Photograph chords

How to play Photograph

Play Photograph with D, Bm, A and G shapes at capo 2. This standard-tuning arrangement sounds in E. The verse and chorus use the same chord set in different orders, while the pre-chorus changes chords twice as quickly. Use the repeated boxes to count the held chords; a second D box means another bar of D, rather than another chord to learn.

Put the capo and chord names together

The chord symbols above the boxes name the shapes you press relative to the capo. D sounds as E, Bm as C# minor, A as B, and G as A. Check the tuning after fitting the capo, especially if a tightly clamped low string has gone sharp. Keep the clamp close behind the fret and use enough pressure to stop buzzing without pulling the strings sideways.

With the capo removed, the same shapes sound a whole tone lower. To retain the E-centred pitch without a capo, use E, C#m, B and A instead. That is a different fingering choice, not a reason to move only the difficult Bm. Transpose the entire progression together when choosing a singing key.

Read the held bars before adding rhythm

The verse line is D–D–Bm–Bm followed by A–A–G–G. Each printed box lasts four quarter-note beats, giving eight bars in this practice unit. The chorus changes the order to D–D–A–A followed by Bm–Bm–G–G. Isolate the first change: the verse goes from D to Bm, while the chorus goes from D to A.

The pre-chorus uses Bm–G–D–A with one bar per chord. Its shorter holds are easy to miss after the longer verse chords. Practise just the final verse G and the first pre-chorus Bm before looping the whole section. The bridge returns to two-bar holds, starting on Bm. These are section exercises for the capo-2 arrangement, rather than a complete route through every recorded repeat and ending.

Keep the eighth-note downstrokes small

The eight D marks mean eight downstrokes per bar, counted one-and-two-and-three-and-four-and. Bring the hand back up between strokes without catching the strings. Start quietly on muted strings; a short wrist movement is easier to sustain than eight large swings. Once the motion is even, add the fretted chords without speeding up at a change.

For a softer verse, rest the edge of the picking hand lightly near the bridge. Move it a little if the strings become a dead click; the chord still needs a pitch. Release that pressure for a more open chorus. The grid gives a basic practice pulse, not every accent or plucked detail on the recording. At the displayed 108 BPM, lower the speed first if your hand tightens.

Make Bm clear before joining the loop

Our Bm diagram is x-2-4-4-3-2, with all fret numbers measured from the capo. Test each sounding string separately. A squeezed hand can still produce a muted note if another finger lies across it. Keep the first-fret gap of the shape clear and make small adjustments before adding pressure.

You can begin with x-x-4-4-3-2 and sweep only the upper four strings. Its lowest note is F#, so its bass differs from the full Bm shape, but it retains the minor harmony. Return to the full grip when you want the root in the bass.

The capo-2 chord orders and section holds follow Sébastien Corso’s Photograph teaching chart. The straight downstroke exercise is also described in JustinGuitar’s lesson; that lesson uses a different shape version. Key, meter and tempo were cross-checked with Yousician.