I’m Yours Chords Tutorial (Jason Mraz)

Easy Acoustic Guitar Arrangement for Beginners

Jason Mraz performed I’m Yours during his live performances in 2004 and 2005 and the song quickly became a crowd favorite. It was nominated for Song of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 51st Grammy Awards. Today we’ll go over the I’m Yours chords so you can play it at home.

 

Useful links:

YouTube

Lyrics and Chord Tabs

Read more on Wikipedia

 

 

Song Specs

Title: I’m Yours

Artist: Jason Mraz

Songwriters: Jason Mraz

Album: We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things.

Key: G (Capo at 4th fret, actual key is B)

Tempo: 152 (It’s also easier to think of it at 76)

Chord Progression: G–D–Em–C–A7

Accompaniment Technique: Open Chords, Pulsing and Alternate Strumming

 

Playing Tips

Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind. I provided some useful links above and I’ll take you through the I’m Yours chords, accompaniment patterns, song forms, and the chord chart. Everything you need to get started playing this tune.

 

Chords

 

Chords w/ Capo	G	D	Em	C	A7
Actual Key	B	F#	G#m	E	C#7
Progression	I	V	vi	IV	V7 of V7

 

 

I’m Yours is in the key of B. However, if we use a capo at the 4th fret then we can use open-position chords that will make it easier to play. The capo at the 4th fret changes the key to G for us guitar players. We’re still in the key of B, but we think in the key of G. And, G is a guitar key. The song uses open-position chords for the entire tune.

 

Accompaniment Technique

I’m Yours uses an alternate (down and up) strumming technique. Amongst guitarists, this technique is referred to as the boom-chicka pattern. Here’s the breakdown:

 

• The “boom” is the bass played with a down strum
• The “chicka” is the higher part of the chord also played with alternating strums (down then up)
• Down strum on “chick” and the up strum on “a”

 

There’s a boom-chick technique that is the basic version of the boom-chicka. And, the boom-chick only uses down strums: bass-chord, bass-chord- or, boom-chick, boom-chick.

 

When hitting the bass (boom), you aim for the lower part of the chord (or the bottom three strings). Then, for the chord (chick), aim for the higher three strings.

 

Also, you don’t need to strum too hard. Brush the strings and try to recreate that bouncy feel that is a key component of the song.

 

Pulsing

The pulsing technique is a left-hand technique that is used to create a more percussive feel and will help you create the bouncy groove that makes people tap their feet, bob their heads, and shake their booties.

 

Fret the chord as you normally would. Then, after you strum, release the pressure of your fret hand without letting go of the chord position. The trick is to maintain contact with the strings as you pulse. Open chords are tricky to pulse because of the open strings. But, keep at it and you’ll find that it’ll quickly become one of your go-to techniques.

 

I’m Yours Chords Chart

I’ve included an I’m Yours chords chart, which is a simple road map that shows you each chord and how long to play it for. If you don’t read music, please don’t be intimidated. This is a cheat sheet that can help you get through the tune and shows you the song form.

Song Form

• Intro: 4-bar pattern; Measure 1 (G for 4 beats), Measure 2 (D for 4 beats), Measure 3 (Em for 4 beats), and Measure 4 (C for 4 beats).
• Verse: 8-bar pattern; It’s the same 4-measure section as the intro played twice.
• Chorus: The same as the verse, but he adds an extra measure at the end and plays an A7. This chord is a surprise, creates tension and breaks up the repeated cycle. Very effective.
• Bridge: 4-bar pattern; Measure 1 (G for 2 beats and D for 2 beats), Measure 2 (Em for 2 beats and D for 2 beats), Measure 3 (C for 4 beats), and Measure 4 (A7 for 4 beats).

 

Once you become familiar with chord charts, you’re never going to want to go back. It’s just easier to see where you’re going when you have a map. And, it’s especially helpful when you’re not familiar with the song or there’s a section of the song that you don’t remember (Bridges and Interludes are notorious surprises that can derail a song’s performance). And, this song has a Bridge.

 

 

 

 

 

Wrap-up

I’m Yours is a fun song that everybody loves. In case you haven’t watched the video, I’ve included an explanation of the cool chord riff that’s found in the Intro.

 

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this lesson on the I’m Yours chords and thank you for hanging with me.