Learn to play Stand By Me by Ben E. King on JustinGuitar!
View the full lesson at Stand By Me by Ben E. King | JustinGuitar
Hi Justin, love the site and play along app. Just awesome. I noticed in some of your website song videos, like this one, that the chords you instruct in the video can differ from those in the sheet music/chord sequences under the video. Which one should I be following, or are they simply two different versions?
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I have the same question ? I noticed that on a couple of other songs too?
So far I’m sticking with the video chords … the sheet music chords don’t seem to sound right to me 
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Hello and welcome to our community Tristian.
Why don’t you pop on over to here and introduce yourself.
If you are putting a capo on at the second fret then follow the video.
I think and I’m not 100% sure on this but the notes in the tab section are what the notes would be if there was no capo on the guitar.
@Richard_close2u Richard, please could you confirm if I am right with this? Thank you.
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@jy1982 @tristanhaskins @SgtColon
The main chord progression is a very common 1, 6, 4, 5. In Roman numerals I, vi, IV, V.
Naming chord shapes (regardless of capo use) those are G, Em, C and D.
With the capo at fret 2 - so naming the actual true chords being played - that is A, F#m, D and E.
If you’re unfamiliar with that terminology, then perhaps a view of the root notes and their relative spacing around a note circle might enable you to see this. Look at G, C, D and E and count the distances in a clockwise direction. Do the same for A, D, E and F#. They have the same relative distances (intervals) so the chords built from those root notes are functioning in the same manner, just in two different keys. The capo has placed the progression in the key of A. Without it, those shapes would have it in the key of G.
I hope that helps.
Cheers 
| Richard | JustinGuitar Approved Teacher, Official Guide & Moderator
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@SgtColon @Richard_close2u - thank you very much. That all makes complete sense. Richard - I’ll be printing that and popping it on my office wall
Thanks all
Tristan
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The song uses the I, vi, III & V chords of a key, In the Key of G these are G, Em, C & D. In the key of A, the song uses the same, I, vi, III & V chords, but they are A, F#m , D & E. So, with the capo on the second fret it is in the key of A. You are really playing A, F#m, D, & E, but they are the same shape as G, Em, C & D. If you play the song without the capo, you are playing G, Em, C & D. With capo it is like barre chords, but the capo is the barre, and you are really producing the A key chords. Also try D7, it sounds better, and you have a pivot finger from the C.
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