Amazing Grace - guitar tab, notes, chords and lyrics
"Amazing Grace" is associated with the new born America and is also associated with an earlier song called "New Britain". It has been performed in religious context, such as a funeral hymn, and there are versions in different styles such as gospel and bluegrass. Today it is one of the most popular traditional songs and many modern guitarists have done their own versions, including Tommy Emanuel.
The music transcriptions of the song with tabs and notes are available for download as PDFs. It's free for personal use only.
Amazing Grace (full accompaniment)
"Amazing Grace" for guitar with full accompaniment. Free download in pdf-file and audio.
Amazing Grace guitar accompaniment
Amazing Grace (only melody)
"Amazing Grace" standard and tablature notation for guitar presented as an image.
Tips on how to learn this song
There are only five notes in total used in this song: G, A, B, D and E. These five notes make up the G Pentatonic Major scale. The version presented above consisting only of the melody are especially easy to play and learn since it only involves three strings and many notes are played on open strings as well. The most challenged parts are arguably the triplets that are played on four occasions.
The second key for learning the song is to recognize the structure. Amazing Grace consist of 16 bars (excluding the pick-up bar in the beginning). If you study the song, you can observe that many of the parts are quite similar.
Lyrics and chords
Amazing Grace chords in the key of G
Verse 1:
A(G)mazing (G7)grace, how (C)sweet the (G)sound
That saved a wretch like (D)me.
I (G)once was (G7)lost, but (C)now I'm (G)found;
Was blind, but (D7)now I (G)see.
Verse 2:
T'was (G)grace that (G7)taught my (C)heart to (G)fear,
And grace my fear re(D)lieved;
How (G)precious (G7) did that (C)grace (G)appear
The hour I (D7)first be(G)lieved.
Verse 3:
The (G)Lord hath (G7)promised (C)good to (G)me,
His word my hope se(D)cures;
He (G)will my (G7)shield and (C)portion (G)be
As long as (D7)life en(G)dures.
Verse 4:
When (G)we’ve (G7)been there (C)ten thousand (G)years,
Bright shining as the (D)sun,
We’(G)ve no (G7)less days (C)to sing God’s (G)praise
Than when we (D7)first be(G)gun.
Amazing Grace chords in the key of A
Verse 1:
A(A)mazing (A7)grace, how (D)sweet the (A)sound
That saved a wretch like (E)me.
I (A)once was (A7)lost, but (D)now I'm (A)found;
Was blind, but (E7)now I (A)see.
Verse 2:
T'was (A)grace that (A7)taught my (D)heart to (A)fear,
And grace my fear re(E)lieved;
How (A)precious (A7)did that (D)grace (A)appear
The hour I (E7)first be(A)lieved.
Verse 3:
The (A)Lord hath (A7)promised (D)good to (A)me,
His word my hope se(E)cures;
He (A)will my (A7)shield and (D)portion (A)be
As long as (E7)life en(A)dures.
Verse 4:
When (A)we’ve (A7)been there (D)ten thousand (A)years,
Bright shining as the (E)sun,
We’(A)ve no (A7)less days (D)to sing God’s (A)praise
Than when we (E7)first be(A)gun.
The versions presented above include four chords only: I, I7, IV and V. The second line in each verse ends with the V chord, resolving to the I chord in the beginning of the next line. A so-called authentic cadence ends the progression for each verse, D7 - G in the G major version and E7 - A in the A major version.
There are possibilities to change to key further by using a capo. These are the keys that the song would transpose in depending on which fret the capo is put (based on the chords in the G major version):
- Capo 1: G# / Ab major
- Capo 2: A major
- Capo 3: A# / Bb major
- Capo 4: B major
- Capo 5: C major
Amazing Grace (Drop D)
"Amazing Grace" in Drop D tuning (DADGBE). Free download in pdf-file.
Amazing Grace (Drop D)
Key, time, tuning and tempo
Information about "Amazing Grace" considering musical key, time signature, tuning and bpm.
Key
The presented version of Amazing Grace is played in the key of G.
Time signature
The song is played in 3/4 tempo (counted one, two, three for each measure).
Tuning
The song is normally played in standard tuning (EADGBE).
Tempo (BPM)
The tempo in beats per minute is 90 for the presented version. The tempo marking andante can also be used.