Return of the Grievous Angel

by Gram Parsons • Lesson #470 • Feb 10, 2023

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, I’ll teach you how to play Return of the Grievous Angel, the Gram Parsons country-rock classic featuring the amazing vocal harmonies of Emmylou Harris. I first heard this song about 20 years ago, and since then it’s become one of my all-time favorites. I’ll walk you through the chord shapes, explain the three different chord progressions needed, and show a few different strumming options.

Main Lesson

Playthrough (Key of G)

Here’s me singing it in Key of G (no capo). Even after removing the capo, I can’t quite capture those high notes without straining. You can hear me lower my vocals by an octave during the first chorus & refrain.

Playthrough (Key of D)

Here’s me singing it using chord shapes in the Key of D (with capo 2). After a lot of experimentation, this is the best key for me to sing it in. The low notes aren’t too low, and the high notes are just barely manageable. I surely can’t sing like Gram, but am still happy to share this!

How I Changed the Key to Fit My Voice

Here’s a behind-the-scenes process video showing how I changed the key from G to D, to better suit my voice. I explain the process of figuring out the equivalent of each chord, using my Chords in Each Key table from my Practical Music Theory course. If you want to try this yourself, download the key change worksheet I show in the video.

Lesson Discussion

Licensed Song Sheet 2 pages

Follow along with my print-friendly guide for this song! It’s available for purchase at Musicnotes.com, the web’s leading provider of licensed sheet music.

On the fence? Here's a guide I made showing the purchase & print process, including answers to common questions about my song sheets.

Buy at Musicnotes.com

Recorded Versions of This Song

Gram Parson’s album version:

Ryan Adams & Emmylou Harris (live):

Counting Crows cover (live):

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Return of the Grievous Angel

Description

Main Lesson

Playthrough (Key of G)

Playthrough (Key of D)

How I Changed the Key to Fit My Voice

Lesson Discussion

Licensed Song Sheet 2 pages

Related Lessons

Recorded Versions of This Song

Unlock My Secret Stash!

Browse Related Lessons

Enjoy My Lessons? Show Your Support!

Looking for More Song Lessons?

Featured Courses

Strumming & Rhythm

Fingerstyle & Travis Picking

Blues Starter Kit

Reading Music for Guitarists

Learning Lead Guitar

Beginner Chord Guide

Practical Music Theory

Using a Capo

Fun & Helpful Tools I've Made

Fret Monster

Capo Captain

Key Master

Blank Tabs

Subscribe to my YouTube channel

Recent Lessons