Song chords
Redemption Song chords
Bob Marley
Marley alone with an acoustic guitar in G — no reggae skank, no band, four open chords. The verse walks down from the tonic to the ii and the chorus answers with three chords and no minor at all.
Before you start
The chords you need.
5 shapes covers the whole song. Tap any diagram’s play button to hear it, or open its page for every voicing on six instruments.
The chart
Section by section.
Key of G, no capo. Verse G–Em–C–Am, twice; chorus G–C–D–G. The record passes through C/B between the C and the Am, which is a bass note rather than a new shape. Hit play on any section to hear it walk through at 65 bpm.
Verse
8 barsA steady walk down from the tonic to the ii.
Chorus
4 barsThree chords, no minors — the release after the verse.
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.
The intro lick runs between the chord shapes rather than over them. Learn the changes first at 65 bpm and add the lick after — it lives on the top three strings of the same G and Em you are already holding.
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 — Redemption Song was written and recorded by Bob Marley, 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 Redemption Song in?
Redemption Song is in G Major, and it is played in that key with no capo — the chords you read here are the chords you hear.
Do I need a capo for Redemption Song?
No. Redemption Song is played open in G Major. A capo will only move it out of the recorded key, which matters if you are playing along with the record.
What chords are in Redemption Song?
G, Em, C, Am and D — 5 chords across 2 sections. Key of G, no capo. Verse G–Em–C–Am, twice; chorus G–C–D–G. The record passes through C/B between the C and the Am, which is a bass note rather than a new shape.
What is the easiest way to play Redemption Song?
Beginner overall. The intro lick runs between the chord shapes rather than over them. Learn the changes first at 65 bpm and add the lick after — it lives on the top three strings of the same G and Em you are already holding.
How fast is Redemption Song?
About 65 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 Redemption Song 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.