Falling Slowly Chords: How to Play the Song by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová on Guitar

SobiSeptember 13, 2023Last Updated: June 25, 2024

13 3 minutes read

Falling Slowly is a beautiful song by the Irish musicians Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, who starred in the movie Once (2007) as a busker and an immigrant. The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2008 and has become a classic among guitar players and singers. The song features a simple but expressive guitar accompaniment that supports the duet vocals. In this article, we will show you how to play the falling slowly chords on guitar, using the resources from the web.

Chords

[Intro]
C F C F
 
 
[Verse 1]
C                 F              C                     F
I don't know you, but I want you all the more for that
C                         F               C                 F
Words fall through me and always fool me, and I can't react
 
 
[Pre-chorus]
    Am         G      F        G                 Am         G               F
And games that never amount to more than they're meant will play themselves out
 
 
[Chorus]
C                 F                 Am                    F
Take this sinking boat and point it home, we've still got time
C                  F                 Am                     F
Raise your hopeful voice, you have a choice, you'll make it now
 
 
[Verse 2]
C               F                  C                   F
Falling slowly, eyes that know me, and I can't go back
    C                  F             C                     F
And moods that take me and erase me, and I'm painted black
 
 
[Pre-chorus]
      Am       G         F         G               Am         G             F
Well, you have suffered enough and warred with yourself, it's time that you won
 
 
[Chorus]
C                 F                 Am                    F
Take this sinking boat and point it home, we've still got time
C                  F                 Am                     F
Raise your hopeful voice, you have a choice, you've made it now
C               F             Am               F
Falling slowly, sing your melody, I'll sing it loud
 
 
[Outro]
C F Am F
F
C F C F C

Tuning and Capo

The falling slowly chords are played in standard tuning, which means you should tune your guitar strings to E, A, D, G, B, and E, from the thickest to the thinnest. You can use a tuner app or device to help you with this.

You can also use a capo to change the key of the song. A capo is a device that clamps onto the guitar neck and shortens the strings, raising their pitch. For example, if you put a capo on the first fret, you will play the song in C# instead of C. You can experiment with different capo positions to find the one that suits your voice or preference.

The Chords

The chords for falling slowly are shown below:

C: x32010
F: 133211
Am: x02210
G: 320003

How to Play

To play the falling slowly chords on guitar, you need to follow these steps:

Place your fingers on the frets according to the chords. For example, for the C chord, you need to press the first fret of the second string with your index finger, the second fret of the fourth string with your middle finger, and the third fret of the fifth string with your ring finger.
Strum or pluck the strings with your pick or your fingers. You can also use your other fingers to pluck multiple strings at once.
Change your fingers to the next chords according to the progression. For example, for the F chord, you need to press all six strings on the first fret with your index finger, and then press the third fret of the fourth, fifth, and sixth strings with your ring, pinky, and middle fingers respectively.
Repeat this process until you finish the song. You can also sing along or play with a backing track.

You can also watch this video tutorial on YouTube that shows you how to play the falling slowly chords on guitar with more details and tips.

Conclusion

Falling Slowly is a lovely song by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová that you can learn how to play on guitar with some practice and patience. The falling slowly chords are easy to follow and memorize, and they create a romantic and emotional sound. You can also use a capo to change the key of the song or add some variations to make it more interesting. We hope this article helped you learn how to play the falling slowly chords on guitar and enjoy this song even more.