I'd Rather Go Blind by Etta James Lesson

Song Lessons Grade 1 Songs
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Learn to play I'd Rather Go Blind by Etta James on JustinGuitar!


View the full lesson at I'd Rather Go Blind by Etta James | JustinGuitar

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One of the loveliest songs of all time, imho. I’m going to try all the capo placements and, perhaps, work on the melody. Thanks Justin,

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Hmm. I love this tune (first time hearing it), I think you could sing Tennessee Whiskey to it as well, which is also lovely.

I haven’t got a capo yet, so I was just leaning the G chord as it is listed in the app, but on reading the description (and watching the video) the Am & G version still wants a capo on the second fret. It did still sound nice on the open anyway, but the description lists the actual chords with the capo on the seventh fret as A and Bm. I went to the chord library and the only B chord is B7something, and none of the chords in the A section are labelled as A#, which I assumed would be the answer…

I’m gonna practice using Am and G in open but does anyone knowledgeable have an ELI5 as to why there’s no Bm chord or A# chord? Or what those are actually called for guitar? Or is it just an ‘only with a capo’ chord. Just curious is all.

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OK …
Justin is using the E minor and D shape chords but moved up the fret by using a capo

Capo is in the 7th fret so the root note of the E minor is a B, so the chord is a B minor.

The D shape chord root note is on the D string 7th fret so that would be a A, so the chord is an A

So as Justin is playing it its Bm and A

But you could play those 2 chord shapes anywhere on the neck either open chords with no capo or anywhere according to how you want to play and what fits with the singer.

Now the A# chord isnt an A note, its an A Sharp note, otherwise known as a Bb note

A-> A#/Bb ->B

So to use an A#/Bb you would move the capo up to the 8th fret and be playing C minor (root of th E shape, 8th fret E string) and the A#

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I might have to re-read this when I’ve learned more… thank you for taking the time to explain all that, though.

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Yes - it is the same harmonic (chord) movement.