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Home ❯ Songs ❯

Sorry Not Sorry

by Demi Lovato • Lesson #82 • Jul 11, 2017

Start with the bass notes

This entire song uses a repeating series of four measures. In each measure are three bass notes. The four measures, in order, are:

E   F#  G   ...   F#   A   B   ...
A   D   G   ...   F#   A   B   ...

The important thing to note is that the 2nd and 4th measure are the exact same. In guitar tab format, these same notes look like this:

e ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
G ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
D ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E ––––0––2––3–––––2––5––7–––––5––10––3–––––2––5––7––––

Figuring out the chords

All of these notes are from the scale of D-major (as well as B-minor) – so we can be sure that’s the “key” the song is in. As such, the chord shapes for that key, using those bass notes, would be:

Em   F#m  G   ...   F#m   A   Bm   ...
A    D    G   ...   F#m   A   Bm   ...

The real additions here being clarification that all chords are major except for E-minor, F#-minor, and B-minor. The only note I’ll add, is I believe the 2nd and 4th measures should be a F#-major, based on the sound of the actual song (listen to it… it just sounds unexpectedly elevated, as if it’s breaking from the expected sound for musical effect). That would makes the chords as follows:

Em   F#m  G   ...   F#   A   Bm   ...
A    D    G   ...   F#   A   Bm   ...

How to play these chords:

e –––0––––2––––3––––5––––7––––––––10–––
B –––0––––2––––0––––5––––7––––7–––10–––
G –––0––––2––––0––––6––––7––––7–––11–––
D –––2––––4––––0––––7––––9––––7–––12–––
A –––2––––4––––2––––7––––9––––5–––12–––
E –––0––––2––––3––––5––––7––––––––10–––
     Em  F#m   G    A    Bm   D   D

Note I’m including 2 ways to play D. Also note that I’m favoring barre chords here, because I think the bass-string bass-notes help keep a consistent deep groove when playing this song. You could, of course, sub in any voicing you prefer for any chord.

Fleshing out the bassline riff

Again, we have the starting point:

e ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
G ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
D ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E –––0–––2–––3–––––––2–––5–––7–––––––5–––10–––3–––––––2–––5–––7–––
    Em  F#m  G       F#  A   Bm      A   D    G       F#  A   Bm

And we could make it power chords:

e ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
G ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
D –––2–––4–––5–––––––4–––7–––9–––––––7–––12–––5–––––––4–––7–––9–––
A –––2–––4–––5–––––––4–––7–––9–––––––7–––12–––5–––––––4–––7–––9–––
E –––0–––2–––3–––––––2–––5–––7–––––––5–––10–––3–––––––2–––5–––7–––
    Em  F#m  G       F#  A   Bm      A   D    G       F#  A   Bm

Or we could go full chords. If you play it like this, one approach I prefer is to emphasize the bassiest four strings.

e –––0–––2–––3–––––––2–––5–––7–––––––5–––10–––3–––––––2–––5–––7–––
B –––0–––2–––3–––––––2–––5–––7–––––––5–––10–––3–––––––2–––5–––7–––
G –––0–––2–––4–––––––3–––6–––7–––––––6–––11–––4–––––––3–––6–––7–––
D –––2–––4–––5–––––––4–––7–––9–––––––7–––12–––5–––––––4–––7–––9–––
A –––2–––4–––5–––––––4–––7–––9–––––––7–––12–––5–––––––4–––7–––9–––
E –––0–––2–––3–––––––2–––5–––7–––––––5–––10–––3–––––––2–––5–––7–––
    Em  F#m  G       F#  A   Bm      A   D    G       F#  A   Bm

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