Beautiful | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
||: Eb | Db | Cm | B5 :||
Don’t look at me.
Verse 1
| Eb | Db | Cm | B5 |
Every day is so wonderful, then suddenly, it’s hard to breathe.
| Eb | Db | Cm | B5 |
Now and then I get insecure, from all the pain, I’m so ashamed.
Chorus 1
| Ab | Fm | Eb Db | Cm |
I am beautiful no matter what they say, words can’t bring me down.
| Ab | Fm | Eb Db | Cm |
I am beautiful in every single way, yes words can’t bring me down, oh no.
| Fm | Eb | Db | Cm | B5 |
So don’t you bring me down today.
Verse 2
| Eb | Db | Cm | B5 |
To all your friends you’re delirious, so consumed in all your doom.
| Eb | Db | Cm | B5 |
Trying hard to fill the emptiness, the pieces gone, left the puzzle undone. Is that the way it is?
Chorus 2
| Ab | Fm | Eb Db | Cm |
You are beautiful no matter what they say, words can’t bring you down, oh no.
| Ab | Fm | Eb Db | Cm |
You are beautiful in every single way, yes words can’t bring you down, oh no.
| Fm |
So don’t you bring me down today.
Middle 8
| Eb | Db |
No matter what we do (No matter what we do). No matter what we say.
| Cm | B5 |
(No matter what we say). We’re the song inside the tune (Yeah). Full of beautiful mistakes.
| Eb | Db |
And everywhere we go (And everywhere we go). The sun will always shine
| Cm | Badd4 |
(The sun will always, always shine). And tomorrow we might wake on the other side.
Chorus 3
| Ab | Fm | Eb Db | Cm |
‘Cause we are beautiful no matter what they say, yes words won’t bring us down, no, no.
| Ab | Fm | Eb Db | Cm |
We are beautiful in every single way, yes words can’t bring us down, oh, no.
| Fm |
So don’t you bring me down today.
Outro
||: Eb | Db | Cm | B5 :||
Ooh-oh-oh, yeah. Don’t you bring me down today. Yeah, ooh.
| N.C | Eb | Eb |
Don’t you bring me down. Ooh, today.
Beautiful chords and progressions
Linda Perry‘s composition Beautiful has some very interesting chords. They could be seen as if played in either the key of Eb or Ab. Depending on which you choose, the Roman Numerals will be different.
Once translated to letters, this is what the chords become for the intro/verse/instrumental/m8 and outro sections:
| Eb | Db | Cm | B5 |
The chorus starts on chord I, if you think of it as if it’s in the key of Ab. It starts on chord IV, if you think of it as if it’s in the key of Eb.
These are the chords for the chorus.
| Ab | Fm | Eb Db | Cm | x2 | Fm |
It’s tricky to fret chords in keys such as Eb and Ab when you don’t play with a capo. All chords will have to be barre chords.
To get some relief, I use a C-shaped Eb chord. Because the chord Eb has a G inside it, we can use the open G string. I also add the little finger on string 1. This adds a 5th to the top of the chord shape.
For the B chord, I use the open B string. Since it’s played in an A shape we lose the ability to make it a minor or major chord. It becomes just a 5-chord (a chord with no 3rd).
During the M8, a new shape is introduced for the B chord. This time it’s in an E shape. We still use the open B but now have a 3rd on the third string. The open E string makes this B chord a Badd4.
Playing a piano song on the guitar
Originally performed on the piano, it would have been tempting to use a capo when arranging it for one acoustic guitar since the song uses chords like Eb, Ab, and Fm.
As I was working on how to play Beautiful’s chords, I didn’t go for the capo, instead, I used only barre chords throughout which made it difficult for the fretting hand.
In the video lesson above, you’ll see how to play all chords for Beautiful from beginning to end.
Once completed, all you need is a singer who can sing it as well as Christina Aguilera did.
Beautiful chords | Related pages
Intermediate Acoustic
Most intermediate acoustic tunes can’t be played using just basic open-position chords. We have to move up the fretboard and play CAGED barre chords as well.
We incorporate bass lines, add licks, extend chords, and play vocal melodies. Most importantly, we’ll invent second guitar parts and play these songs together.
Five similar tunes with chords and lyrics
Christina Aguilera
Starting out alongside Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake on the legendary TV show The Mickey Mouse Club, Christina Aguilera has reached worldwide fame.
Her biggest tunes include Beautiful, Genie In A Bottle, Candyman, What A Girl Wants, Moves Like Jagger, At Last, Car Wash, and Fever.
Christina Aguilera on the web
Linda Perry
Best known for worldwide hit What’s Up with her band 4 Non Blondes, singer-songwriter Linda Perry has plenty more strings to her bow.
As a writer and producer, she also penned Beautiful for Christina Aguilera and Get The Party Started for Pink.
Linda Perry on the web
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Whenever a tune doesn’t fit into a specific genre, it tends to end up here, in the Pop & Rock section.
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