Kathy Mattea - The Vacant Chair Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Guitar A chord diagram
Guitar E7 chord diagram
Guitar D chord diagram
Guitar B7 chord diagram
[Opening]
[A] [E7] [A]
[A]We shall meet but we shall miss him,
there will [D]be one vacant [A]chair;
[A]we shall linger to caress him,
[A]While we [B7]breathe our evening [E7]prayer
When a [A]year ago we gathered,
joy was [D]in his mild blue [A]eyes,
[A]But a golden chord is severed,
And our hopes in [E7]ruin [A]lie.
[chorus]
[A]We shall [D]meet but we shall [A]miss him,
[A]there will be one vacant [E7]chair,
[E7]We shall [A]linger to ca[D]ress him,
while we [A]breathe our [E7]evening [A]prayer.
[interlude]
[A] [D] [E7] [A]
[verse 2]
[A]At our fireside, sad and lonely,
often [D]will the bosom [A]swell
[A]at remembrance of the story,
How our [B7]noble Willie [E7]fell;
[verse 3]
How [E7]he [A]strove to bear our banner
through the [D]thickest of the [A]fight,
[A]And uphold our country’s honor,
in the strength of [E7]manhood’s [A]night.
[chorus]
[A]We shall [D]meet but we shall [A]miss him,
there will be one vacant [E7]chair,
[E7]We shall [A]linger to ca[D]ress him,
while we [A]breathe our [E7]evening [A]prayer.
[verse 4]
[A]True, they tell us wreaths of glory
ever [D]more will deck his [A]brow,
but this soothes the [A]anguish only,
Sweeping [B7]over our heartstrings [E7]now.
[Closing]
Sleep to[A]day, oh early fallen,
in thy [D]green and narrow [A]bed,
[A]Dirges from the pine and cypress
mingle with the [E7]tears we [A]shed.
[chorus]
[A]We shall [D]meet but we shall [A]miss him,
[A]there will be one vacant [E7]chair,
[E7]We shall [A]linger to ca[D]ress him,
while we [A]breathe [E7]our evening [A]prayer.
How to play The Vacant Chair on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Kathy Mattea - The Vacant Chair 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.
The Vacant Chair uses these transitions most often: E7 → A (14), A → D (13), and D → A (12). 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 A - E7 chord transition.
1. A → E7 chord transition
To move from A to E7;
- While playing A, lift your ring finger from B string fret 2.
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
2. A → D chord transition
To move from A to D;
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger on B string from fret 2 to fret 3.
3. A → B7 chord transition
To move from A to B7;
- Slide your index finger on D string from fret 2 to fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Place pinky on E string fret 2.
4. B7 → E7 chord transition
To move from B7 to E7;
- While playing B7, first lift your ring finger and pinky.
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 1.
- Keep middle finger on A string fret 2.
5. D → E7 chord transition
To move from D to E7;
- While playing D, lift your ring finger from B string fret 3.
- Slide your index finger on G string from fret 2 to fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
The Vacant Chair chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in The Vacant Chair.
- The Vacant Chair includes 56 chord transitions, 5 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- The Vacant Chair contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how The Vacant Chair connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After A, the most likely next chords across Chordier are D (29%), G (13%), and E (12%).
- A → D: 29%
- A → E7: 4%
After E7, the most likely next chords across Chordier are A (31%), Am (28%), and A7 (7%).- E7 → A: 31%