How to Play “3 AM”chords by Matchbox Twenty on Guitar
“3 AM” is a popular song by American rock band Matchbox Twenty, released in 1997 as the third single from their debut album Yourself or Someone Like You. The song is a catchy and upbeat tune that features simple chords and strumming patterns, making it a great choice for beginners who want to learn how to play guitar. In this article, we will show you how to play “3 AM” by Matchbox Twenty on guitar, using the chords, tabs, and lyrics provided by Ultimate Guitar.
Capo and Tuning
The first thing you need to know is that the original recording of “3 AM” uses a capo on the first fret of the guitar. A capo is a device that clamps across the strings of the guitar, raising their pitch by a semitone. This allows you to play the song in the key of G major, using open chords that are easier to finger and sound better than barre chords. If you don’t have a capo, you can still play the song without it, but you will have to transpose the chords down by one semitone, using F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, and E# instead of G, C, D, Em, Am, and Bm.
G Cadd9 G Cadd9 e|------------------------------------------------3--------| B|---------------------------------------------------3-----| G|-------------------------0----------------------------2--| D|---------------------0h2---------------------------------| A|---------------------------------------------------------| h = Hammer-on E|---------------------------------------------------------| G Cadd9 x4 [Verse 1] D Cadd9 G Cadd9 G Cadd9 She says it's cold outside and hands me her raincoat D Cadd9 G Cadd9 G Cadd9 She's always worried about things like that D Cadd9 G Cadd9 G Cadd9 Well, she says it's all gonna end and it might as well be my fault D Cadd9 And she only sleeps while it's raining D Cadd9 And she screams and her voice is straining [Chorus] G D Cadd9 She says baby D G D Cadd9 It's 3 AM, I must be lonely D G D Cadd9 And she says baby D Em D Well, I can't help but be scared of it all sometimes Cadd9 And the rain's gonna wash away, I believe it [Interlude] G Cadd9 x4 [Verse 2] D Cadd9 G Cadd9 G Cadd9 She's got a little bit of something, God it's better than nothing D Cadd9 G Cadd9 G Cadd9 And in her color portrait world she believes that she's got it all D Cadd9 G Cadd9 G Cadd9 And she swears that the moon don't hang quite as high as it used to D Cadd9 And she only sleeps when it's raining D Cadd9 And she screams, and her voice is straining [Chorus] G D Cadd9 And she says baby D G D Cadd9 It's 3 AM, I must be lonely D G D Cadd9 Well, heaven she says baby D Em D Well, I can't help but be scared of it all sometimes Cadd9 And the rain's gonna wash away, I believe this [Interlude] G Cadd9 x4 [Verse 3] D Cadd9 G Cadd9 She believes that life isn't made up of all that she used to D Cadd9 G Cadd9 And the clock on the wall has been stuck at three for days and days D Cadd9 G Cadd9 She thinks that happiness is a mat that sits on her doorway, yeah D Cadd9 But outside it's stopped raining [Chorus] G D Cadd9 Yeah, she says baby D G D Cadd9 Well, it's 3 AM, I must be lonely D G D Cadd9 Well, heaven she says baby D Em D Well, I can't help but be scared of it all sometimes Cadd9 G And the rain's gonna wash away, I believe... D Cadd9 thi-is D G D Cadd9 Well, it's 3 AM, I must be lonely D G D Cadd9 Well, heaven she says baby D Em D Cadd9 Well, I can't help but be scared of it all sometimes
Strumming Pattern
The strumming pattern for “3 AM” is fairly simple and consistent throughout the song. You can use a pick or your fingers to strum the strings. The pattern is:
Down Down Up Up Down Up
You can repeat this pattern for each chord change, or vary it slightly depending on your preference. The most important thing is to keep the rhythm steady and match the tempo of the song. You can practice the strumming pattern by muting the strings with your left hand and strumming with your right hand, until you feel comfortable with it.
Chorus and Bridge
The chorus and bridge of “3 AM” use the same chords as the verse, but in a different order. The chorus starts with G D Cadd9, followed by D G D Cadd9. Then it repeats D G D Cadd9 twice more, before ending with Em D Cadd9. The bridge starts with Am Em F C G/B, followed by Am Em F Cmaj7 C. Then it repeats Am Em F C G/B twice more, before ending with Am G F Cmaj7 C.
You can use the same strumming pattern as the verse for the chorus and bridge, or change it up a bit if you want to add some variety. The tabs for the chorus and bridge are:
[Chorus] G D Cadd9 She says baby D G D Cadd9 It’s 3 AM, I must be lonely D G D Cadd9 And she says baby D Em D Well, I can’t help but be scared of it all sometimes Cadd9 And the rain’s gonna wash away, I believe it
[Bridge] Am Em F C G/B She believes that life isn’t made up of all that she used to Am Em F C And the clock on the wall has been stuck at three for days and days G/B She thinks that happiness is a mat that sits on her doorway, yeah Am Em F C But outside it’s stopped raining
Conclusion
“3 AM” by Matchbox Twenty is a fun and easy song to play on guitar, especially for beginners who want to learn some basic chords and strumming patterns. The song is catchy and upbeat, and has a simple structure that you can follow along with the chords, tabs, and lyrics. You can also experiment with different variations and techniques to make the song your own. We hope this article helped you learn how to play “3 AM” by Matchbox Twenty on guitar, and that you enjoy playing it as much as we do. Happy strumming!
