I Say A Little Prayer Chords | Aretha Franklin Guitar Lesson

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I Say A Little Prayer | Chords + Lyrics

Intro

| F#m | Bm7 | Bm7 | 2/4 E7 (Esus4 E Esus2) | 4/4 Amaj7 |
| Dmaj7 | C#7 |
(Say a little prayer for you)

Verse 1

| F#m | Bm7 | Bm7 | 2/4 E7 | 4/4 Amaj7 |
The moment I wake up. Before I put on my makeup (makeup),
| Dmaj7 | C#7 |
I say a little (prayer for you).
| F#m | Bm7 | Bm7 | 2/4 E7 | 4/4 Amaj7 |
And while combing my hair, now. And wondering what dress to wear now (wear now),
| Dmaj7 | C#7 |
I say a little (prayer for you).

Chorus 1

Verse 2

I run for the bus, dear. But while riding I think of us, dear (us, dear),
I say a little (prayer for you).
And at work, I just take time. And all through my coffee break time (break time),
I say a little (prayer for you).

Chorus 2

(Forever) forever (and ever) ever (you stay in my heart and I will love you).
(Forever) forever (and ever) ever (we never would part, oh, how I love you).
(Together) togethеr (together) togethеr (that’s how it must be to live without you).
| 4/4 D D6 D(b5) | C#7 C#m7 C#7 | C#7 |
(Would only mean heartbreak for me) nobody but me.

Chorus 3 (as chorus 2)

(Forever) forever (and ever) ever (you stay in my heart and I will love you).
(Forever) forever (and ever) ever (we never must part, oh, how I love you).
(Together) togethеr (together) togethеr (that’s how it must be to live without you).
(Would only mean heartbreak for me) 0oh, ooh, ooh, oh, ooh.

Bridge

| F#m7 | Bm7 | Bm7 | E7 | E7 | Amaj7 | Amaj7 E/A | Amaj7 |
My darling believe me (believe me) for me there is no one other than you, please love me too.
| Amaj7 E/A | Amaj7 | Amaj7 E/A | Amaj7 | Amaj7 E/A |
I’m in love with you (answer my prayer) answer my prayer, babe (answer my prayer). Say you love me
| Amaj7 | Amaj7 E/A | Amaj7 | Amaj7 A7 |
too (answer my prayer) answer my prayer, baby (answer my prayer). Hey.

Chorus 4

(Forever) forever (and ever) ever, ever (you stay in my heart and I will love you).
(Forever) forever (and ever) and ever (we never would part, oh, how I love you).
(Together) togethеr (together) togethеr (that’s how it must be to live without you).
(Would only mean heartbreak for me) oh, nobody but me.

Outro

| F#m7 | Bm7 | Bm7 | E7 | E7 | Amaj7 | Amaj7 E/A | Amaj7 | Amaj7 E/A |
My darling believe me (believe me) for me there is no one other than you, please love me too.
||: Amaj7 | Amaj7 E/A :||
This is my prayer (answer my prayer, baby) answer my prayer now, baby (answer my prayer, baby).
This is my prayer (answer my prayer) answer me right now, baby (answer my prayer, baby).
Say you love me too (answer my prayer, baby) this is my prayer, baby (answer my prayer, baby).
I’m in love with you (answer my prayer, baby).

I Say A Little Prayer Chords: A Deep Dive into Bacharach’s Harmony

Burt Bacharach’s I Say a Little Prayer was most famously performed by Aretha Franklin, though Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston, and Lianne La Havas have all put their mark on this timeless classic.

However, if you’re ever called upon to play this chordal masterpiece, it’s Aretha’s version that most people will expect, so let’s focus on that. You can always explore how the others have interpreted it later.

Before diving in, it’s worth learning I Say a Little Prayer in the key of G as well—at least in my experience, that’s the key most singers find comfortable.

For now, here are all the sections in the original key of A, starting with the intro:

| F#m | Bm7 | Bm7 | 2/4 E7 (Esus4 E Esus2) | 4/4 Amaj7 | Dmaj7 | C#7 |

The F#m isn’t an F#m7 or F#m9, though you could certainly use either.

For the 2/4 bar of E, you could add the passing tones 4 – 3 – 2, leading smoothly into A. I’ve extended it to Amaj7, which feels more appropriate—some argue it should be a plain A instead.

Similarly, Dmaj7 could be played as a standard D chord, though opinions vary. At least everyone seems to agree on C#7!

The verse follows much the same pattern—feel free to experiment with adding or removing extensions.

I Say A Little Prayer Chords: Unlocking the Melodic Variations

The chorus is a feast of chords! The same line is varied at the end, like this:

That may be too many chords to fit on the guitar alone—perhaps the keyboard player should cover them!

Still, if they do, you’ll need to know how to complement them. The final line of the chorus is even more intricate:

| D D6 D(b5) | C#7 C#m7 C#7 | C#7 (G# F# F D) |

The D chord’s extensions could be turned into a lick, using the intervals 5 – 6 – b5, leading smoothly into C#7, which features a rapid minor-to-major change.

Again, approach these chord extensions as opportunities for melodic licks.

The bridge starts similarly to the verse:

| F#m7 | Bm7 | Bm7 | E7 | E7 ||: Amaj7 | Amaj7 E/A :||

This time, F#m becomes F#m7—try F#m9 too! The E7 is no longer in a 2/4 bar. The Amaj7 and E/A could also be interpreted as Amaj9, so experiment with chord licks incorporating these extensions.

If you can play all this in an improvised way, you’ll enjoy performing I Say a Little Prayer for years to come.

As a professional guitarist, you’ll likely play many weddings, and I Say a Little Prayer might just be the ultimate wedding song—so take your time exploring these chords!

I Say A Little Prayer For You chord chart.

I Say A Little Prayer Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro

Even though both PDF and iReal Pro versions of this chord chart are available for download, I highly recommend choosing the iReal Pro version, as I Say A Little Prayer’s chords are often played a tone down in G.

I Say A Little Prayer Chords | Related Pages

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