Chords + Lyrics | Get Ready
Intro
||: D riff | D riff G5 F5 | D riff | D riff G5 F5 :||
Verse 1
||: D riff | D riff G5 F5 :||
I never met a girl who makes me feel the way that you do (you’re alright).
Whenever I’m asked who makes my dreams real I say that you do (you’re outta sight).
So fee di fi, fo di dum. Look out baby ’cause here I come.
Chorus 1
| F5 | Bb | G5 | C |
And I’m bringing you a love that’s true so get ready, so get ready.
| F | Bb7omit3 | Gm | C |
I’m gonna try to make you love me too so get ready, so get ready, here I come.
| D | D G5 F5 | D | D G5 F5 |
(Get ready ’cause here I come) I’m on my way (Get ready ’cause here I come).
Verse 2
If you wanna play hide and seek with love let me remind you (It’s alright).
The loving you’re gonna miss and the time it takes to find you (It’s outta sight).
So twiddle-dee-dee twiddle dee dum. Look out baby ’cause here I come.
Chorus 2
||: F | Bb | G | C :||
And I’m bringing you a love that’s true so get ready, so get ready.
I’m gonna try to make you love me too so get ready, so get ready, here I come.
Chorus tag 1
| D | D G5 F5 | D | D G5 F5 |
(Get ready ’cause here I come) I’m on my way (Get ready ’cause here I come).
Solo
||: D riff | D riff G5 F5 :||
| G A | G A | G A G | Bb A G |
Verse 3
All of my friends shouldn’t want you to, I understand it (Be alright).
I hope I’ll get to you before they do, the way I planned it (Be outta sight).
So twiddle-dee twiddle-dee dum. Look out baby ’cause here I come.
Chorus 3 (as chorus 2)
And I’m bringing you a love that’s true so get ready, so get ready.
I’m gonna try to make you love me too so get ready, so get ready, here I come.
Outro (as chorus tag)
||: D riff | D riff G5 F5 :||
(Get ready ’cause here I come, now) I’m on my way.
(Get ready ’cause here I come, now) Thinking of staying.
(Get ready ’cause here I come, now).
Get Ready Backing Track | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find a backing track I created by recording a live band in the studio. In the course, we use loops from each section to explore different ways to play the verse, chorus, and of course, to practise that solo.
Use this, along with the chord chart below, to prepare for playing Get Ready with a band.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
Let’s take a look at the chords in Get Ready—they’re not strictly diatonic, which gives the bluesy riff its distinctive edge.
Verse
The verse riff is rooted in D minor pentatonic, but it wraps up with G and F chords to accent the final two notes. If this followed a diatonic pattern, we’d expect Gm and F—but instead, the original uses two major chords: G and F.
On guitar, I recommend using power chords (G5 and F5), sidestepping the major/minor distinction. That leaves the full triads to the keyboard player.
Chorus
The chorus chords are almost diatonic to the relative major of Dm, which is F. The movement follows I – IV – IIx – V, with the only curveball being the G major chord:
||: F (I) | Bb (IV) | G (IIx) | C (V) :||
It’s this balance between the blues riff, the diatonic harmony, and the non-diatonic G major that gives Get Ready its unique sound.
Honestly, it’s hard to think of a better argument for why chord progressions should be included in songwriting credits—not just the lyrics and melody!
Here’s a chord chart:
Get Ready Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
A good chord chart should serve as a reminder—not a detailed guide. You still need to know the song well; for full accuracy, you’d need a complete transcription.
For Get Ready, I’ve organised the chart into clear sections:
- Section A – Intro & Verse
- Section B – Chorus
- Section C – Solo
The only part you might want to glance at live is the end of Section C, just to recall the stabs. There’s no rhythm notation here—you’ll need to have listened and practised enough to hit those stabs instinctively.
Download the PDF here: Get Ready chord chart PDF
Or grab the iReal Pro version here: Get Ready iReal Pro
With the app, you can change key easily to suit your singer.
Below is a full performance, followed by a preview of how we approach learning Get Ready in the course—starting with that signature riff, played in multiple positions across the neck.
Get Ready TAB | Course Preview
Here’s the TAB for Get Ready’s main riff. In the course, we look at how to play this part all over the neck. By working on it in different positions, you’ll naturally learn to vary the riff and keep it fresh in performance.
Only by playing the riff everywhere can you confidently use it anywhere. Here’s one version from open position:
Notice how the G and F chords are played as power chords, root above the fifth. It might sound unusual at first, but once you experiment with the alternatives, you’ll likely drop this version in just once during the song for a twist.
In addition to the riff, the course covers:
- Chorus chords across all five CAGED shapes—great for adding Hendrix-style fills
- Solo section—replicating the string and saxophone lines from the original recording
For the full breakdown, check out the 8 step-by-step guitar lessons: Get Ready – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
Written for a dance craze
Get Ready was written by Smokey Robinson and first recorded by The Temptations.
Originally intended to fuel a dance craze, the song quickly took on a life of its own, packed with all the ingredients of a smash hit.
Motown struck gold again in 1970 when their rock band Rare Earth released a successful version. Ella Fitzgerald also delivered an impressive cover.
Since its 1966 release, Get Ready has been featured in numerous TV ads and remains a setlist staple for many Motown and soul bands.
Get Ready Chords: Continue Learning
To get the most from playing Get Ready, we move that verse riff around the fretboard and vary it in execution.
For the solo, we copy what the strings and the sax play on the original recording. This will require us to work on our pull-off and hammer-on techniques.
Start learning with the full lesson series: Get Ready – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
