Chords
Fingerpicking — full song TAB
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for the moment to be free
Black bird fly, black bird fly
Into the light of the dark black night
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
Black bird fly, black bird fly
Into the light of the dark black night
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for the moment to be free
You were only waiting for the moment to be free
You were only waiting for the moment to be free
Coach tips
- ✦Blackbird is fingerpicked entirely with the thumb and two fingers — Paul McCartney plucks the bass string with his thumb on every beat while index and middle fingers pluck the G and B strings simultaneously for the characteristic two-note melody. Keep the thumb going steadily at all times.
- ✦The ascending bass line G → Am7 → G/B → G is the harmonic engine of Blackbird. Each bass note on strings E and A defines the chord — make sure fret 3 (E string), open A, fret 2 (A string) ring clearly as you move through the opening figure.
- ✦The chromatic descending sequence D → C#dim → C → Cm and the chromatic ascending/descending bass lines (frets 3-4-5-6 on the A string) require precise left-hand shifts. Anchor your thumb behind the neck and move your hand as a unit to avoid hesitation between position changes.
- ✦The high slides in the intro (B string 3/12 and A string 2/10) are essential to the song's signature sound — these represent the bird calls. Use your ring finger for the slide and let the note ring at the destination fret rather than cutting it short.