Léon Rudolf
View chords used in this chart
Tempo: 68 BPM
Picking (Verses):
Thumb plays the bass note on beats 1 and 3
({G} = low E string, D = D string, Em = low E string, C = A string)
Index + middle pluck the G, B and high E strings on beats 2 and 4
Strumming (Chorus):
D D DU DU
1 2 3+ 4+
(soft, let the vocal carry the dynamics)
[Verso 1]
G D
I learned to make myself small
Em C
So no one would notice at all
G D
Every room full of strangers, a war in my chest
Em C
Every "just try your best" felt like a test
G D
I studied the mirror like an enemy's face
Em C
Counted the flaws, felt out of place
G D
And the crueler they got, the quieter I grew
Em C
They mistook it for weakness, if only they knew
[Refrão]
C G
But I'm softer now, not weaker
Am D
I'm louder now, in quieter ways
C G
I sat with the dark 'til I knew it by name
Am D
And I'm slowly walking out of that place
C D G
It's not over, but I'm softer now
[Verso 2]
G D
My best friend stood too close to the edge
Em C
And I learned what it means to be scared of the phone
G D
We were two broken kids holding each other's weight
Em C
Neither one wanting the other alone
G D
There are rooms in my memory I painted shut
Em C
Things I buried so deep they felt gone
G D
But once a week now, I open a door
Em C
Let a little light fall on what I've been running from
[Refrão]
C G
'Cause I'm softer now, not weaker
Am D
I'm louder now, in quieter ways
C G
I sat with the dark 'til I knew it by name
Am D
And I'm slowly walking out of that place
C D G
It's not over, but I'm softer now
[Ponte]
(sparse, just plucked, let it breathe)
Em C
Never mind, I'll find a way to love this skin
Em C
These crooked teeth, this heart I'm living in
Em C
'Cause the boy they laughed at in the hall
Em C
Was carrying more than them all
Em C
Was carrying more... than them all
{Final Chorus}
(build, louder each round)
C G
And I'm softer now, not weaker
Am D
I'm louder now, in quieter ways
C G
I held my friend's hand through her longest nights
Am D
Now I'm learning to hold my own the same
C D
It's not over, I know it's not over
G
But I'm softer now
G
I'm softer now
Outro
(whispered, let the G ring out)
G
Softer... not weaker
G
Softer... still here
How to play Léon Rudolf
Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.
What is the starting chord?
The first identified chord is G. You can transpose without leaving the page.
Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?
Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.