How to Play "Hey There Delilah" on Acoustic Guitar

Learning "Hey There Delilah" lets you practice your finger picking skills and is a nice acoustic guitar song to add to your playlist. Go beyond reading the guitar tab and see how the song is laid out, learn the notes and expand your chord library. The song is in the key of D with chords D-F#m-Bm-G-A.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Practice counting out the rhythm: 1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and.

2. Rotate between the D and F#m for four measures to play the intro.

3. Start the verse by continuing the D-F#m-D-F#m pattern.

4. Change to the Bm next, followed with G for two counts then A for two counts. Return to the Bm and finish the guitar chord progression on the A.

5. Continue the verse by playing the D-F#m-D-F#m pattern then the Bm-G-A-Bm-A chord progression in Step 4.

6. Return to the D to start the chorus in a similar fashion as the intro, but with the Bm: D-Bm-D-Bm. Play this twice, then play a four count D chord and you have the interlude between the first and second verse.

7. Repeat Steps 3 through 6 and get to the bridge. The bridge is G-A-D-Bm (four counts each). Play this through twice. On your third time around, omit the D and extend the Bm to eight counts, followed by the A for eight counts.

8. Play the third verse a little differently than the first two. Start with the D-F#m-D-F#m, but then play Bm-G-A guitar chord progression three times. On your fourth time through, play Bm then the A for eight counts.

9. Close the song out with a four-count D chord then a D guitar strum.

Tips & Warnings

• Thumb picks, or downbeats, (strings six, five and four) are always "1, 2, 3 or 4" counts. Finger picks, or upbeats, (strings three and two) are always "and" counts in this song.
• Counting beats out while playing may help you sustain a constant, steady rhythm and keep track in the song. There are also subtleties, like walk-ups, walk-downs and rests that occur almost always on a "4-and" count.
• Play partial and broken guitar chords: D-A-D (D), F#-A-C# (F#m), B-B-D (Bm), G-B-D (G, third fret), A-A-C# (A).

Resources

• Thorough list of guitar chords