Guitar lesson for

Norwegian Wood

by The Beatles • Lesson #169

Video lesson

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Lyrics w/ chords

(Capo 2nd fret)

INTRO (play twice):

E ––––2–2–2–2–––––––––––2–2–2–2–––––––––––2–2–––––––––––2–2–2–2—––––2–2–2–2––
B ––––3–3–3–3–––––––––––3–3–3–3–––––––––––3–3–––––––––––3–3–3–3—––––3–3–3–3––
G ––––2–2–2–2––4–2–0––––2–2–2–2––––0––––––2–2–––––0–––––2–2–2–2—––––2–2–2–2––
D ––0––––––––––––––––4––4–4–4–4––2–––4–0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––0–3–––2–0–––––––––––0–––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

VERSE

    D (with riff)                            C            D
    I once had a girl, or should I say...... she once had me
    D (with riff)                            C         D
    She showed me her room, isn’t it good... Norwegian wood

CHORUS
            Dm                                          G
        She asked me to stay, and she told me to sit anywhere
           Dm                                            Em     A7
        So I looked around, and I noticed there wasn’t a chair

    D (with riff)                      C            D
    I sat on the rug biding my time... drinking her wine
    D (with riff)                             C             D
    We talked until two, and then she said... it's time for bed

    [ Break: D-riff x2 ]

            Dm                                                G
        She told me she worked in the morning, and started to laugh
          Dm                                                 Em    A7
        I told her I didn’t, and crawled off to sleep in the bath

    D (with riff)                    C             D
    And when I awoke, I was alone... this bird had flown
    D (with riff)                      C         D
    So, I lit a fire, isn’t it good... Norwegian wood

    [ Ending: D-riff x1 ]

How to play the chords

E ––2––––0––––1––––3––––0––––0–––
B ––3––––1––––3––––0––––0––––2–––
G ––2––––0––––2––––0––––0––––0–––
D ––0––––2––––0––––0––––2––––2–––
A –––––––3–––––––––2––––2––––0–––
E –––––––––––––––––3––––0––––––––
    D    C    Dm   G    Em   A7

Easy strum version

If you don’t want to bother with the lead riff, you can use this strum pattern for the entire song (DOWN, down-up-down… DOWN, down-up-down…). Written out with counting, it looks as follows:

1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 +
D   D U D U D   D U D U
>           >

And in tab form, it would be like this. If you can try to play the bass note of the chord you’re playing on the “1” count, and the rest of that chord’s strings on the down-up-down strums.

E ––––––2–2–2–2–––––––2–2–2–2–––
B ––––––3–3–3–3–––––––3–3–3–3–––
G ––––––2–2–2–2–––––––2–2–2–2–––
D ––0–––––––––––––0–––––––––––––
A ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    D   D U D U   D   D U D U
    >             >

Advice for learning the riff

First up, you’ll need to brush up on your pinky reach skills. I made a video about this, with Norwegian Wood in mind. Watch it here:

Next, I recommend starting w/ the following tab. The only thing different (from the “final” tab) is the 3rd riff sequence is simplified by one note, shown by the asterisk below. Notice how the asterisk aligns with a series of the down-up-down-up strumming.

E ––––2–2–2–2–––––––––––2–2–2–2––––––––––2–2–2–2–––––––––2–2–2—2–––2–2–2–2––
B ––––3–3–3–3–––––––––––3–3–3–3––––––––––3–3–3–3–––––––––3–3–3—3–––3–3–3–3––
G ––––2–2–2–2––4–2–0––––2–2–2–2––––0–––––2–2–2–2–––0–––––2–2–2—2–––2–2–2–2––
D ––0––––––––––––––––4––4–4–4–4––2–––4–0––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––3–––2–0–––––––––0––––––––––
E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
                                           *

Now, in this version notice how the asterisk’s location replaces one of the strums for an open A-string pluck. This is tricky to learn at first, because your muscle-memory will want you to strum the down-up-down-up in normal sequence. You’ll need to teach your hand to strum only twice at that part, and instead jump to the sub-sequence of the riff (open A string) one beat early:

E ––––2–2–2–2–––––––––––2–2–2–2––––––––––2–2–––––––––––––2–2–2—2–––2–2–2–2––
B ––––3–3–3–3–––––––––––3–3–3–3––––––––––3–3–––––––––––––3–3–3—3–––3–3–3–3––
G ––––2–2–2–2––4–2–0––––2–2–2–2––––0–––––2–2–––––––0–––––2–2–2—2–––2–2–2–2––
D ––0––––––––––––––––4––4–4–4–4––2–––4–0––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––0–––3–––2–0–––––––––0––––––––––
E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
                                           *  

Good luck!

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