Song chords
Gratitude chords
Brandon Lake
A slow build that spends most of its length on a single four-chord loop and saves everything for the last chorus. The recording sits in B, which is brutal in open position — capo 4 and G shapes puts it back in reach.
Before you start
The chords you need.
4 shapes covers the whole song, fretted with the capo at fret 4. Tap any diagram’s play button to hear it, or open its page for every voicing on six instruments.
The chart
Section by section.
Capo 4, then play G shapes: the G shape sounds as B, C sounds as E, D sounds as F#, Em sounds as G#m. Dynamics do the work here, not chord changes. Hit play on any section to hear it walk through at 68 bpm.
Verse
4 barsShapes as fretted with the capo on — the names above are what you grab, not what you hear.
Chorus
4 barsShapes as fretted with the capo on — the names above are what you grab, not what you hear.
Bridge
4 barsThe shout section — same chords, twice the energy.
Shapes as fretted with the capo on — the names above are what you grab, not what you hear.
Need it in a different key, or without the capo? Run it through the transposer — move every chord by the same interval and the song is unchanged.
Playing it
What actually trips people up.
Resist filling the space. The song is written around the gaps between chords — strum less than feels natural and let the room ring.
The chart above is the commonly played arrangement — the version a competent player would hand you, not a bar-for-bar transcription of a specific master. Section labels are there to orient you; live and studio versions repeat, extend and drop sections freely, and none of that changes which chords you need.
About this page
Chord names and song structure are facts; for lyrics and official notation, support the artist. This page carries no lyrics on purpose — Gratitude was written and recorded by Brandon Lake, and the words belong to them. What you get here is the harmony: the key, the capo, the tempo, and which chord goes where.
Next
Songs that sit near this one.
FAQ
Questions people actually ask.
What key is Gratitude in?
Gratitude sounds in B Major. The common arrangement gets there with a capo at fret 4 and G Major shapes, which is why the chords written here are G Major chords rather than B Major ones.
Do I need a capo for Gratitude?
Yes for the standard arrangement: capo 4. Without it you would be playing B Major shapes, which needs barre chords. With the capo on, the shapes are G Major — much friendlier under the hand.
What chords are in Gratitude?
G, D, Em and C — 4 chords across 3 sections. Capo 4, then play G shapes: the G shape sounds as B, C sounds as E, D sounds as F#, Em sounds as G#m. Dynamics do the work here, not chord changes.
What is the easiest way to play Gratitude?
Beginner overall. Resist filling the space. The song is written around the gaps between chords — strum less than feels natural and let the room ring.
How fast is Gratitude?
About 68 bpm. Every section on this page plays back at that tempo, so you can hear how long each chord is meant to be held before you try it yourself.
Can I play Gratitude in a different key?
Yes — the progression is the song, not the letters. Move every chord by the same number of semitones and it still works. The transposer will do the arithmetic, or you can move the capo and keep these shapes.