Log In My Account Join Upgrade Premium VIP Beta Tester Free Trial
Menu Search Join VIP Beta Tester Premium
 

Home ❯ Songs ❯ Lorde ❯

← Prev Song Next Song →

Team

by Lorde • Lesson #12 • Nov 30, 2013

Editor’s Notes

Here’s an acoustic guitar lesson teaching you how to play Team by Lorde, one of the songs from her 2013 debut album. This quickly became one of my favorites from the album, which was new back when I recorded this lesson. I’ll show you the chord shapes, the progression, and also show tabs imitating what she sings during the intro. Hope you dig it!

Free 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

Chords w/ Lyrics

(capo 6th fret)

INTRO
    (no chords, see below for tab)
    Wait 'til you’re announced
    We’ve not yet lost all our graces
    The hounds will stay in chains

    Look upon your greatness that you'll
    Send the call out, send the call out
    Send the call out, send the call out  
                         (...repeat as desired)

VERSE
    C
    ...Call all the ladies out
    C
    ...They’re in their finery
    Am
    ...A hundred jewels on throats
    G
    ...A hundred jewels between teeth

    C
    ...Now bring my boys in
    C
    ...Their skin in craters like the moon
    Am
    ...The moon we love like a brother
    G
    ...While he glows through the room

PRE-CHORUS
        C
        Dancing around the lies we tell
        C
        Dancing around big eyes as well
           Am
        Oh-ohhhh... even the comatose
        G (let ring)
        ...They don’t dance and tell

CHORUS
            F                     Am                             G
            ...We live in cities..... you'll never see on screen
            G                                           Am
            ...Not very pretty, but we sure know how to run free
            F                       Am                          G
            ...Living in the ruins..... of the palace within my dreams
            G                                      F
            ...And you know, we're on each other's team

REFRAIN
                (quiet strumming)
                F              Am
                ...I'm kind of over getting told
                            G
                To throw my hands up in the air... so there

    (normal strumming)
    C
    ...So all the cups got broke
    C
    ...Shards beneath our feet
    Am                          G
    ...But it wasn’t my fault...

    C
    ...And everyone’s competing
    C                           Am
    ...For a love they won't receive
    Am                         G (let ring)
    ...'Cause what this palace wants... is release

            F                     Am                             G
            ...We live in cities..... you'll never see on screen
            G                                           Am
            ...Not very pretty, but we sure know how to run free
            F                       Am                          G
            ...Living in the ruins..... of the palace within my dreams
            G                                      F
            ...And you know, we're on each other's team

                (quiet strumming)
                F              Am
                ...I'm kind of over getting told
                            G
                To throw my hands up in the air... so there
                F            Am
                ...I’m kinda older than I was
                         G
                When I reveled without a care... so there

            (normal strumming)
            F                     Am                             G
            ...We live in cities..... you'll never see on screen
            G                                           Am
            ...Not very pretty, but we sure know how to run free
            F                       Am                          G
            ...Living in the ruins..... of the palace within my dreams

            G                                      F
            ...And you know, we're on each other's team...
            Am                       G
            ...We're on each other's team
            G                                      F
            ...And you know, we're on each other's team...
            Am                       G
            ...We're on each other's team
            G                                            F (let ring)
            ...And you know, and you know, and you know...

Notes and tabs

Capo 6th Fret, Standard Tuning

If you want to play along with the Lorde album version of this song, you’ll need to put a capo on the 6th fret and use the chords shown here. You can certainly play this song without a capo, but if you use the chords I show here you’ll be in a different key from Lorde’s version – which is fine unless you plan on playing along with her.

Guitar Chords Used

Here is how to play the guitar chords used in this song. Note, the Lorde recording doesn’t use a guitar, so I’m basing these solely off the tonal implications heard in her recording.

e-|---0----3----0----1----
B-|---1----0----1----1----
G-|---0----0----2----2----
D-|---2----0----2----3----
A-|---3----2----0----3----
E-|--------3---------1----
      C    G    Am   F

Strumming Pattern

There is a very distinct strumming pattern that works well with this song, which I carefully explain in my video lesson. The trick is to combine your accented strum on the “1” (one) and “2+” (two-and) beats, while adding a percussive slap/chop on the “2 and “4” beats. Again, I recommend watching my video lesson to see/hear this in action. Here is a crude text representation of this pattern, showing both components:

v = strum!
x = muted chop/slap

v        v              v        v             v        v
======================================================================
1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +  1  +  2  +  3  +  4  + 1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +    ...etc
======================================================================
      x           x           x           x          x           x

Intro Guitar Tab

Here’s how to play the intro, which Lorde sings over. These notes match the notes she sings. Check out the Juliana cover (below) to see/hear this played with the singing.

e-|------------------------------------|-
B-|------------------------------------|-
G-|------------------------------------|-
D-|--------------1------3--3/5---------|-
A-|---/3-----3-------------------------|-
E-|------------------------------------|-
      "Wait 'til you're an~~~nounced..."

 -|----------------------------------------|-
 -|----------------------------------------|-
 -|--------------3-------------------------|-
 -|---5------5-------5----3---5---3--3/2---|-
 -|----------------------------------------|-
 -|----------------------------------------|-
      "We’ve not yet lost all our gra~~ces..."

 -|----------------------------------------------|-
 -|----------------------------------------------|-
 -|---------------------------------5------------|-
 -|--------------------2----3--3/5-----5--3--2---|-
 -|-------/3------3------------------------------|-
 -|----------------------------------------------|-
      "The hounds will stay in chains~~~~~~~~~"

 -|------------------------------------|--------------------|-
 -|------------------------------------|--------------------|-
 -|----------3-------------------------|--------------------|-
 -|-/5----5-----5----3----5----3----2--|--------------------|-
 -|------------------------------------|---3----3---1----3--|-
 -|------------------------------------|--------------------|-
    "Look up~on your greatness that you'll send the call out..."

 -|--------------------|-------------------|--------------------|-
 -|--------------------|-------------------|--------------------|-
 -|--------------------|-------------------|--------------------|-
 -|--------------------|-------------------|--------------------|-  
 -|---3----3---1----3--|--3----3---1----3--|--3----3---1----3---|-  ...etc
 -|--------------------|-------------------|--------------------|-
  "...send the call out,  send the call out,  send the call out..."

Chord progressions

VERSE
"Call all the ladies out..."
| C . . . | C . . . | Am . . . | G . . . |
| C . . . | C . . . | Am . . . | G . . . |

PRE-CHORUS
"Dancing around the lies we tell..."
| C . . . | C . . . | Am . . . | G . . . |

CHORUS
"We live in cities..."
| F . . . | Am . . . | G . . . | G . Am . |
| F . . . | Am . . . | G . . . | G . .  . |

REFRAIN
"I'm kinda over being told..."
| F . . . | Am . . . | G . . . | G . . . |

Browse Related Lessons

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

About Song Notes

Hey there! My name is David Potsiadlo, and I'm the creator of the 400+ weekly lessons here at Song Notes, going back to 2013. Here’s my guitar story »

Get Free Lessons Each Week!

Join the 20,000+ readers who get my new lessons dropped in their inbox each week. I teach a fun mix of songs, weekly riffs, practice ideas, and more!

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).

Fun & Helpful Tools I've Made

Fret Monster

Interactive fretboard map! See the patterns behind every scale in any key.

View

Capo Captain

An easy way to calculate key & chord combinations, for any capo location!

View

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

Browse All Recent Lessons →

Browse All My Lessons

By lesson type

By technique

By musical genre

By decade

By musical key

By popular artist

← back to homepage