The Messiah
View chords used in this chart
RIFF A)
| v v v | v v v | v v v | v v v
E |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D |6-----------6-6-|--7-6---7-6-----|4-----------4-4-|--6-4---6-4-----|
A |4-----------4-4-|------4-----4-4-|2-----------2-2-|------2-----2-2-|
E |----------------|------------m-m-|----------------|------------m-m-|
| v v v | v v v | v v v | v v v
E |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D |2-----------2-2-|--4-2---4-2-----|----------------|----------------|
A |0-----------0-0-|------0-----0-0-|6-----------4-6-|--6-6-6-6-6-6-6-|
E |----------------|------------m-m-|4-----------2-4-|--4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|
|____mute___|
Riff B)
| v v v | v v v | v v v | v v v
E |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D |6-----------6-6-|--7-6---7-6-----|4-----------4-4-|----4---4---4---|
A |4-----------4-4-|------4-----4-4-|2-----------2-2-|----2---2---2---|
E |----------------|------------m-m-|----------------|----------------|
| v v v | v v v | v v v | v v v
E |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D |6-----6-6-4---4-|4/9---9-9\8---8-|6-----------6-4-|(4)-------------|
A |4-----4-4-2---2-|2/7---7-7\6---6-|4-----------4-2-|(2)-------------|
E |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
CHORUS
| v v v | v v v | v v v | v v v
E |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D |2-------------2-|----------------|----------------|----------------|
A |0-------0-2-4---|2---------------|----------4-----|6---6-6-6-6-6-6-|
E |----------------|0---------2-4-5-|4---------2-----|4---4-4-4-4-4-4-|
He's the messiah ... |___mute__|
RIFF C)
E |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D |2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|----------------|4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|
A |0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
E |----------------|0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|----------------|----------------|
|____mute___| |____mute___| |_______________mute_________|
Go into the world and tell all of creation ...
E |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D |6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-|2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|
A |4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
E |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|____mute___| |____mute___| |______________mute__________|
RIFF D)
E |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G |----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D |6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-|4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|----------------|
A |4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-|
E |----------------|----------------|----------------|4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|
|_____mute____| |____mute_____| |_____mute____| |_____mute____|
SOLO
E |---------------------------------------------------------------
B |---------------------------------------------------------------
G |16^--16^-16^--16^16----13-14-13--------------------p-----------
D |--------------------------------16--1413-14--16--1413-14---16--
A |---------------------------------------------------------------
E |---------------------------------------------------------------
E |--------------------------------------------------------------------
B |------------------------------------------------------161716--/-----
G |----------------------------13-16-13-16^---16^-16-17---------/-\---/
D |-1413-----------------------------------------------------------\-/-
A |-----------16------15--------------------------------------------/--
E |--------------------------------------------------------------------
E |---------------------------------------------------------------
B |---------------------------------------------------------------
G |-------------------------------11---------------------11--13-13
D |-14----------11-13-14----13-14----14-13--14-13-13--14----------
A |--------11-14--------------------------------------------------
E |------12-------------------------------------------------------
E |---------------------------------------------------------------
B |--------14-----------------------------------------------------
G |wha-wha-16^----------------------------------------------------
D |---------------------------------------------------------------
A |---------------------------------------------------------------
E |---------------------------------------------------------------
E |---------------------------------------------------------------
B |--------------------------------------------------------14-----
G |-16^-16^--16^16---13-14-13-----------------13-16-13-16---------
D |---------------------------16-14-13-14-13----------------------
A |---------------------------------------------------------------
E |---------------------------------------------------------------
Song Order
Riff A) X 3
Riff B) X 1
Riff A) X 1
Chorus X 2
Riff C) X 2
Chorus X 2
Riff B)
Solo
Riff D) X 1
Chorus repeat out
How to play The Messiah
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 A. 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.