Song chords
Lord, I Need You chords
Matt Maher
A prayer song recorded in Bb whose verse opens on the IV rather than the tonic, which is why it sounds unsettled before it has said anything. Capo 3 with G shapes puts the record's key under open chords.
Before you start
The chords you need.
4 shapes covers the whole song, fretted with the capo at fret 3. 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 3 with G shapes: G sounds as Bb, C as Eb, D as F and Em as Gm. The record keeps moving the bass under the tonic — G, then G/B — without changing the shape. Hit play on any section to hear it walk through at 72 bpm.
Verse
7 barsOpens on the IV and only reaches the tonic at the end of the line.
Shapes as fretted with the capo on — the names above are what you grab, not what you hear.
Chorus
8 barsThe vi arrives on the second line.
Shapes as fretted with the capo on — the names above are what you grab, not what you hear.
Bridge
6 barsShapes 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.
Both the verse and the chorus start on the C, not the G. If you drill the song from the tonic you will keep coming in a chord early; begin every practice pass on the IV.
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 — Lord, I Need You was written and recorded by Matt Maher, 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 Lord, I Need You in?
Lord, I Need You sounds in Bb Major. The common arrangement gets there with a capo at fret 3 and G Major shapes, which is why the chords written here are G Major chords rather than Bb Major ones.
Do I need a capo for Lord, I Need You?
Yes for the standard arrangement: capo 3. Without it you would be playing Bb Major shapes, which needs barre chords. With the capo on, the shapes are G Major — much friendlier under the hand.
What chords are in Lord, I Need You?
C, G, D and Em — 4 chords across 3 sections. Capo 3 with G shapes: G sounds as Bb, C as Eb, D as F and Em as Gm. The record keeps moving the bass under the tonic — G, then G/B — without changing the shape.
What is the easiest way to play Lord, I Need You?
Beginner overall. Both the verse and the chorus start on the C, not the G. If you drill the song from the tonic you will keep coming in a chord early; begin every practice pass on the IV.
How fast is Lord, I Need You?
About 72 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 Lord, I Need You 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.