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

Home ❯ Songs ❯

← Prev Song Next Song →

Stay

by Alessia Cara and Zedd • Lesson #64 • May 4, 2017

Editor’s Notes

Here’s my acoustic guitar lesson for Stay by Alessia Cara and Zedd. I’ll teach the chords, strumming, show tabs for the riff, and more. Enjoy!

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

Capo on 1st fret…

If you want to play along with the album version, toss a capo on the first fret! Note, in my video lesson I’m not using a capo.

Chords

Note the optional pinky additions, on the high E-string:

---0+3---2+3---0+3---
---1-----3-----0-----
---0-----2-----0-----
---2-----0-----2-----
---3-----------2-----
---------------0-----
   C     D     Em

Simple chorus riff (high E string)

Use your pinky on the 3rd fret of the high E string for all the chords, as shown here:

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

Strumming

Verse, all down strums:

C         Em    D
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8     
d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d
>         >     >

Chorus, with muted chops:

C       D       Em      D
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
d x     dux     d x     dux
>       >       >       >

Breakdown riff

Mainly, play this:

e –––3–––––––––––3––2––––––––7–––––––––––7–/5–––––––––
B –––1–––––––––––3–––––––––––8–––––––––––0––3–––––––––
G –––0–––––––––––2–––––––––––9–––––––––––0––0–––––––––
D –––2–––––––––––0–––––––––––9–––––––––––x––4–––––––––
A –––3–––––––––––––––––––––––7–––––––––––7–/5–––––––––
E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
     •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  
     C           D           Em          D

In the album version you hear this the third time it’s played in each sequence:

e –––3–––––––––––3––2––––––––7–––––––––––2––2–––––––––
B –––1–––––––––––3–––––––––––8–––––––––––5––4–––––––––
G –––0–––––––––––2–––––––––––9–––––––––––2––2–––––––––
D –––2–––––––––––0–––––––––––9–––––––––––4––4–––––––––
A –––3–––––––––––––––––––––––7–––––––––––2––2–––––––––
E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
     •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  
     C           D           Em          B

Lyrics with chords

VERSE

    C                    Em          D
    Waiting for the time to pass you by
    C                        Em               D   
    Hope the winds of change will change your mind
    C                   Em          D
    I could give a thousand reasons why
          C        Em            D
    And I know you... and you've got to

PRE-CHORUS

    C                           Em                     D
    Make it on your own, but we don't have to grow up, we can stay forever young
    C                           Em            D
    Living on my sofa, drinking rum and cola, underneath the rising sun
    C                   Em          D
    I could give a thousand reasons why
                C     Em         D  
    But you're going... and you know that

CHORUS
                              C      D            Em        D
        All you have to do is stay a minute, just take your time
            C        D           Em     (D)
        The clock is ticking, so stay...
                              C      D            Em       D   
        All you have to do is wait a second, your hands on mine
            C        D           Em     (D)
        The clock is ticking, so stay

BREAKDOWN

        C - D - Em - D

        (no lyrics, but same chords as the chorus)

And so on, and so forth.

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 220 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? 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

  • April 18, 2024

    "Moonshadow" by Cat Stevens

    Learn how to play Cat Stevens' 1971 classic! I include campfire-friendly chords and strumming, and a step-by-step breakdown of the intro fingerstyle riff.

  • April 9, 2024

    Chords & Music Theory... 9 New Lessons!

    A roundup of a batch of new chord-related video lessons & PDF cheat sheets I just added to my library! Lots of good stuff here, be sure not to miss 'em.

  • March 30, 2024

    Gordon Lightfoot's "Carefree Highway"

    Learn how to play Lightfoot's 1975 classic, with plenty of tips to help simplify some of the quicker chord changes.

  • March 22, 2024

    Lead Guitar & the F1 Theme Song

    Let's look at the catchy Formula 1 theme song and learn how to play it on lead guitar...including handy trick for dealing with the key change.

  • March 15, 2023

    Pink Floyd's "Breathe" - with Simpler Chords Included

    Learn to play through Pink Floyd's 1973 classic! I'll teach the chords they use, while also showing a handful of useful simplifications and riffs to make this work on a single acoustic guitar.

  • March 6, 2024

    Q&A: 8 Tips to Avoid Muting Strings

    If you're frustrated by muffled, muted, or buzzing strings when playing chords, you're not alone! Here's 8 tips to avoid this common issue.

  • March 1, 2024

    Blues Shuffle Riffs - Using Just 2 Strings!

    A step-by-step introduction to blues shuffle riffs in open position, which are an amazingly fun-to-play way to get that blues sound with just a few fingers.

  • February 16, 2024

    Soulful Lead Guitar with "America the Beautiful"

    Here's a few ways to approach playing melodic lead guitar over America is Beautiful - shown both on an acoustic and electric guitar. Lots of fun!

  • February 8, 2024

    Country Honk by The Rolling Stones

    Let's learn how to play The Stones' acoustic & countrified version of Honky Tonk Women — with all the riffs included!

  • January 31, 2024

    Beginner Blues - New Course Sneak Peek!

    Watch the first three videos of my upcoming course, Beginner Blues Guitar — where I'll teach youthe 12 bar blues, dominant 7th chords, and the shuffle (swing) rhythm.

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