Video Lesson
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Video timestamps
- 0:00 Playthrough & agenda
- 3:27 Chords used
- 4:56 Strumming pattern
- 6:13 Intro riff
- 12:26 Chorus & outro
Lyrics & chords
INTRO
D . . . D . . . G . . . G . . .
Em . . . A7 . . . D . . . Em . A7 .
...with bassline riff while on G
VERSE
D Dmaj7 D7 G (with riff)
When I think back on all--- the crap I learned in high school
Em A7 D Em A7
...It’s a wonder I can think at all
D Dmaj7 D7 G (with riff)
And though my lack of edu----cation hasn’t hurt me none
Em A7 D
...I can read the writing on the wall
CHORUS
G B7 Em
Kodachrome-----------
Am D
They give us those nice----- bright colors
G C
They give us the greens----- of summers
A7 D G B7 Em
Makes you think all----- the world’s a sunny day, oh--- yeah
Am D
I got a Ni-----kon camera
G C
I love to take a pho----tograph
A7 D G Bm Em A7
So mama don’t take----- my Kodachrome away
D G
If you took all the girls I knew when I was single
Em A7 D Em A7
...And brought them all together for one night
D G
I know they’d never match my sweet imagination
Em A7 D
...Everything looks worse in black and white
G B7 Em
Kodachrome-----------
Am D
They give us those nice----- bright colors
G C
They give us the greens----- of summers
A7 D G B7 Em
Makes you think all----- the world’s a sunny day, oh--- yeah
Am D
I got a Ni-----kon camera
G C
I love to take a pho----tograph
A7 D G Bm Em A7
So mama don’t take----- my Kodachrome away
OUTRO
G Bm Em
Mama don’t take----- my Kodachrome away
G Bm Em
Mama don’t take----- my Kodachrome away
G Bm Em
Mama don’t take----- my Kodachrome away
(start strumming in double time!)
G
Mama don’t take my Kodachrome
Bm
Mama don’t take my Kodachrome
Em
Mama don’t take my Kodachrome away
G
Mama don’t take my Kodachrome
Bm
Leave your boy so far from home
Em
Mama don’t take my Kodachrome away
...repeat this G-Bm-Em sequence as desired, then end
Chords used
Verse chords
e |---2----3----0----0--- e |----2-----2-----2----
B |---3----0----0----2--- B |----3-----2-----1----
G |---2----0----0----0--- G |----2-----2-----2----
D |---0----0----2----2--- D |----0-----0-----0----
A |--------2----2----0--- A |---------------------
E |--------3----0-------- E |---------------------
D G Em A7 D Dmaj7 D7
Chorus chords
First, the turnaround played at the beginning (and in between) of each chorus run:
e |----3-----2-----0----
B |----0-----0-----0----
G |----0-----2-----0----
D |----0-----1-----2----
A |----2-----2-----2----
E |----3-----------0----
G B7 Em
After the turn around, you’ll play these chords in this order:
e |----0----2----3----0----0----2----
B |----1----3----0----1----2----3----
G |----2----2----0----0----0----2----
D |----2----0----0----2----2----0----
A |----0---------2----3----0---------
E |--------------3-------------------
Am D G C A7 D
Outro chords
e |----3-----2-----0----
B |----0-----3-----0----
G |----0-----4-----0----
D |----0-----4-----2----
A |----2-----2-----2----
E |----3-----------0----
G Bm Em
Intro tab
Complete intro tab (that I play) looks like this:
e |------2--------2--------2--------2--------|-
B |------3--------3--------3--------3--------|-
G |------2--------2--------2--------2--------|-
D |---0--------0--------0--------0-----------|-
A |--------------------------------------0---|-
E |------------------------------------------|-
-|-------------------------------------------------|-----
-|-------------------------------------------------|-----
-|-----0-----------0----------0--------------------|-----
-|-----0--------0--0----------0--------0-----------|-----
-|--------1--2--------1--2-------1--2--------------|-----
-|---3----------------------3-------------3--2--1--|--0--
G
-|----0-------------0-------------2----------0----0-----|---2---
-|----0-------------2-------------3----------0----2-----|---3---
-|----0-------------0-------------2----------0----0-----|---2---
-|----2-------------2-------------0----------2----2-----|---0---
-|----2-------------0------------------------2----0-----|-------
-|----0--------------------------------------0----------|-------
Em A7 D Em A7 D
How to practice the G-riff
G-chord finger position
e |----3---- <-- Pinky
B |----0----
G |----0----
D |----0----
A |----2---- <-- Middle finger
E |----3---- <-- Ring finger
G
Riff Exercise #1
First, practice this – which keeps the left hand entirely still the entire time (focus on the up- and down-strum alternating with the right hand).
e |----3---- ------------------------------------------
B |----0---- ------------------------------------------
G |----0---- ------------------------------------------
D |----0---- ---------------0--0--------------------0--
A |----2---- ---------2--2--------2--2--------2--2-----
E |----3---- ---3--3--------------------3--3-----------
D U D U D U D U D U D U D
Riff Exercise #2
Second, practice this – only difference is how you change your 5th fret note with index and middle finger.
e |----3---- ------------------------------------------
B |----0---- ------------------------------------------
G |----0---- ------------------------------------------
D |----0---- ---------------0--0--------------------0--
A |----2---- ---------1--2--------1--2--------1--2-----
E |----3---- ---3--3--------------------3--3-----------
D U D U D U D U D U D U D
Riff Exercise #3
Third, add the final walkdown to that leads you into the E-minor chord which transitions you out from the riff.
e |----3---- ------------------------------------------------------0----
B |----0---- ------------------------------------------------------0----
G |----0---- ------------------------------------------------------0----
D |----0---- ---------------0--0--------------------0--------------2----
A |----2---- ---------1--2--------1--2--------1--2-----------------2----
E |----3---- ---3--3--------------------3--3-----------3--2--1--0-------
D U D U D U D U D U D U D U D U D U
Riff Exercise #4
Finally, if desired, on some of the up-strums you can play some of the middle strings. This lets the riff sound more “strummy”, if this is the sound you want.
e |----3---- ------------------------------------------------------0----
B |----0---- ------------------------------------------------------0----
G |----0---- ------0-----------0-----------0-----------------------0----
D |----0---- ------0--------0--0-----------0--------0--------------2----
A |----2---- ---------1--2--------1--2--------1--2-----------------2----
E |----3---- ---3-----------------------3--------------3--2--1--0-------
D U D U D U D U D U D U D U D U D U
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