Don't Let Me Down

by The Chainsmokers • Lesson #24 • Jul 8, 2016

Editor’s Notes

Here’s an acoustic guitar lesson teaching how to play the song Don’t Let Me Down by The Chainsmokers. I was drawn to this one by the intro riff – which I’ll teach you in a few different ways. Makes for good fun. Enjoy!

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Playing the riff

All with one string!

E ||––––4––4––2–––––11––11––11–––––6––6––6–––––6h7––7––6––––
B ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
G ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
D ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Two strings, a bit higher up the neck

E ||–––––––––––––––11––11––11–––––6––6––6–––––6h7––7––6–––––
B ||––––9––9––7–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
G ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
D ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Three strings, much higher up the neck

E ||––––––––––––––11––11––11–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B ||–––––––––––––––––––––––––––11––11––11–––––11h12––12––11––
G ||–––13––13––11––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
D ||–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A ||–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E ||–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

One octave lower, middle of the pack

E ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B ||––––––––––––––4––4––4–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
G ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––3––3––3––––3h4––4––3––––––––––
D ||–––––6––6––4––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Single string, de la bass player

E ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
G ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
D ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E ||––––4––4––2–––––11––11––11–––––6––6––6–––––6h7––7––6––––

Playing the chords

No capo

E ||––––0–––––––––2––––4––––
B ||––––0––––4––––2––––4––––
G ||––––1––––4––––3––––4––––
D ||––––2––––4––––4––––6––––
A ||––––2––––2––––4––––6––––
E ||––––0–––––––––2––––4––––
        E    B    F#   G#m

Capo 2nd fret

Note that the capo becomes “fret zero,” such that playing the 3rd fret in the tabs below means 3 frets up from the capo.

E ||––––2–––––––––3––––2––––
B ||––––3––––2––––0––––2––––
G ||––––2––––2––––0––––2––––
D ||––––0––––2––––0––––4––––
A ||–––––––––0––––2––––4––––
E ||––––––––––––––3––––2––––
        D    A    G   F#m

Capo 4nd fret

Again, note that the capo becomes “fret zero,” such that playing the 3rd fret in the tabs below means 3 frets up from the capo.

E ||––––0––––3––––2––––0––––
B ||––––1––––0––––3––––0––––
G ||––––0––––0––––2––––0––––
D ||––––2––––0––––0––––2––––
A ||––––3––––2–––––––––2––––
E ||–––––––––3–––––––––0––––
        C    G    D    Em

Chords + riff combined (capo 4th fret)

On the fourth fret, you can play the riff along with the chords via this tab.

E ||–––––0––0––––––––/–7––7––––––––2––2––2––––2h3––3––2––––
B ||–––––1–––––3–––––/–8–––––8–––––3––––––––––0––––––––––––
G ||–––––0–––––––––––/–7–––––––––––2––––––––––0––––––––––––
D ||–––––2–––––––––––––0–––––––––––0––––––––––2––––––––––––
A ||–––––3–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E ||–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
         C             G           D          Em

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