Real Friends

by Camila Cabello • Lesson #119 • Jan 6, 2018

Video lesson

Looking for a Print-Friendly Guide?

This is one of my few lessons that doesn't have a printable song sheet / PDF available. If you'd like to request I make one, let me know by clicking the button below! If there's enough demand I'll bump it toward the top of the list.

Click to Request

Lesson timestamps:

  • 0:00 Lesson overview
  • 1:08 Capo 3rd fret
  • 1:24 Chords needed
  • 2:10 Timing basics
  • 2:35 Fingerstyle, simple
  • 3:42 Fingerstyle, nuanced
  • 5:45 D-minor flourish riff
  • 7:04 Strumming pattern
  • 7:47 Solo tab

Capo 3rd fret

Head’s up, to play this song in the style I demonstrate in my video - you’ll need a capo on the 3rd fret! This lets you use easy chords.

Chords needed

This entire song uses these three chords, in this order, over and over again.

E –––0–––––1–––––3–––––0–––––0–––––
B –––1–––––1–––––0–––––1–––––1–––––
G –––0–––––2–––––0–––––0–––––0–––––
D –––2–––––0–––––0–––––2–––––0–––––
A –––0–––––––––––2–––––3–––––2–––––
E –––––––––––––––3–––––––––––––––––
    Am7   Dm7    G     C    C/B

Chord progression

The entire song uses this progression. Two measures (4 counts per measure) for each chord, except the C – which is split between 4 counts of “C” and 4 counts of “C/B”.

Am7   /   Dm7   /   G   /   C  C/B

Specifically,

E ––0–––––––––––––––0–––––––––––––––1–––––––––––––––1––––––––––––––––
B ––1–––––––––––––––1–––––––––––––––1–––––––––––––––1––––––––––––––––
G ––0–––––––––––––––0–––––––––––––––2–––––––––––––––2––––––––––––––––
D ––2–––––––––––––––2–––––––––––––––0–––––––––––––––0––––––––––––––––
A ––0–––––––––––––––0––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    Am7             Am7             Dm7             Dm7
    1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

E ––3–––––––––––––––3–––––––––––––––0–––––––––––––––0––––––––––––––––
B ––0–––––––––––––––0–––––––––––––––1–––––––––––––––1––––––––––––––––
G ––0–––––––––––––––0–––––––––––––––0–––––––––––––––0––––––––––––––––
D ––0–––––––––––––––0–––––––––––––––2–––––––––––––––0––––––––––––––––
A ––2–––––––––––––––2–––––––––––––––3–––––––––––––––2––––––––––––––––
E ––3–––––––––––––––3––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    G               G               C               C/B
    1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

Strumming pattern

If you want to strum it, use this pattern:

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D   D     U D U
—

Fingerstyle riff, simple

E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1–x–––––––––––––1–x––––––––
B ––––––––1–x–––––––––––––1–x–––––––––––1–––x–––––––––––1–––x––––––––
G ––––––0–––x–––––––––––0–––x–––––––––2–––––x–––––––––2–––––x––––––––
D ––––2–––––x–––––––––2–––––x–––––––0–––––––x–––––––0–––––––x––––––––
A ––0–––––––x–––––––0–––––––x––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    Am7             Am7             Dm7             Dm7
    1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––0–x–––––––––––––0–x––––––––
B ––––––––0–x–––––––––––––0–x–––––––––––1–––x–––––––––––1–––x––––––––
G ––––––0–––x–––––––––––0–––x–––––––––0–––––x–––––––––0–––––x––––––––
D ––––0–––––x–––––––––0–––––x–––––––––––––––x–––––––––––––––x––––––––
A ––––––––––x–––––––––––––––x–––––––3–––––––x–––––––2––––––––––––––––
E ––3–––––––x–––––––3–––––––x––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    G               G               C               C/B
    1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

Fingerstyle riff, nuanced

E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1–x–––––––––––––––1h3p1––––
B ––––––––1–x–––––––––––––1–x–––––––––––––1–x–––––––––––––––1–––––1––
G ––––––––0–x–––––––––––––0–x–––––––––––––––x–––––––––––––2––––––––––
D ––––––––––x–––––––––––––––x–––––––0–––––––x–––––––0––––––––––––––––
A ––0–––––––x–––––––0–––––––x––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    Am7             Am7             Dm7             Dm7
    1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––0–x–––––––––––––0–x––––––––
B ––––––––0–x–––––––––––––0–x–––––––––––––1–x–––––––––––––1–x––––––––
G ––––––––0–x–––––––––––––0–x–––––––––––––––x–––––––––––––––x––––––––
D ––––––––––x–––––––––––––––x–––––––––––––––x–––––––––––––––x––––––––
A ––––––––––x–––––––––––––––x–––––––3–––––––x–––––––2––––––––––––––––
E ––3–––––––x–––––––3–––––––x––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    G               G               C               C/B
    1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

Solo tab

E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B –––––––––––––11––13~~––11–––––11––13~~––11––––––––––––––––
G –––8––10/12––––––––––––––––12–––––––––––––––12––12–––10~~–
D ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B –––––––––––––11––13~~––11–––––11––13~~––11––––––––––––––––
G –––8––10/12––––––––––––––––12–––––––––––––––12––12––––8~~–
D ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Good luck!

Let me know if you have questions. I hope this was helpful.

Unlock My Secret Stash!

Gain instant access to my library of 323 print-friendly cheat sheets! Also includes my extended video lessons, jam tracks, courses, and more.

Join Song Notes Premium

Have questions? Watch video tour »

Browse Related Lessons

Click any tag below to view other lessons I've made in that category:

Enjoy My Lessons? Show Your Support!

Most of the lessons on my website are 100% free. If you have the means, please show your support with a tip jar contribution. I put many hours into every lesson — but it only takes you a minute to make a donation. You have my thanks!

Donate

Looking for More Song Lessons?

Featured Courses

Fun & Helpful Tools I've Made

Coming soon is Jambox – which shows all the video jam tracks I've made. It's note quite ready for the spotlight, but check it out if you like!


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 Lessons

  • September 25, 2026

    Red River Valley - Travis Picking Deep-Dive!

    Behond! 10 new videos from my Travis Picking Essentials course, focusing on the classic tune Red River Valley. Includes print-friendly tabs for everything taught in each of the videos.

  • September 16, 2026

    "Sweet Jane" by Velvet Underground

    Let's dive into the 1970 classic by the Velvet Underground! This one mostly uses a two-measure progression from start to finish, but there's a ton of strumming & rhythm nuance you'll need to capture the sound. I teach it all, including several different ways to play the chords needed.

  • September 14, 2026

    Practical Music Theory: 1-4-5 Chords & Why They're Important

    An explanation of the three most commonly used chords in each musical key, and why they're important. Say hello to the one, four, and five chords!

  • September 9, 2026

    Q&A: Understanding Secondary Dominants (ft. Sierra Ferrell)

    I answer a member question about chords that seem to fall outside the key, using secondary dominants to explain what’s happening. Featuring the catchy opening riff to Sierra Ferrell's Bells of Every Chapel.

  • August 28, 2026

    Learn Riffs Faster with Chunking (ft. Johnny Cash)

    Here's a must-know technique that will help you learn any riff, solo, or extended tab much more quickly! The secret is breaking things into manageable chunks. I demonstrate using Johnny Cash's classic I Walk The Line.

  • August 20, 2026

    [Updated] Chord Changes & Learning New Chords

    Over in my Beginner Chord Guide, I've updated the Chord Changes lesson page to include a ton of new written detail giving context to my video lesson. If you struggle with learning new chords or changing chords smoothly, check it out!

  • August 19, 2026

    Practice Guide for "I Walk the Line" by Johnny Cash

    Check out my brand new visual companion to help you learn Johnny Cash's 1956 classic! 6 pages, including step-by-step tips for chords, strumming, walking bass lines, and more.

  • August 14, 2026

    Strum & Sing "Runaway" by Del Shannon

    Learn to play this #1 hit from 1961! This song is a blast to play, as it features a fun key change and plenty of strumming flourishes to include. I teach it all, step by step!

  • August 7, 2026

    Practice Guide for "Brown Eyed Girl"

    I've created a brand new Practice Guide to accompany my popular Brown Eyed Girl lesson! Enjoy an updated visual companion helping you with chord shape finger positions, various ways to play the melodic intro riff, strumming, and much more.

Browse All Recent Lessons →

← back to homepage


Title (short)
Real Friends by Camila Cabello
YouTube URL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab4gjpBRvNM
Thumbnail (video)
Video thumbnail for
Thumbnail (pdf)
n/a
Slug
119
Lesson URL
/lessons/119/
Patreon URL
n/a
Discussion URL
n/a
Add to Favorites
List of Favorites