Ain't No Sunshine Chords

Learn how to play Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers!

As usual, we don't think of chords as Am, Em or Dm, we first learn what key the song is in, then name the chords in relation to that key as a number.

Ain't No Sunshine could be seen as a variation on the minor blues: VI - II - VI - III - II - VI.
The verse chords used are VI - III - V - VI, the "turnaround" use III - II - VI, just like a minor blues.

Small variations and tricks like this is what took Blues into Soul music and ultimately paved the way for singer songwriters to use simple chord progressions as a hugely important part of a massive hit. Familiarity, with a twist.

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Ain't No Sunshine video guitar lesson

Am7 might sound like a complicated chord to play, but all you do is remove your ring finger and let the open G string ring.
Notice how the Am7 chord finds another b7 on the top string in the video lesson. If you know your intervals you can manipulate any chord like this.

Dm7 is build in just the same way as Am7, simply replace the root with a b7.
The root is found on the second string in a normal Dm shape, for Dm7 you move this down two frets and replace it with a b7, we now have a Dm7 chord.

Take some time to compare Am7 to Am and Dm7 to Dm, describe the sound to yourself.

If this sound very complicated, you might want read up on how to build chords in The Guitar Conspiracy.

To learn how to fret chords, SpyTunes practice section has some very efficient chord exercises for you to get your teeth into.