NOELCHORD: Solved! The Secret Chord From 'Don't Look Back In Anger' by Oasis

When Noel Gallagher sings 'Take that look from off your face' in the bridge of Dont Look Back In Anger by Oasis, some people play an E, some play a G# bar chord, others play a G# diminished... but each of those chords is wrong.
Join me to do a little detective work to uncover the exact chord Noel Gallagher used in the 1990's to play the bridge of Don't Look Back In Anger!
Many images and videos in my KZbin content have been found online without any attribution or credit available. In many cases I have therefore not been able to add a credit in the videos themselves due to lack of information. If your image or video has been used and a credit is required, please email me with your details and evidence of authorship and a credit will be added into the video description.
Many thanks, JH.

[@Ricardo-cl3vs]

I've heard Noel calls this chord "C/unt#".

[@Pladderkasse]

100000 internets to you.

[@Ricardo-cl3vs]

@therainman777 To make it look more like a real chord?! That's not a hashtag... ;D

[@memeanarchist5150]

@therainman777 it means sharp

[@silva69ers]

@@memeanarchist5150 who would have thought "#" meant anything before Instagram?

[@heybuddy119]

Bravo 🤝

[@christopherbull9584]

I heard there was a secret chord, that Noel played and it pleased the lord.

[@ezraandaria9085]

lmaoo

[@Randomness78]

but you don't really care for music do ya?

[@albahereandnow]

👏👏👏

[@UnforgivenIV]

Hallelujah brother!

[@Randomness78]

@@UnforgivenIV I'm a Muslim tho 😆

[@jamboz]

This was actually way more interesting and presented than I initially thought it would be. Fair play.

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Cool. Glad to hear it.

[@pedrotoledo2414]

He does that, but if he really knew anything about chord voicing he would have used G#° I’ve always used and it sounds WAY fuller and richer. Jazzy stuff that is very common for us brazilians

[@banzobeans]

Same here

[@modernchampionmusic81]

Use g#sharp on that song?

[@drewmalesky9869]

Noel: "Aww yeah....i was just strummin' the G on the wrong fret mate"

[@TheDesperateArtist]

Haha nice one

[@auristela3967]

🤣

[@jaydiemusik]

„I just sniffed some Cocaine and wanted to play a G Chord... but i was on the Wrong Fret and my index finger was numb“

[@JohyeahM]

"if you watch Noel play...he uses G shapes" Yes. For 90% of his tunes.

[@theju3939]

So does angus young

[@stuartcarter7053]

That's a total lie. It's more like 95%

[@thestrengthwithin4249]

So does bushy one string 🤪

[@lukaszmikula123]

I prefer G strings

[@ILoveMagic15]

I didn‘t expect a video about a guitar chord to be this entertaining.

[@breadyegg]

Neither did I. At the start I was impatient for him to just show me the damn chord, you massive tease. Ended up really liking the whole lead up to the reveal though.

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

@@breadyegg hahahahaha I had to walk you through the process first...

[@shaunflavour6366]

This is nothing. Try the Beatles. Fricken scientists are still figuring that shit out

[@macmuggo5459]

@@shaunflavour6366 [insert joke about oasis copying the Beatles here]

[@ThiagoPinho1]

Hahahah and a comment too

[@eddiesalazar6175]

Noel 2020: pedals, scissors, etc. Noel 90's: ""G""

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Hahahahahahaha too true! And what does the whole world like best? G.

[@user-tv6in5mn5j]

www.google.com/amp/s/guitarplayer.wordpress.com/2008/06/14/the-complete-noel-gallagher-oasis-gear-guide/amp/

[@alexdamaceno]

@@JamesHargreavesGuitar The guy made the whole world sing by using MOSTLY basic chords. The mark of a true genius.

[@alexdamaceno]

@@emdiar6588 It's was just a joke with the G shape, man...

[@ignaciobybull5597]

@@randomuser964 up in the sky, round are away

[@christopherlouis2963]

Jeez, not a bad singer either. That ‘you ain’t ever’ was beautiful when you played it through with the NOELCHORD 🥺

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Thanks I appreciate it!

[@robross180]

​@@JamesHargreavesGuitar I thought the same... I kept playing that bit.

[@matthewdooley9046]

It never occurred to me that there was a “secret chord” but now I’m one step closer to learning this song. Cheers bro.

[@roebuckmckinney]

I always played an E7, so I'm glad to see I was mostly there. I kinda like how the G# diminished sounds in there. There's a Jam song where Weller goes from a Major 7 chord to a diminished 7 half a step down (so in the other direction, but still). I could easily see how Noel might have been going for something like that and figured out how to get something close enough to the sound he wanted without making that odd shape.

[@jimhogg6460]

I've always played the e7 as well 😊👍

[@reymondgopog426]

Finally, after years of playing this weird chord with a sceptical feeling, this video has proven that the chord I played was correct.

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Great, well done. Good ear

[@cryingjaggs3895]

@@JamesHargreavesGuitar Hey James. Really enjoyed this vid. Mad respect for your skills and passion. I recently started doing lessons myself and did a lesson on this song. I had a nice chuckle because I too struggled with this E7/G# chord when I was first learning it (this was 25 years ago, when it took like 7 hours to download one song via dial up, and obviously before KZbin where you can now watch people like yourself and even Noel playing it acoustically) and out of pure frustration came up with an easy cheat (~4:00 mark) for it that I think works nicely. Even though we play it in different positions, I believe the notes are the same. Feel free to check it out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q2nWdaJpZdZnoZI. Cheers 🍻 Craig

[@anakin2002]

the one dislike is from noel

[@rizvanxd8724]

Lmao

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Hahaha probably. He can be a grumpy bugger at times

[@PSEUDOINGLES]

KZbin will block this video 😂😂😂

[@isaacleillhikar4566]

And Liam. Ah I cant be assed man, I jost play me gitaaar'

[@sw4gneto891]

Wait a minute

[@IMJACKMADDEN]

Sounds insane today but at Oasis concerts in 96 and 97 I would be there watching and trying to make mental notes about Noel's hand positions.

[@depressednugget5984]

That woupd be very tough to pick up from the crowd.

[@alastair77]

@@depressednugget5984 - why do ya say that? i myself did the very same thing in the 90's at Metallica gigs and suchlike. the BIG screens make a massive difference.. lol!

[@silhouette82]

December 2020: First the Zodiac Killers code was broken after 51 years, then the "Find Satoshi" puzzle cracked after 14 years, NOW THIS!!!

[@amarreezlan7131]

dont forget the Dyatlov Pass mystery finally solved after 63 years

[@argetect2847]

Nice work! Love these secret chord discoveries. The Beatles chord was a fun one too.

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Thanks Arg Etect

[@gadielfarrel4552]

This is a BuzzFeed unsolved level of mystery here, I've been trying to find this chord since the first time I listened to this song lol

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Thanks for watching!

[@discobriscoe5880]

Buzzfeed ? What are you? A vegan lesbian non binary type?

[@gadielfarrel4552]

@@discobriscoe5880 I don't think BuzzFeed unsolved have those kind of content, do you even know BuzzFeed unsolved?

[@ertegin]

@@discobriscoe5880 yea you got a problem?

[@millinddhamala944]

@@discobriscoe5880 what a jerk!

[@BrettGaertner]

You cracked the code for sure. Well done. I was playing a sloppy G open cord with G# root that didnt sound right. That’s definitely the secret chord

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Cheers Brett

[@Beans360]

Ive been arguing about this chord for years.

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Hopefully no need to anymore!

[@Beans360]

@@JamesHargreavesGuitar Aye. If i ever got the opportunity to ask Noel Gallagher what chord was it would of been what is that chord.

[@LexaRulesca]

i have known this chord for at least 20years, it's weird, and i've never seen Noel use it ever again... btw, it's not the chord James is telling you

[@sic6664]

@@Beans360 would have

[@LexaRulesca]

the right chord is F#dim, X-X-4-5-4-5

[@curuzu]

You can make a TV series about this. Some title's suggestions: - Oh my chords - God, you and now us know it - Chords Buster

[@fretjamguitar]

I always thought it was a diminished 7th chord, which definitely works to my ears. It's a common bridge between the V and vi of the key. I just thought Noel had learned that somewhere and applied it to DLBIA. Either way, it works beautifully! Enjoyed the insight!

[@KarmaPaym3ntPlan]

Yep. Connecting the V to the vi using a 1st inversion V/vi, is seen everywhere. But for good reason, as it does work really well.

[@bendagostino2217]

I highly doubt Noel would have known that bit of theory. I think he just slid the G shape down a fret and found a chord that worked.

[@sarcastaball]

​@@bendagostino2217I highly doubt that you know what you're talking about

[@bendagostino2217]

@espenellefsen1261 why? Noel has said himself he doesn't know theory and has no interest in learning it. Why is it so hard to believe he just slid the g shape down?

[@TheGrandmasterMan]

Start with him copying something The Beatles played and your half the way there would be my guess

[@alirlandes2238]

Bonehead wasnt even arsed learning that chord. just played G sharp power chord. Sorted.

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

hahahahahahahaha yep sounds about right

[@neil7994]

LOL. Don't tell me that's true...

[@thedappercook]

I doubt that's true, that would have an affect on the sound as there is clearly a change which is made by both of them. I've played the song for years with my band it wouldn't work how you think. They're both playing the chord on the record and live. Bonehead is a great guitar player too.

[@alirlandes2238]

@@thedappercook you're right .I was joking. Check Maine Road 96 gig you can see Bone play the noel chord. And yes, he made a great contribution to Oasis overall. Very sound fella too. On another note, there are some videos from SOTSOG era with noel playing pink telecaster where you can clearly see him playing his chord.

[@StevieScotty19]

That’s true by the way😂😂

[@jamesroyle6888]

I swear that chord has haunted me for 25 years, good job brother.

[@farithrosh]

O

[@wildchicken679]

@@farithrosh Why that profile pic huh? ;)

[@marshallnay]

At 6:40, your singing improved by like a 1000 percent. Awesome. 😊👍

[@cchristianjeremy]

You know the chord, now take that look from off your face.

[@cmca028]

Music theory for people that don't know music theory...

[@antoniopobleteiob]

Like Noel Gallagher for example hahahah

[@cmca028]

@Fabian Deasy It's for musicians and we are often nerds yes. I don't see you objecting to grammar and spelling.

[@antoniopobleteiob]

@Fabian Deasy Theory makes you understand the Music and even enjoy it more 😉.

[@TheGalwayFarmer]

@@antoniopobleteiob he knows more than he lets on

[@antoniopobleteiob]

@@TheGalwayFarmer Yesss mate I’m sure of that. I was just joking hahaha. I think if you listen to Chasing Yesterday or Who built the moon you can notice a clear evidence of that ;).

[@BillHilton]

Very interesting vid James, cheers. Without wishing to be a dork about it - all right, I'm a dork - you can also figure it out from the functions. You've got V (G) --> [noelchord] --> vi (Am). The noelchord is obvs something chromatic, because you can hear the bassline go up a semitone from the G, and it sounds like it's acting as a secondary dominant to Am, so it's either going to be G#dim or E7/G#. As it happens, either sounds fine if you try it on a piano (no surprise, as they're functionally identical). I'd guess it's probably the way G#dim is typically voiced on guitar that makes it sound wrong in that context.

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Yeah, it's not a huge challenge to hear various possibilities for the chord - the challenge for me was the specific guitar shape he was using, as Noel is not a complicated chord user! Hence the research...

[@matthewbaumann630]

It's just the E7 chord in first inversion.

[@LordEizen]

what

[@mastergreens5785]

The song sounds wrong at some point on a stamdalone guitar hahahaha the trick is there on V/vi

[@jaydiemusik]

That‘s too much Theory for a Rockstar

[@tomcanningmusic4923]

I've always just played E7. It was so satisfying when you played the secret chord, I'm gonna go play it now 🤣 Great video!

[@fakejoker5911]

Me too

[@joshknowsnothing]

E7 fits in pretty well

[@Randomness78]

R.I.P. E7 my whole life was a lie

[@MrPetter1000]

If the bass guitar plays the inversion, ie the G# it will sound the same. This is the same chord as an E7 with the G# being the bass.

[@babscabs1987]

E7 with a G# in the bass

[@OswaldoCastil]

Finally! A mystery from my teenage years have been solved.

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Excellent! Glad to have helped 🎸🎸

[@farithrosh]

Lmao

[@Osinho]

look for the oasis tabs by fred lidskog(late '90's) and ALL your misteries will be solved 👍🏼. Thank me later

[@mrjelly5718]

Wow, I remember having hours of discussion on this chord back in the 90s with my friends trying to find the right chord. Very cool video brother. the more videos you put out the better. thanks for all you do.

[@davepaek5014]

You have no idea how grateful i am for this video 😭. Been a fan of that song since I was a teen, and now as a 40 yr old, I finally know how to play that stupid chord correctly. Thank you!

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

No worries Dave, happy jamming!

[@billymurray1687]

E7 sounds better ngl

[@flat1in3]

@@JamesHargreavesGuitar I think I had the same songbook in the 90's, and I've been pissed off about it for a few decades now. This soothes that wound. You rock, dude!

[@Ceritaselebritimalaysia]

😂after many years..i play it wrong on many event..lol

[@rizky7958]

Noel in 90s :"nobody will know this chord for 100 years later Noel when this vid pop out:"FUCK"

[@devonshire458]

lol

[@topa1798]

Now every one is genius

[@wgb01001]

Great video! I think there’s a better way to play that chord, even though it isn’t what Noel does (which you’ve clearly identified): e0 B3 G4 D2 Ax E4 I fret the low G# on the E string with my ring finger, the 2nd fret on the D string with my index, the 4th fret on the G string with my pinky, and the 3rd fret on the B string with my middle. Same chord, it just sounds fuller and nicer.

[@MikeD606]

Thanks, mate! I was playing the chord correctly thanks to some tabs I found online circa 2000, at least as far as the individual notes go. I was holding the E7 chord and stretched my pinky to the G# on the bottom E string. It's quite a stretch and I never *really* pulled it off, so this will make my life sooo much easier! 😊

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Great to hear!

[@leslauraspurs]

E7 sounds exactly the same

[@musicmann1967]

Confirmed on That Pedal Show this week! Nice work!

[@neverenoughguitars8276]

I always just play E7. Sounds good to me.

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Nothing wrong with that. You don't have to play it the way Noel does, play it the way you like best

[@grahamwilson2164]

@@JamesHargreavesGuitar as a beginner t I play the E major but after this I will do E7

[@stefanj.932]

@@grahamwilson2164 you should try E7. Its E major , but D string is open

[@grahamwilson2164]

@@stefanj.932 Tried it today, it takes me a little longer as I seem to go to the E major then lift off from the D string.. I guess that’s the nature of being a beginner...I am putting the hours in though and I know I’m going to be a guitarist one day.? Cheers

[@stevenedwards408]

Always E7 for me easy enough

[@AtticusLardnerBurke]

Appreciate the effort gone into this I’ve always thought the chords felt a little off while playing them

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Thanks AtticusLar, glad to be of assistance 👍👍🎸🎸

[@blindsidedka]

I came here wanting to rip on the length of the video, instead I sat through the whole thing. Keep making these videos mate, they are great.

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Much appreciated!

[@fiddlegroove]

I don’t even play guitar but going to start because of this chord

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

awesome...

[@davidluqueskywalker527]

Go a head mate !!!!

[@jimmy2minutes]

OK. Heres a tip, and it's a very important one. And it will change everything. Get your guitar. Buy some Newtone low tension strings. All that pressing down and strain will disappear. 10 gauge will suffice. They also sound excellent.

[@AndyHuckle-wg5rx]

What a first chord to learn!

[@sundaynightdrunk]

A two-finger E7 works really well as that chord, with the open E, 2nd fret A, open D, 1st fret G, open B and E. The 1st fret on G is G#, so you get that nice G# ring, and the low E gives it some power. I've been playing it that way for years, but I do hear that what you've found is the right chord-doubt I'll change the way I play it though after all these years. Cheers for finding it!

[@paulhuff9421]

Also try 4x0100 if you can make the stretch, one of my favorite voicing for E7.

[@jimboslice7577]

Thanks mate, before I watched this vid I knew it was the 'e7 variant' chord, but I played it in a different position and knew it wasn't correct. You are right though, this chord has always not sat right with me and peobably countless others, tha ks for nailing it down brother.

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Cheers Jimbo, my pleasure 👍👍

[@FutureAbe]

i'm a piano player and that's the chord I would play too. I even said to myself "E7/G#" before watching the video. Noel did well, for someone not knowing music theory

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Yes I agree, he has a very good ear 👍👍

[@andyisdead]

He prolly just borrowed the chord progression from some song he heard

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

@@andyisdead ha yeah he did nick his fair share of other people’s tunes....

[@adambrammeld9286]

@@andyisdead I mean the chord progression is nothing unique, for the key of C, except he swapped what should be an E minor to actually “fit” to an E major, but like he has said he doesn’t know the proper music theory behind stuff. But still sounds great

[@andycoy2180]

@@andyisdead he learnt a lot from the Liverpool band called The Real People.

[@bouncytrapbeats]

This guy knows what he's talking about, he has 3 degrees 90's-ology on his wall.

[@bjorrp]

much underappreciated comment here

[@romanpourcher5060]

Congratulations, you've found the secret chord. You can now play Don't look back in anger entirely.

[@TheJanvicgwaps]

My dad who taught me how to play the guitar, said that he would listen to a record over and over again and would try to decode what chords where playing.. Now? I just go on youtube and hope that someone made a decent video on how to play a song.. golden age for me lol

[@harryjurassicpark]

Same, basically taught myself off KZbin 😂

[@randolphvanhook5829]

Dude, if we had had youtube when I was learning it would have been on like Donkey Kong. Kids today don't know the struggle of rewinding a cassette over and over or slowing the record player down to half speed to learn songs.

[@CloudIsla]

I thought this was good until I tried learning songs by ear a few years ago. With this slowly repeating a part over and over until you’re familiar with it then you can absolutely easily figure out any song you wanna learn. :)) Edit: Typo

[@dmn4163]

@@randolphvanhook5829 except there are still plently of songs out there not famous enough to have people making youtube lessons on them. So we kinda do know the struggle

[@lrwguitar]

I learnt from books in prison in the 90''s guitar saved my life.

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Bloody hell, this video seems to have sparked a bit of interest. I thought this vid would be a quiet one (hence the enormous effort I put into my singing 🙄) but apparently there are a lot more Oasis enthusiasts out there than I realised! Hello and massive appreciation to anyone who has liked/subscribed. Everyone has (mostly) fallen into 2 camps... the E/G# camp - of which I am obviously one, and the G# diminished camp... Feel free to share below what you think (or prefer) for the Noelchord 🎸🎸🎸👍👍👍 Cheers! JH

[@drawnagaindrawnagain5394]

A Flat diminished according to the Oasis Complete Chord Songbook!

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

@@drawnagaindrawnagain5394 Hi DrawnAgain, unfortunately songbooks are constantly, continually and repeatedly wrong. Major bugbear of mine! You've got the best chance of getting it right if you research and transcribe it yourself 👍👍🎸🎸

[@drawnagaindrawnagain5394]

@@JamesHargreavesGuitar Agreed! - the version of the chord i use is XXDGBE - D+B 3rd Fret / G+E 4th Fret - it sounds faaaaiiiiiirrrrlllyyyy good!

[@Malverde888]

Looks like the algorithm blessed you. I just stumbled upon this vid.

[@stephentyndall159]

This is great!!! Been playing that wrong for 20+ years and it always bugged me! You’re a legend!

[@06danielsj]

Spent about 13 years of my life wondering what the hell that chord actually is. Kudos sir

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Cheers James, happy jamming

[@LexaRulesca]

you are still wondering, because this is not the right chord, i would post it if i knew how

[@sic6664]

@@LexaRulesca Just give us the string and fret positions. Like E4-A7-Dx etc.

[@LexaRulesca]

@@sic6664 F#dim

[@LexaRulesca]

@@sic6664 x-x-4-5-4-5, if im not mistaken

[@edip2128]

Finally. Years singing the song, now I can play that one chord at least

[@whynottalklikeapirat]

Always just isolate the bass note, determine if it's the root note, the third, fifth, seventh, ninth or whatever. Then decide if the chord as a whole is major, minor or neither. Then target single notes from there with a special focus on the ones that stand out as key extensions. You can usually also get some help from the listening to the movement of the bass line as a whole, especially for the type of movement in this song which is really quite a standard one, but just generally more immediately accessible on a piano than on a guitar. In this instance the bass note of the chord in question is part of a three note, rising chromatic movement, yielding a sense of "lift" or building tension. It stands to reason that you can't use your standard chord shapes and expect them to make sense with just root notes in chromatic sequence, thats more or less guaranteed to create horrible disharmony. And indeed this type of movement is usually solved by playing a major chord ewith a third in the bass, or as that not entirely stupid friend suggested, with a diminished chord of some kind. It's easy to assume that might have been a diminished chord because the 7th note is in there, in that major chord. Diminished doesn't fit this melody, but it's done in a lot of standards. So - a 7 chord with a major third in the bass it is. It's not a complex sound, what tricks people is the placement of it in that chromatic movement which screws with the most common mental schemas for camp fire guitar. If you're in a band you can just let the bass player handle the odd note out, and play a straight up 7th chord, you just can't think of the bass note as a root note in this instance and that's where most people go off track.

[@martinforward188]

Hi James, If you leave your index finger on the 2nd fret when moving from the G to G#, you get a nice ringing B to go along with the open 5th string. so play G# (4th fret), B (2nd fret), D (open), B (4th fret), B (open) E (open) easy and no need for any muting.

[@oswaldogarcia4144]

It's the secret chord that David played, and it pleased the lord. It goes like this: the 4th, the 5th. The minor fall and the major lift!

[@The73rdSecret]

"Yeah but can you play Wonderwall ?!" LOL I'm kidding. Great video

[@AndreVlaamsValle]

It's just a G#º chord(403430), we Brazilians been havin it in songs for ages! Another song using something close to this is Helena by My Chemical Romance D#º - (001212)

[@SeanKojin]

I would have said the chord could be played as a G# dim7, which is played like this: E4 A5 D6 G4 B6 E4, or the B string can be played on the 4th fret as well, or to make it simpler just play: E4 A5 D6.

[@gasolinehorsey]

In our band one guitar plays an open E, one plays a barred E at 7th fret and the Bass plays the G#. Strength in numbers.

[@CCGUITARCHANNEL]

I’ve always played it as 4x3400. Either an E in first inversion with a flat 9 or G#dim (which is how I hear it). Personally I like the F/b9 in it. It’s definitely a chord where you can tell if someone really knows the song! Love your breakdown of these songs.

[@levrone0075]

Thanks for taking me back to the 90s! I remember when oasis smashed this on brit awards, what a time it was for british indi bands. i actually remember trying to figure this chord out but didn't analyse it as much as you! I did the E chord.. easy to switch to and sounds good but yes had that niggle that it wasn't quite right!

[@onslaughtmma5110]

This is like a thrilling alien conspiracy documentary but about a Manc lad who grew up playing Beatles on a crappy guitar. Good job my man, nice singing voice btw.

[@cleangoblin2021]

This is madly entertaining. The way you drag and drove things around, felt like a psychological case documentary. Excellent video

[@Jpfabulosity]

Thank you for sharing ! That is guitar gold. It’s not just what you play but how you play it - just like a person’s signature

[@BeefyMcWhatnow]

I knew there was something wrong with that chord! Cheers for answering the question that has plagued my mind for years!

[@xingyuli7169]

From what I remembered, this chord also came up as the second chord in the bridge section of “Let there be love”

[@aledum1815]

Cheers.

[@Heisenbrick]

I’m not trying to play this song but I definitely feel the pain and frustration of this topic! Incorrect tabs and secret chords can drive you mad 😡

[@microwavedmetal]

Bro when I start playing guitar I had no idea how much dedication guitarist have towards playing a song correctly

[@gaspardlemer3598]

That is so right!!! The E7 had been so unsatisfying for all those years... Thank You very much! ♪♫

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Thanks for listening

[@hoshmoggen1746]

I've always played the E7. Well, B7 technically because I play it out of G.

[@mybigmouth97]

same here sounds right to me.

[@smsanchez]

Same.

[@cmaj7sus4]

Yep, same but if I can be bothered I’ll reach my pinky to G# and so play the ‘secret chord’ another way.

[@PetrisonRocha]

I always played this with the G#dim. Sounds alright.

[@Beirdo267]

That's the correct chord that's why 👍🏻

[@matthewbaumann630]

@@Beirdo267 It's probably E7 first inversion.

[@JohnSmith-sl5ym]

Yep, I play it as a G#dim7 inverted, with the A string dampened. First finger barring the B, G and D strings on the 3rd fret (basically an A moved up a fret). Middle finger on low E, 4th fret (G#). Ring finger then on the G string, 4th fret (B). Then pinky on the high E string, 4th fret (G#). So the notes you play on each string are G#, NA, F, B, D, G#. From a distance, I can see how this could look like a G shape moved up a fret.

[@vanlopes1687]

Thanks for the video! I've used this chord (on a different shape) to play it, 'cause I've had bossa nova/jazz classes and I've heard it on some brazilian songs. Nice to see I wasn't wrong all this time.

[@Anton680x]

Based on my awesome music skills.. I determined the Guitar Chord used is: EADGBe E7/G# (4x3434) * I would say the G# on the high E string is optional depending if there is some other instrument playing it. During the solo chords you can get away with moving the G# up to an A on the high E string at the very end of that measure if you like since there is a clean guitar track alternating between those 2 notes.

[@lautarobutta1512]

I was very tempted to skip to the part when you show the chord but you made the whole process so interesting that I ended up watching the whole thing

[@aluiziocouto9404]

Excellent! And you make the searching for the chord look like an amazing detective story. Now I can play this song correctly.

[@0suke]

When he plays the chord “GOOSEBUMPS“

[@boingo2911]

Thank you my brother. im from indonesia. For my whole life, i never know that chord. Thank you 😭

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

you’re welcome 👍👍

[@henryb160]

Yeah, that 1st position E won't do it but if you lift your finger off the 4th string second fret E to open D and strum it as an E7 it works fine. I can play the 'Noel' chord ok but I'm never happy with the way it sounds and always go back to that basic E7. All you (and Noel) are playing is an inversion of that E7 chord. Stretch your pinky to G# in the bass if you think you gotta have it.

[@WakeMikey]

Excellent decoding. I usually played an open E7 chord for the "take that look from off your face" chord, but the tabs show the chord you use, E7/G# with the fingering you use. So I'll need to start using that one! My other favorite chords in the song are at "Step outside, summertime's in bloom", at the words 'step outside', he used a normal barred F#m, then at 'summertime', he uses Fm7add13 which is a barred F#m chord where you take the 3rd finger and move it to the b string, so 1st finger bar on first fret, 2nd finger on A string 3rd fret, and 3rd finger on B string 3rd fret, a lovely chord. Then later there is the Cadd9/B at "Sally can wait" where is takes a standard open C chord and moves the bass note down from A string 3rd fret to A string 2nd fret. Really a lovely song. Good video.

[@TimV93]

Keith Richards uses it in the beginning of Angie, too.

[@wes4192]

Well then now we know how noel came upon it

[@farithrosh]

Yea

[@Rocks4You97]

@@wes4192 as almost everything else he came up with, stealing

[@jeepmccann752]

@@Rocks4You97 harsh

[@causticretort]

Oh yeah!

[@Le_Rosa]

I remember back in the day all of my friends and I used to spend hours and hours trying to figure out what chord that was haha. Great video mate!

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

That's awesome! thanks for watching

[@WoodyGamesUK]

I used to play that song but I can't remember how I would play that chord. When I saw your hilarious first rendition, I had to stop the video and go to the piano to see how I would naturally try to play that chord (I don't play guitar anymore). We clearly want the bass to be G#, we can hear it going a half step from the previous chord G, to G#. I first tried to keep playing the G chord, but replace the G with G#, which gives you a G# diminished without the F (the triad version of the chord). Then I realised that it gives you a chord that is very close to E7/G#, it just doesn't have the E in it. I tried both versions and to me both sounded close enough. On guitar, both chords are played the same as the "right" version shown in the video, just the one from my first attempt leaves out the first open E string. Personally I would still leave it out.

[@pawelm.456]

Real chord in the recording is E7/G# The band play regular E7 while Noel plays the single note G# (you can hear it in isolated tracks) so, to emalute this on a acoustic, you can play ( from low E to high E) : 42010x

[@EvgenyButirat]

Apparently the same chord/shape is in the chorus of If We Shadows. I’ve always thought it was E7… So the bass voice goes A -> G# -> G -> F#. Nice!

[@mattlandonmusic]

Inversions matter! They can have an enormous effect on the way the same four notes sound. Super nerdy explanation incoming: The E7/G# is the most correct answer here, obviously, but that chord is still an E7 chord, albeit in first inversion (meaning the third of the chord is the lowest note instead of the root-this works especially well in this case because the G# in the bass, functioning as a “leading tone” really pulls our ear to the A root of the next chord). So the E7 folks out there aren’t really wrong. Also, G#dim7 comes from the family of diminished chords that can function as E7 (and G7 and Bb7 and Db7, but that’s a whole other can of worms) because it spells an E7(b9), i.e. “F, G#, B, D” instead of “E, G#, B, D.” Believe it or not, when a chord is played in an inversion other than root position (meaning the root is not the lowest note in the chord), the root becomes expendable and can be replaced by the b9 without changing the function of the chord. SO the G#dim7 people aren’t really wrong either, as that chord can be used interchangeably with E7. The biggest factor here, however, is not one of a harmonic nature, but of a timbral nature. The reason that chord never sounded correct is not only because the notes weren’t correct, but because it didn’t have the timbre of the open strings-this completely changes the way that chord hits us. In fact, if you played that G#dim7 chord, but added the open B and E strings, I bet you’ll find that voicing suits your ear almost just as well as the one you know to be correct. The timbre of open strings on the guitar is massively effective. Sorry for nerding out here. I just get excited about this stuff.

[@mr.k1896]

I almost feel like he’s muting the E too.

[@caiojorge6390]

I am certain he is. I don't hear the e at all. For me it is a simple g# diminished triad.

[@MostSimple]

This was an interesting way to present this chord. Got me to click right away

[@alex72886]

It is a s slash chord. Those who claim it is G# or E chord are halfway right. Yep its an E7/G#. It is usually a progression with the root bass G then G# then to am chord E7 sounds right buy lacks that dynamic sound the slash bass G# has. When i was beginning guitar playing whenever I am stuck with 2 chords that seem to sound right i combine them. Back then i didnt know there was such a thing as a slash chord

[@alexeiparphyonov]

Great job man! I don't know how, but I knew for many years it was E7/G#. And I had figured it the following way - 420100, which is not easy to play but only at first, but gives decent & solid harmony to this part. But figuring out with the use of videos and succeeding is fantastic!

[@kevinashworth6963]

Interesting, i always played it as an E7 shape (Open E chord without the 3rd finger on the D string) with my pinky on the G# of the low E. Same chord, different position. Going to give this one a try! nice work!

[@sundaynightdrunk]

I too play it as an E7, as 020100. Seems to work well for it.

[@jmlouie]

I've been waiting literally most of my life for this chord!

[@headshrinker8595]

Well played sir 🔎. I always used the Aflat diminished, as shown in the “easy” chord songbook I got as a beginner 20 years ago. 3rd fret high e and g string, 2nd fret d and b string. Sounds alright to me

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Thanks Headshrinker, play it in the way that works for you bud 🎸🎸🎸

[@NikoLucario]

I guess a A flat (or G#) chord is G# - B - D The chord shown here (E7/G#) consist of G# - D - B - E so it sounds quite alike. If you mute the high E string like someone in the comments suggested, you get the same notes as a G# diminished, but played in a different inversion

[@NedJeffery]

@@NikoLucario G#dim includes an F. This is the only difference with the E7. I think the F sounds better. Play it like this 4-x-3-4-3-x. You can also include the 4th fret on the high E if you want. Or even an open string if you are feeling spicy.

[@NikoLucario]

@@NedJeffery F is included in G#dim7, but G#dim is just root, minor third, diminished fifth.

[@felipepantiga8351]

@@NikoLucario G# diminished is actually root, minor third, diminished fifth and diminished seventh (F).

[@MrDream-zm1pw]

Genius, Mate. You did gods work after years of not properly playing that bloody chord.

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Hahahahaha no worries, enjoy!

[@andrewmshowe]

I quite liked 4 7 6 4 5 4 straight E/G# which is not too hard to play after a barred G. But I think it must be 4 x 3 4 0 4. The strong F resolves down a half step to the E of the Am.

[@TheStratman1970]

Watching this was like watching an episode of “Looking for Nessie”

[@louispacetime1576]

Finally someone cracks it down! I've played this song a million times and I've never really liked what I used to play in that chord.

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Cheers LouiSpacetime, hope it was helpful 👍🎸

[@kidus_tv]

Jesus you're so dedicated man subscribed! Looking forward for more content!

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Thanks so much and welcome!

[@liverpoolname7035]

E7/G# you can also play a normal E7 shape, and move your pinky to the fourth fret of the low E string.

[@EricGlassMusic]

Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill.... That is a common 1st inversion chord that he is doing here. What this fails to take in account is that he has 2 parts going on the studio version. The distorted lower part is doing single notes on the E string and goes from a G, the tonic of that chord, to a G# which is the 3rd note of the E chord (or E7) that the other guitar is strumming on top of it, to an Amin. This G# in effect flips the E7 chord into a first inversion chord with the 3rd note (of Emajor scale) being on the bottom (basic theory) a common composition trick as it allows for a chromatic bass climb to the relative minor of the key center (which is C) to A minor. In other words G, G# to A. So the chord is created by stacking the 2 parts together. What Noel is doing live to try and recreate the 2 parts on the album with that fingering, which is a pretty common guitar chord actually. The G# on the album is held down by the solo distorted guitar separate of the guitar(s) doing the E or E7 chord on top of it. This is not a big reveal to anyone with a set of ears and some really basic theory but if there is anything interesting about it, what should be taught that there is a compositional tool going on here which is chromatic bass movement, G, G# and A which actually represent a V, III, vi chord change as in classical music and why that E chord adds a little bit of a classical feel to the composition there due to being the first inversion and allowing a chromatic bass climb which is what gives that chord it's spice. It's all about how it is used.

[@gearoftones8585]

We've all been trying to work out that fucking chord since 1996

[@doggorman]

Noel Gallagher has some of the most beautiful clever chord changes in almost all of his writings That's what really separated oasis from other bands And of coarse that special Tone of brother LIAMS VOICE

[@MikeyTd00d]

dude. o my god. this is one of my most played songs, even when playing out...ive never known the secret chord this blew my fucking mind. thank you man. holy shit. made my night

[@JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Cheers Mikey, thanks a ton dude 👍👍🎸🎸

[@MrDleef]

Appreciate the hard work on this. I've always played a regular E7 for "take that look" and then added my pinky on the G# for "from off your face". Gives it a nice little step up sound.

[@MrPj74]

G#dim , but I don’t play it like this guys example it’s e string 4th fret b string 3rd fret g string 4th fret d string 3rd fret . It’s a tension building step chord . I use it a lot when I play . Example g major 1 chord > g#dim as I explained above > a minor 2 chord . Proper chord > tension > release to another proper chord . Jazz cats use it a lot but it also found in other types of music . Especially people who want that “ Beatles ish sound “