Video Lesson
Sheet music for this song will be returning shortly!
- The sheet music for this song is temporarily unavailable while I move it over to Musicnotes.com, a sheet music service that is providing licensing for my "song" arrangements.
- Want me to priortize this song, so the sheet music is ready sooner? Click the button below and let me know – this helps me know which songs to work on next!
To learn more about my library of song sheets & instructional PDFs, click here.
Editor’s notes
After many requests, I’m please to bring you all this lesson for “Last Christmas” by Wham. I’ll teach the basic chords, explain some strumming pattern options, and show a few ways to spice things up with some simple chord voicing modifications. I hope that you’ll be able to pick this one up quickly and run with it. Best of luck!
- 0:00 Playthrough & lesson overview
- 2:06 Basic chord shapes
- 3:24 Chord progression overview
- 4:18 Strumming patterns
- 7:30 Modifying each chord shape
- 10:21 Mixing the chorus melody w/ chords
PDF chord sheet overview
Here’s an up-close look at the print-friendly PDF chord sheet I made for this song (3 pages, with lyrics/tabs/strumming/etc):
Lyrics w/ chords
(capo 2nd fret to be in same key as Wham!)
INTRO
C / Am / Dm / G /
CHORUS
C
Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
Am
But the very next day you gave it away
Dm
This year, to save me from tears
G
I'll give it to someone special
[chorus x1] => [instrumental chorus x1]
VERSE
C
...Once bitten and twice shy
Am
...I keep my distance, but you still catch my eye
Dm
...Tell me, baby, do you recognize me?
G
...Well, it's been a year, it doesn't surprise me
C
...(Merry Christmas!) I wrapped it up and sent it
Am
With a note saying, "I love you, " I meant it
Dm
Now, I know what a fool I've been
G
But if you kissed me now, I know you'd fool me again
[chorus x2] => [instrumental chorus x1]
C
...A crowded room, friends with tired eyes
Am
...I'm hiding from you, and your soul of ice
Dm
...My god, I thought you were someone to rely on
G
Me? I guess I was a shoulder to cry on
C
A face on a lover with a fire in his heart
Am
A man under cover but you tore me apart
Dm
.........Ooohhh....
G
Now, I've found a real love you'll never fool me again
[chorus x2]
C
A face on a lover with a fire in his heart
Am
A man under cover but you tore him apart
Dm
...Maybe... next year...
G
I'll give it to someone, I'll give it to someone...
C Am Dm G (repeat progression, fade out to end)
Special...
Chords needed
Without a capo, you’ll need to use these chords to play this song. I immediately don’t love this, because B-minor is a barre chord and that may up the level of difficulty for this song.
E –––2––––2––––0––––0–––
B –––3––––3––––0––––2–––
G –––2––––4––––0––––2–––
D –––0––––4––––2––––2–––
A ––––––––2––––2––––0–––
E –––––––––––––0––––––––
D Bm Em A
Instead, I’ll be teaching with these chord shapes. Use a capo on the 2nd fret (and these chords) if you prefer to play along w/ the Wham version of this song. Otherwise, you can not bother with a capo (and still use these chords) and you’ll be just fine.
E –––0––––0––––1––––3–––
B –––1––––1––––3––––0–––
G –––0––––2––––2––––0–––
D –––2––––2––––0––––0–––
A –––3––––0–––––––––2–––
E ––––––––––––––––––3–––
C Am Dm G
Chord progression for entire song
Straight up, use the four chords shown above - in that same order - for the entire song! 8 counts per chord (2 measures of 4 beats each). Typed out crudely, that looks like this:
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
C Am Dm G
Strumming pattern
There’s a few ways to approach this. At the simplest, start with a single down strum on the 1 and 3 counts:
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + D = down strum
D D
Or you could do a down strum on the back beat (2 and 4 counts):
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + D = down strum
D D
But if you do this, you may want to include lighter strums on the 1 and 3 counts, with accented (stronger) strums on the 2 and 4:
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + D = down strum > = accented strum
D D D D
> >
If you want to bring in up-strums, here’s a very common pattern you can use:
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + D = down strum > = accented strum
D D U U D U U = up strum
> >
Finally, perhaps the most advanced of these, would be to include a percussive “slap” strum. See my video lesson for reference.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + D = down strum > = accented strum
D U x U D U x U U = up strum x = percussive slap
> >
Spicing up the chord shapes
Something I demonstrate in my video lesson, is how you can add a single note to the voicing of each of the chord shapes - and this can go a long way to spicing up the sound of the song. Shown here are each of the 4 chords I use to play the song, and each of the chords has its “modified” version just to the right.
E –––0––0––– –––0––0––– –––1––0––– –––3––3–––
B –––1––3––– –––1––3––– –––3––3––– –––0––1–––
G –––0––0––– –––2––2––– –––2––2––– –––0––0–––
D –––2––2––– –––2––2––– –––0––0––– –––0––0–––
A –––3––3––– –––0––0––– –––––––––– –––2––2–––
E –––––––––– –––––––––– –––––––––– –––3––3–––
C Am Dm G
Playing the chorus melody along with chords
Here’s the melodic phrase heard during the chorus vocals, that I like to sometimes incorporate into the plucking & strumming of these 4 chords. The key here is to accent these melody notes, and then bring in full strums as you’re able. With some practice, you can get the best of both worlds: the recognizability of the melody, mixed with the full sound of the strums.
E ––––––––––––––––0––––––––––0–––––––––––––––––0–––––0–1–0–––––––––––––––––––––––––
B –––3–3–1––1–3–3–––1––––3–3–––1––1–0–1–0––––––3–3–––––––––3–––––0–1–0–0––1–0–0––––
G –––0–––––––––––––––––––2––––––––––––––––2––––2–––2–––––––––2–––0––––––––––––––0––
D –––2–––––––––––––––––––2–––––––––––––––––––––0–––––––––––––––––0–––––––––––––––––
A –––3–––––––––––––––––––0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––2–––––––––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––3–––––––––––––––––
C Am Dm G
Good luck!
I hope this helps, and as always let me know if you have any questions.
Get my lessons in your inbox!
Every couple weeks I send out an email newsletter with links to whatever new lessons I've made. Sign up here and stay in the loop!
Enjoy my lessons? Buy me a beer!
If this and my other lessons have proven helpful to you, please consider making a one-time donation to my tip jar. Contributions of any amount help make this project possible (including the many, many hours I put into it).
You can also support me on Patreon. For only $3/month you'll get access to a print-friendly PDF of my notes for each new lesson (view free sample).
Thanks!
Subscribe to my YouTube channel
Be sure to never miss a lesson by subscribing on YouTube. I put out 2-3 new videos every week. These include full song lessons, as well as covers, practice tips, behind-the-scenes updates. Thanks!
Recent video lessons:
📝 My "song" PDFs are now individually purcasheable! I've arranged a licensing agreement with Musicnotes, a service that lets you buy sheet music. Patreon suppoters get 50% off each purchase. Get the latest info here » (last updated July 1, 2021)
October 14, 2021
How to Tune Half-Step Down (E-Flat Tuning)
A quick guide to tuning all your strings down 1/2 step (E-flat tuning), which is a very common alternate tuning used in many songs.
October 2, 2021
F Chord Cheat Sheet! 7 Easier Ways to Play It
A quick inventory of 8 different ways to play the dreaded F chord, 7 of which are easier than the dreaded six-string barred version.
September 28, 2021
Beginner Riffs with Major 7th Arpeggios
A quick exercise where I share over 10 riffs based on a single arpeggio shape, using major 7th chord tones. Backing track included!
September 19, 2021
Key of C Major Cheat Sheet!
A deep dive into everything you need to know when playing in the Key of C: notes, chords, fretboard map, tips & tricks, easier ways to play the F chord, and plenty more.
September 12, 2021
Major Scale Positions & CAGED Chord Shapes
A deep-dive into the common positions of the major scale, and how they each relate to the CAGED chord shapes... which makes it all easier to understand!
August 29, 2021
First Electric! 8 Things I Didn't Expect
I recently got my 1st electric guitar, and was surprised how many things immediately confused me. Here's a quick inventory, in case it helps anyone else starting out!
Browse my all lessons
By lesson type
By song decade
By musical genre
By guitar technique
By musical key
By popular artist
- Johnny Cash
- Tyler Childers
- Tom Petty
- Neil Young
- Nirvana
- Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Willie Nelson
- John Denver
- Guns N' Roses