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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
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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.
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