Eric Clapton - I Shot The Sheriff Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow. Using the Transpose tool, switch to A key to play this song with easier chords.
Guitar Dm chord diagram
Guitar Gm chord diagram
Guitar Am chord diagram
Guitar Gm7 chord diagram
[Opening]
[Dm]I shot the Sheriff [Gm]but I didn’t shoot no [Dm]deputy
[Dm]I shot the Sheriff [Gm]but I didn’t shoot no [Dm]deputy
[Gm]All a[Am]round in my [Dm]hometown
[Gm]They’re [Am]trying to track me [Dm]down
[Gm]They [Am]say they want to bring me [Dm]in guilty
For the [Gm]killing of a [Am]depu[Dm]ty
For the [Gm]life of a [Am]depu[Dm]ty But I say (riff)
[verse 2]
[Dm]I shot the Sheriff [Gm]but I swear it was in [Dm]self-defence
[Dm]I shot the Sheriff [Gm]and they say it is a [Dm]capital offence
[Gm]Sheriff [Am]John Brown always [Dm]hated me
[Gm]For [Am]what I don’t [Dm]know
[Gm]Every [Am]time I [Dm]plant a seed
He said [Gm]kill it be[Am]fore it [Dm]grows
He said [Gm]kill them be[Am]fore they [Dm]grow And so (riff)
[verse 3]
[Dm]I shot the Sheriff [Gm]but I swear it was in [Dm]self-defence
[Dm]I shot the Sheriff [Gm]but I swear it was in [Dm]self-defence
[Gm]Freedom [Am]came my way [Dm]one day
[Gm]And I [Am]started out of [Dm]town
[Gm]All of a [Am]sudden I saw [Dm]Sheriff John Brown
[Gm]Aiming to [Am]shoot me [Dm]down
So I [Gm]shot I [Am]shot I shot him [Dm]down But I say (riff)
[verse 4]
[Dm]I shot the Sheriff [Gm]but I did not shoot the [Dm]deputy
[Dm]I shot the Sheriff [Gm]but I did not shoot the [Dm]deputy
[Gm]Reflexes [Am]got the [Dm]better of me
[Gm]And what is to [Am]be must [Dm]be
[Gm]Every [Am]day the bucket goes [Dm]to the well
[Gm]But one [Am]day the bottom [Dm]will drop out
[Gm7]One [Am]day the bottom [Dm]will drop out I say (riff)
[Closing]
[Dm]I shot the Sheriff [Gm]but I did not shoot the [Dm]deputy
[Dm]I shot the Sheriff [Gm]but I did not shoot no [Dm]deputy
How to play I Shot The Sheriff on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Eric Clapton - I Shot The Sheriff on guitar requires 4 chords and 5 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓↑-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.
I Shot The Sheriff uses these transitions most often: Dm → Gm (29), Am → Dm (20), and Gm → Am (19). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with Dm - Gm chord transition.
1. Dm → Gm chord transition
To move from Dm to Gm;
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Keep ring finger on B string fret 3.
- Place pinky on E string fret 3.
2. Gm → Am chord transition
To move from Gm to Am;
- While playing Gm, lift your pinky from E string fret 3.
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.
3. Am → Dm chord transition
To move from Am to Dm;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 3.
4. Dm → Gm7 chord transition
To move from Dm to Gm7;
- While playing Dm, lift your index finger from E string fret 1.
- Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 3.
- Slide your ring finger from B string fret 3 to D string fret 3.
5. Gm7 → Am chord transition
To move from Gm7 to Am;
- Lift your middle finger from E string fret 3 and place it on D string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from D string fret 3 to G string fret 2.
- Place index finger on B string fret 1.
I Shot The Sheriff chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in I Shot The Sheriff.
- I Shot The Sheriff includes 80 chord transitions, 5 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- I Shot The Sheriff contains 1 of the top 25 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how I Shot The Sheriff connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After Dm, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (18%), G (16%), and Am (14%).
- Dm → Gm: 5%
- Dm → Gm7: 0%
After Gm, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (15%), F (12%), and Dm (9%).- Gm → Dm: 9%
- Gm → Am: 6%