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Editorβs notes
After many requests, Iβm please to bring you all this lesson for βLast Christmasβ by Wham. Iβll 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 youβll 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
Hereβs 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, youβll need to use these chords to play this song. I immediately donβt love this, because B-minor is a barre chord and that may up the level of difficulty for this song.
E βββ2ββββ2ββββ0ββββ0βββ
B βββ3ββββ3ββββ0ββββ2βββ
G βββ2ββββ4ββββ0ββββ2βββ
D βββ0ββββ4ββββ2ββββ2βββ
A ββββββββ2ββββ2ββββ0βββ
E βββββββββββββ0ββββββββ
D Bm Em A
Instead, Iβll 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 youβll be just fine.
E βββ0ββββ0ββββ1ββββ3βββ
B βββ1ββββ1ββββ3ββββ0βββ
G βββ0ββββ2ββββ2ββββ0βββ
D βββ2ββββ2ββββ0ββββ0βββ
A βββ3ββββ0βββββββββ2βββ
E ββββββββββββββββββ3βββ
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
Thereβs 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, hereβs 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 βslapβ 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 βmodifiedβ version just to the right.
E βββ0ββ0βββ βββ0ββ0βββ βββ1ββ0βββ βββ3ββ3βββ
B βββ1ββ3βββ βββ1ββ3βββ βββ3ββ3βββ βββ0ββ1βββ
G βββ0ββ0βββ βββ2ββ2βββ βββ2ββ2βββ βββ0ββ0βββ
D βββ2ββ2βββ βββ2ββ2βββ βββ0ββ0βββ βββ0ββ0βββ
A βββ3ββ3βββ βββ0ββ0βββ ββββββββββ βββ2ββ2βββ
E ββββββββββ ββββββββββ ββββββββββ βββ3ββ3βββ
C Am Dm G
Playing the chorus melody along with chords
Hereβs 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 youβre 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 ββββββββββββββββ0ββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββββ0βββββ0β1β0βββββββββββββββββββββββββ
B βββ3β3β1ββ1β3β3βββ1ββββ3β3βββ1ββ1β0β1β0ββββββ3β3βββββββββ3βββββ0β1β0β0ββ1β0β0ββββ
G βββ0βββββββββββββββββββ2ββββββββββββββββ2ββββ2βββ2βββββββββ2βββ0ββββββββββββββ0ββ
D βββ2βββββββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββββ
A βββ3βββββββββββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββββββββ
E βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ3βββββββββββββββββ
C Am Dm G
Good luck!
I hope this helps, and as always let me know if you have any questions.
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