Intermediate Electric, Motown & Soul, Songbook A-Z

It Takes Two Chords | Marvin Gaye + Kim Weston Guitar Lesson with TAB + Backing Tracks

In this guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play It Takes Two by Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston using chords, TAB, lyrics, chord charts (PDF + iReal Pro), chord progression analysis, and stem separated backing tracks!

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Chords + Lyrics | It Takes Two

Intro

Verse 1

||: Bb | Bb | Bb | Bb :||
One can have a dream, baby. two can make that dream so real.
One can talk about being in love, two can say how it really feels.
One can wish upon a star, two can make that wish come true, yeah.
One can stand alone in the dark, two can make the light shine through.

Chorus 1

| Eb | Eb E | F | F N.C |
It takes two, baby, it takes two, baby.
| Bb | Bb | Bb | Bb7 |
Me and you, it just takes two.
| Eb | Eb E | F | F N.C |
It takes two, baby, it takes two, baby. To make a dream come true, it just takes two.

Instrumental 1

Verse 2

One can have a broken heart, living in misery.
Two can really ease the pain, like a perfect remedy.
One can be alone in a bar, like an island he’s all alone.
Two can make just about any place, seem just like bein’ at home.

Chorus 2

It takes two, baby, it takes two, baby.
Me and you, it just takes two.
It takes two, baby, it takes two, baby. To make a dream come true, it just takes two.

Instrumental 2

Solo

Instrumental

Verse 3

Ooh, one can go out to a movie, looking for a special treat.
Two can make that single movie something really kind of sweet.
Yeah, one can take a walk in the moonlight, thinking that it’s really nice.
Ah, but two walkin’ a hand in hand is like addin’ just a pinch of spice.

Chorus 3

It takes two, baby, it takes two, baby.
Me and you, it just takes two.
It takes two, baby, it takes two, baby. To make a dream come true, it just takes two.

End

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It Takes Two Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis

Above, you’ll find backing tracks to use when learning It Takes Two. I’ve used stem separation to extract the guitar while keeping the drums, bass, keys, horns, and vocals intact.

After studying the chords and TAB, use my backing tracks to prepare for playing this tune with a band.

Should you want to play along with the original recording instead, you need to tune your guitar sharp to 446Hz. In the backing tracks, I’ve done this job for you by tuning it to 440Hz.

Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?

With its straightforward chord progression, It Takes Two is an easy yet essential addition to any Motown/Soul band’s setlist.

The song kicks off with a riff that plays around the 3rd, moving down to a sus2 and up to a sus4, before dropping the 3rd entirely (5 chord) at the end of every fourth bar:

This instrumental section returns at the end of every chorus.

Verse + Chorus

The verse keeps things even simpler—just a Bb chord throughout.

The chorus finally brings in movement, shifting between IV and V, stopping, and returning to Bb before repeating:

| Eb | Eb E | F | F N.C |
| Bb | Bb | Bb | Bb |
| Eb | Eb E | F | F N.C |

Here’s a full chord chart to get you playing.

It Takes Two Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download

You can download my chord chart and share it with your bandmates—guaranteed to make you the hero of the day! Will you go for a PDF or the iReal Pro format?

It Takes Two | TAB Preview

Let’s go through three TAB examples—these are all you need to play It Takes Two as the only guitarist in a band.

Intro + Instrumental

This is the string line played during the intro, the instrumental section, and also at the end of each chorus.

Initially, I played these chords as bigger A shapes around frets 1–3, but I found it works better to keep them to a maximum of two strings and use an E shape instead, like this:

It Takes Two chords and TAB, intro and Instrumental section.

Verse

Here’s the verse. On the recording, the guitar mostly repeats bar 1, so play along and decide which version works best for your arrangement.

Chorus

The chorus is the most complex section, but playing along with the recording will make it clear very quickly.

Using these examples, it’s straightforward to put everything together with the chord chart and backing tracks above.

One of Marvin Gaye’s Finest Duets

Before Marvin Gaye became a pioneering songwriter with classics like Mercy Mercy Me and What’s Going On, he was already a Motown superstar, singing hits crafted by the label’s legendary songwriting teams.

Among his many successes, Gaye recorded a series of unforgettable duets with Diana Ross, Kim Weston, Tammi Terrell, and Mary Wells. Some of the best include Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, You’re All I Need to Get By, Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing, and It Takes Two.

For bands with both male and female vocalists, these songs are perfect additions to a setlist. It Takes Two is particularly easy to learn, thanks to its simple chord progression.

Looking for inspiration beyond the original recording? Check out the second video in the playlist above for Tina Turner and Rod Stewart’s take on the song.

It Takes Two Chords: Continue Learning

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Five similar tunes | Chords + Lyrics

When you can play It Takes Two's chords, try these five tunes from the songbook.