Patience | Chords + Lyrics (tune down 1/2 tone)
Intro (whistle)
||: C Cadd9 Cmaj7 | G Gadd4 Gadd9 | A Asus4 Asus2 |1. D Dsus4 Dadd9 :||
|2. D C/D G/D F/D |
| C G | C Em | C G | D |
Verse 1
| C Cadd9 Cmaj7 | G Gadd4 Gadd9 |
Shed a tear ’cause I’m missin’ you, I’m still alright to smile.
| A Add4 Aadd9 | D Dadd4 Dadd9 |
Girl I think about you every day now.
| C Cadd9 Cmaj7 | G Gadd4 Gadd9 |
Was a time when I wasn’t sure but you set my mind at ease.
| A Add4 Aadd9 | D Dadd4 Dadd9 |
There is no doubt you’re in my heart now.
Chorus 1
| C G | C Em |
Said woman, take it slow and it’ll work itself out fine.
| C G | D Dadd9 Dadd4 Dadd9 |
All we need is just a little patience.
| C G | C Em |
Said sugar, make it slow and we’ll come together fine.
| C G | D Dadd9 Dadd4 Dadd9 |
All we need is just a little patience.
| D Dadd9 Dadd4 Dadd9 |
(Patience) mm yeah.
Verse 2
| C Cadd9 Cmaj7 | G Gadd4 Gadd9 |
I sit here on the stairs ’cause I’d rather be alone.
| A Add4 Aadd9 | D Dadd4 Dadd9 |
If I can’t have you right now, I’ll wait, dear.
| C Cadd9 Cmaj7 | G Gadd4 Gadd9 |
Sometimes I get so tense but I can’t speed up the time.
| A Add4 Aadd9 | D Dadd4 Dadd9 |
But you know, love, there’s one more thing to consider.
Chorus 2
| C G | C Em |
Said woman, take it slow and things will be just fine.
| C G | D Dadd9 Dadd4 Dadd9 |
You and I’ll just use a little patience.
| C G | C Em |
Said sugar, take the time ’cause the lights are shining bright.
| C G | D Dadd9 Dadd4 Dadd9 |
You and I’ve got what it takes to make it.
| D Dadd9 Dadd4 Dadd9 | D Dadd9 Dadd4 Dadd9 | D Dadd9 Dadd4 Dadd9 |
We won’t fake it. Aw, I’ll never break it, ’cause I can’t take it.
Solo
||: C G | C Em | C G | 1. D Dadd9 Dadd4 Dadd9 :||
||: 2. D Dadd9 Dadd4 Dadd9 :|| x3
| D Dadd9 Dadd4 Dadd9 | ritardando
|3/4 D | hold
||: 4/4 D D/F# | G :||
Outro
| D D/F# | G | D D/F# | G |
Little patience. Hm yeah, hm yeah.
| D D/F# | G | D D/F# | G |
We need a little patience, yeah. Just a little patience, yeah. Some more patience.
| D D/F# | G |
I’ve been walkin’ the streets at night (Yeah). Just trying to get it right (A little patience).
| D D/F# |
It’s hard to see with so many around (Yeah).
| G |
You know I don’t like being stuck in the crowd (Could use some patience).
| D D/F# |
And the streets don’t change, but maybe the names (Yeah).
| G |
I ain’t got time for the game.
| D D/F# | G |
‘Cause I need you (Gotta have more patience). Yeah, yeah, but I need you (Yeah).
| F | G |
Ooh, I need you (All it takes is patience). Oh, I need you (Just a little patience).
| D D/F# | D6 | D |
Ooh, this time (Is all you need).
Patience chords and progressions
Played by Izzy, Slash, and Duff, there are three guitars that we somehow need to combine to play Patience chords on our own.
Using the chords and lyrics above, you can try playing along with the original recording. As you do, you must tune down a semitone, the Digitech drop pedal won’t be much good in this case as that only works for electric guitars.
My tuner can get you there and as you get in tune with Guns N’ Roses, change the Hz down a few steps as well, I felt 434Hz worked pretty well.
Once I was in tune and had spent a few hours transcribing Patience, I managed to come up with parts for the intro, verse, chorus, and outro that I felt worked well. I ignored the solo as that’s been done by so many other teachers online.
The verse chords are IV – I – IIx – V, in the key of G, with some extensions you get this:
||: C Cadd9 Cmaj7 | G Gadd4 Gadd9 |
| A Add4 Aadd9 | D Dadd4 Dadd9 :||
The chorus switches to two chords per bar and in doing so makes it all more intense as we go IV – I – IV – VI. When we repeat, the last two chords are switched to just a V chord with changing extensions, like this:
| C G | C Em |
| C G | D Dadd9 Dadd4 Dadd9 |
Members get access to my parts with TAB as well as a chord analysis. Here’s a link to the complete lesson (members only): Patience chord analysis + TAB.
Become a member today and get unlimited access to all step-by-step guitar courses, TAB for the songbook, the Self-Eliminating Practice Routine, and the eBook Spytunes Method.
Patience bridged the gap between Appetite and Illusion!
The original recording of Patience can be found on Lies (1988). By now Guns N’ Roses were huge as the debut album had taken off.
Patience was also a big hit and bridged the gap between Appetite For Destruction and Use Your Illusion I and II when they became the biggest band in the world.
Funnily enough, all the big tunes we know Guns N’ Roses for were written during these early years of the band’s existence. I’m sure the label was aware of this as November Rain and You Could Be Mine were held back for the Use You Illusion albums.
In between these two (or three albums if you like), all we got was the suitably named Patience.
Axl Rose must have gotten too sure of himself as he launched a solo career after this, maintaining the band name.
Clearly, Izzy, Slash, and Duff had a lot to do with the success as the band post Use Your Illusion is a shadow of its former self.
As these three guys all played on Patience, this tune may be the perfect example to point out their importance.
Patience chords | Related pages
Beginner Acoustic
This collection of beginner acoustic tunes will teach you how to arrange for one acoustic guitar, as well as how to create a supporting part.
Playing songs will help you with switching between open-position chords and give you the context you need to understand how music works theoretically.
Five similar tunes with chords and lyrics
Guns N’ Roses
Formed in the mid-’80s in Los Angeles, Guns N’ Roses wrote almost all their best tunes before the release of the debut album.
Their biggest hits include Paradise City, Welcome To The Jungle, Sweet Child O’ Mine, Patience, You Could Be Mine, and November Rain.
Guns N’ Roses on the web
