj7 is X32010, technically called FMaj7/C. Finger 3 plays 5:3 (string 5, fret 3) and mutes string 6, finger 4 plays 4:3, finger 2 goes down on 3:2, and finger 1 is on 2:1.

💣 F Chord With Thumb: If you’re real clever, try wrapping the thumb around the top of the guitar neck to fret 6:1 too (133210). That is not a beginner technique, but Advancing Beginners might like to give it a shot. :) You could also go for a regular barre chord F (133211).

We'll go for the standard Am grip (X02210). As for G, I tend to go for the two-finger version of G (3X0003), AKA folk G, with finger 3 playing 6:3 and finger 4 on 1:3. But you could play any other G that you know. It's no big deal, and you can opt for other grips later. :)

Those are the chords – let's see how to strum it.

Shotgun by George Ezra – Strumming

You should start with super-simple strumming for Shotgun, particularly if you want to sing. We'll go for four down strums to the bar:

C           F           Am          G
1  2  3  4  1  2  3  4  1  2  3  4  1  2  3  4 
D  D  D  D  D  D  D  D  D  D  D  D  D  D  D  D

Playing it helps you figure out where the chord changes fall in the lyrics. I always play a nice, easy strumming pattern when learning a new song. It helps me nail the singing. :)

💡 Explore: If you want to experiment a bit, there are loads of strumming patterns that work for this George Ezra hit. Pretty much any of the patterns in my Beginner’s Course will sound great.

Here's a nice pattern that we learn in Grade 2. This is the rhythm I hear George Ezra playing, except he's probably using barre chords. It involves palm muting – rest the edge of your strumming hand on the strings near the bridge.

🧐 Palm Muting With Rhythm Guitar: master this rhythm pattern with my Grade 2 lesson on palm muting. :)

It looks like a frozen karate chop! You don't want to mute the strings – dampen them a little, so you can still hear the chords. Here's the rhythm:

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D D D D D D D D

I strum the bass notes, focusing on the three thickest strings, except on beats 2 and 4, where I push through a little more and strum one or two more strings. This is a great pattern for the verses. Let's look at how to incorporate it into a full performance of Shotgun.

Change Up The Dynamics

It would be best if you changed up the strumming in four-chord songs. You'll send people to sleep if you play the same pattern for the entire song!

One option is to use the palm-mute pattern for the verses. In the chorus, use the same pattern but lift off the palm and let the chords ring out clearly. When you return to the verse, put the palm back again to create a contrast. Having quieter verses also helps your listeners hear the lyrics, which are more complex in verse.

It would be best to lift the palm off in the final bar before the chorus so that the listener anticipates it.

🔥 Strumming Dynamics Course: changing the volume and groove as a song progresses is so vital that I made an entire course about it! Check out my Strumming Dynamics Course to give your rhythm guitar that pro touch. :)

You can change the pattern in the choruses too. Don't feel you must stay true to the original – explore your toolkit! Just experiment and see what works. It's music; there are no rules as long as you like the sounds you make.

Have loads of fun with this George Ezra tune, and do make sure to revisit it with your barre chords when you're an Intermediate player. Laters!

🎵 Search all my SongLessons, and filter them by chords, level, and artist to find what's best for you. :)