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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
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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 . . . |
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