Chords + Lyrics | Celebration
Intro
| N.C ||: (Ab) | (Ab) :||
| Gb Db/F Ab Db | Absus4 Ab |
| Ab | Ab |
Chorus 1
||: Db/F Gb Db | Gb Db Ab :||
Ya-hoo! This is your celebration.
Ya-hoo! This is your celebration.
Celebrate good times, come on, let’s celebrate.
Celebrate good times, come on, let’s celebrate.
Verse 1
||: Ab11 | Absus4 Ab :||
There’s a party going on right here.
A celebration to last throughout the years.
So bring your good times and your laughter too.
We gonna celebrate your party with you, come on.
(Celebration) let’s all celebrate and have a good time.
(Celebration) we gonna celebrate and have a good time.
Bridge 1
| Dbmaj7 | Cm7 | F11 | F |
It’s time to come together, it’s up to you. What’s your pleasure?
| Bbm7 | Eb11 |
Everyone around the world, come on!
Chorus 2
Ya-hoo! It’s a celebration. Ya-hoo!
Celebrate good times, come on. It’s a celebration.
Celebrate good times, come on. Let’s celebrate.
Verse 2
There’s a party going on right here.
A dedication to last throughout the years.
So bring your good times and your laughter too.
We gonna celebrate and party with you. Come on now.
(Celebration) let’s all celebrate and have a good time, yeah, yeah.
(Celebration) we gonna celebrate and have a good time.
Bridge 2
It’s time to come together, it’s up to you. What’s your pleasure?
Everyone around the world, come on!
Chorus 3
Yahoo! It’s a celebration.
Yahoo! It’s a celebration.
Celebrate good times, come on. Let’s celebrate, come on now.
Celebrate good times, come on. Let’s celebrate.
Middle 8 (as verse)
||: Ab11 | Absus4 Ab :||
We’re gonna have a good time tonight, let’s celebrate, it’s all right.
We’re gonna have a good time tonight, let’s celebrate, it’s all right, baby.
(Celebration) we’re gonna have a good time tonight. Let’s celebrate, it’s all right.
(Celebration) we’re gonna have a good time tonight. let’s celebrate, it’s all right.
Chorus 4
Yahoo! Yahoo!
Celebrate good times, come on! (Let’s celebrate). Ooh, ooh, ooh, hoo.
Celebrate good times, come on! It’s a celebration.
Celebrate good times, come on! (Let’s celebrate). Come on and celebrate, tonight.
Celebrate good times, come on! ’Cause everything’s gonna be all right. Let’s celebrate.
Celebrate good times, come on! (Let’s celebrate) Ooh, hoo, hoo.
Celebrate good times, come on! Let’s have a great time, celebrate.
Celebrate good times, come on!
Celebration Chords: Groove with Keyboard and Guitar Layers
The chords provided above for the three sections are primarily intended for the keyboard player. For example, the chorus, which follows the progression | Db/F Gb Db | Gb Db Ab | on repeat, is mainly played by keyboards.
In addition, there’s a horn section riff playing | Gb Db/F Ab Db | Absus4 Ab |.
The guitar’s role is simpler, typically just holding a static Ab. This note acts as a common tone, functioning as the 5th of Db, the 9th of Gb, and the root of Ab.
To play more than this syncopated but static Ab octave on guitar, you’ll need TAB. Here’s a link to that part of the lesson, where I’ve worked out how to play the horn and keyboard parts on guitar—it’s great fun to play and blends well with the original guitar part: Celebration – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
The verse features a notably sparse guitar part. You might be tempted to join the keyboard player and play Ab, Absus4, and Ab11 chords. The second half adds some guitar; check the TAB for how to incorporate it effectively.
The bridge is more dynamic, starting with chord IV and moving from Dbmaj7 to Cm7. This is followed by a movement based on the cycle of fourths: F11 → F → Bbm7 → Eb11.
Here’s a chord chart I’ve prepared for you—bring it to the gig!
Celebration Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
You can download my chord chart in two formats: a PDF for easy reference, and the industry-standard iReal Pro format for transposition.
Celebration TAB | Course Preview
In the course, you get TAB for all sections, including how to play the horn and keyboard riffs on guitar.
As a preview, here’s the main syncopated guitar part. Notice how, instead of writing everything as 16th notes, I use 8th notes with dots above—this makes it easier to read.
A simple but universal message
Released in 1980, Celebration became Kool & The Gang‘s biggest hit, reaching the top spot on the U.S. Billboard chart. Since then, it has become a staple on the setlists of soul, funk, and disco bands, often played at events dedicated to celebration.
Songs like Celebration are built for parties, which remain a cornerstone of any guitarist’s professional career. Get the chords right, and you’ll keep the gig—and the celebrations—going strong—ya-hoo!
Celebration Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Celebration (Kool & The gang) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
