The main guitar chords for “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes are A, D, E and Bm. The song is generally played in the key of A, with the chord progression being A-D-E-A-Bm-D throughout the entire chorus. The verse follows a similar pattern with variations on some of the chords. In the first verse, the chords are A, F#m and E; in the second verse they are D, G and Bm; and in both bridges they are C#m and D.
Verse chords
The song “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes has become a modern classic, and learning how to play the chords for this hit is within reach. The first section of the song, or verse, consists of four chords. The E-minor chord is played during the first line of the verse and then slides up to an F# minor chord for the remainder of that phrase. This happens twice before changing over to an A major chord on the fourth line. Next comes a B-minor chord that plays throughout most of the fifth line before transitioning back to an A major for one beat at the end of it.
It is important to remember that these chords should be strummed as half notes – meaning two beats per each one you play – when in 4/4 time signature. When playing along with other musicians, however, they may want faster quarter note strums instead. In either case though, all four will be needed in order to accurately recreate this part of “What’s Up”. Keep practicing and enjoy.
Chorus chords
The chorus of the popular ’90s song “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes is one that many guitar players like to play. Although it sounds complicated, the chords are actually quite simple and only require a few basic chord shapes. To get started playing this classic tune, there are three main chords you need to learn: Gmaj7, D/F# and E minor.
Gmaj7 is a four-finger chord that begins with your first finger on the third fret of the sixth string and then add your second finger on the fourth fret of the fifth string, followed by your third finger on the fourth fret of the fourth string and finally put your fourth finger on the third fret of the second string. When strumming this chord make sure to avoid strumming any open strings as they will muddy up the sound of Gmaj7.
D/F# requires you to barre your first finger across all six strings at both at both frets two and three in order to hold down two separate notes simultaneously; be careful not to cover too much space otherwise you won’t be able to achieve clean tones when picking this chord.
The last chord shape you need for “What’s Up” is an E minor which uses just three fingers: Put your first finger on fret one of either your fifth or sixth strings (it doesn’t matter which one), then place middle finger on fret two of fourth string, followed by putting pinky on fret two of second string. Make sure none other than those mentioned here are being held down as having too many fingers pressed can result in dissonant tones.
Once these three chords have been mastered individually then it’s time move onto learning how they fit into context with each other within song structure.
Bridge chords
When it comes to the bridge of “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes, the chords are A-minor and D-major. This section is relatively short compared to the rest of the song but still serves a crucial role in creating a dynamic feel within the tune.
A-minor and D-major are both barre chords, meaning that they require your index finger to press down on more than one string across multiple frets at once. To create an A-minor chord you’ll need to place your index finger across the fifth fret of both strings E and A while keeping your ring finger on F# of the fourth string and middle finger on C# of the third string. To make sure you’re playing it correctly, strum all six strings while pressing down with those three fingers – if done right it will sound harmonious and clear.
For D-major, you’ll have to use a similar approach except with different notes; this time put your index finger across E and A strings at seventh fret as well as having your middle finger on G# of fifth string and ring finger on B from fourth one. Once again verify its accuracy by strumming all six strings with appropriate pressure applied – if nothing else sounds off then congratulations, you nailed it.
Strumming pattern
Learning the chords to the hit song “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes is not a difficult task, and neither is playing the strumming pattern. This iconic song has an easy to follow strumming pattern that can be broken down into four sections of two bars each.
The first two bars of the strumming pattern consist of single up-strums on beats 1 and 3, with no sound for beats 2 and 4. During these two bars you will play Em-Cmaj7-Am-G chords in quick succession from one chord to another. The second section features multiple down-strums while playing Bb6, F/A#, D/F#, Gsus4 chords on beats 1 through 4 respectively. After this comes a third section which plays Am-Dmaj7-Em9 on beats 1 through 3 followed by an open G string strummed at beat 4. The fourth and final section consists of Dsus2 on beat 1 followed by three muted strings for beats 2 through 4.
By following this simple yet effective strumming pattern players should have no trouble adding their own flavor to this classic tune. Just practice it over and over again until all the chords become second nature.
Tips for mastering the song
Learning to play “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes on the guitar can be a daunting task. The iconic song is marked with layered guitar chords and melodic riffs that require some practice. With some dedication and patience, however, anyone can master the tune and get ready to impress their friends at their next jam session.
The first step in mastering the song is learning all of the chords needed for it; E, B7, A7, C#maj7 are all necessary for successfully playing “What’s Up.” Once these have been learned and practiced separately until each feels comfortable, then it will be time to move onto getting them in order. Playing through the chord progressions slowly a few times before picking up speed can help ensure accuracy when moving from one chord to another during faster play throughs.
The last piece of conquering this song is mastering its distinctive riffs which make it so popular. These take some listening to identify along with breaking down how exactly they’re played on an individual basis. It may also require experimentation with different finger placements as well as alternative strumming patterns while keeping tabs on what sounds best within certain sections of the melody or chorus line verses verse lines of the track. With enough practice and hard work though, any guitar player should find themselves able to confidently perform “What’s Up”.
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