No Reply Chords: How to Play the Beatles Classic on Guitar

The Beatles are one of the most influential and popular bands of all time, and their songs have been covered by countless artists in various genres and styles. One of their songs that is easy to play on guitar and has a catchy melody and lyrics is “No Reply”, which was released in 1964 as the opening track of their album “Beatles for Sale”. In this article, we will show you how to play “No Reply” chords on guitar, and also give you some background information and tips on the song.

Chords

Beatles ~ No Reply
from “Beatles for Sale”
 
[Verse]
                     F                         G           C
This happened once before, When I came to your door, no reply. 
                    F                       G              C
They said it wasn't you, But I saw you peep through your window, 
          Am  Em           Fmaj7      Em
I saw the light, I saw the light, 
                    F                       G        C
I know that you saw me, 'Cos I looked up to see your face. 
 
 
[Verse]
               F                                  G              C
I tried to telephone, They said that you were not home, that's a lie, 
                         F                    G       C
'Cos I know where you've been, I saw you walk in your door, 
         Am Em          Fmaj7      Em
I nearly died, I nearly died, 
                F                         G         C
'Cos you walked hand in hand With another man in my place. 
 
 
[Bridge]
          C           E        A
If I were you I'd realize that I 
         Dm        F         C
Love you more than any other guy, 
            C        E         A
And I'll forgive the lies that I 
      Dm              F            C
Heard before when you gave me no reply. 
 
 
[Verse]
                  F                             G              C
I've tried to telephone, They said you were not home, that's a lie, 
                         F                    G       C
'Cos I know where you've been, I saw you walk in your door, 
         Am Em          Fmaj7      Em
I nearly died, I nearly died, 
                        F                 G         C
'Cos you walked hand in hand With another man in my place. 
    Am Em     Fmaj7    C6add9
No reply, no reply.  x-3-2-2-3-x

The Song’s History and Meaning

“No Reply” was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and it is one of the first songs that shows Lennon’s influence by Bob Dylan, who was his favorite singer-songwriter at the time. The song is about a man who suspects that his girlfriend is cheating on him, and he tries to contact her but gets no reply. He sees her with another man, and he feels betrayed and hurt. The song has a simple structure of verses and a bridge, with no chorus or solo. The lyrics are direct and emotional, and the melody is catchy and memorable.

The song was originally written for another British singer, Tommy Quickly, who was managed by the Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein. However, Quickly did not record the song, and the Beatles decided to keep it for themselves. They recorded it in September 1964 at EMI Studios in London, with George Martin as the producer. The song features Lennon on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, McCartney on harmony vocals and bass, George Harrison on lead guitar, and Ringo Starr on drums.

The Chords and Progression

The song is in the key of F major, and it uses only six chords: F, G7, C, Am, Em, and Dm7. The chords are mostly played as open chords, except for Dm7 which is played as a barre chord on the fifth fret. The song has a moderate tempo of 120 beats per minute (BPM), and it has a 4/4 time signature.

The chord progression for the verses is F-G7-C-Am-Em-Fmaj7-Em-Dm7-G7-C. The chord progression for the bridge is C-E7-A7-Dm-F-C-C-E7-A7-Dm-F-C. The song ends with Am-Em-Fmaj7-C6add9.

Here is a diagram of how to play the chords on guitar:

F: x-3-3-2-1-1 G7: 3-2-0-0-0-1 C: x-3-2-0-1-0 Am: x-0-2-2-1-0 Em: 0-2-2-0-0-0 Dm7: x-x-0-2-1-1 Fmaj7: x-x-3-2-1-0 C6add9: x-3-2-2-3-x E7: 0-2-0-1-0-0 A7: x-0-2-0-2-0 C6/9: x-x-x-x-x-x

Here is an example of how to play the first verse with the chords:

F G7 C This happened once before When I came to your door No reply

F G7 C They said it wasn’t you But I saw you peep through Your window

Am Em Fmaj7 Em I saw the light I saw the light

Dm7 G7 C I know that you saw me ‘Cause I looked up to see Your face

The Strumming Pattern and Tips

The strumming pattern for the song is down-down-up-up-down-up (D-D-U-U-D-U) for each chord. You can also add some accents or variations to make it more interesting. For example, you can emphasize the first downstroke of each chord, or you can skip some upstrokes or downstrokes to create syncopation.

Some tips for playing the song are:

• Use a capo if you want to change the key of the song to match your vocal range or preference. For example, if you put a capo on the first fret, you can play the song in F#, which is half a step higher than the original key.
• Practice switching between the chords smoothly and accurately. You can use a metronome or a backing track to help you keep time and rhythm.
• Sing along with the song or find someone to sing with you. The song has beautiful harmonies between Lennon and McCartney, which add depth and emotion to the song.
• Have fun and enjoy playing one of the Beatles’ classics!

Conclusion

“No Reply” is a great song to play on guitar, whether you are a beginner or an advanced player. It has simple chords and a catchy melody, and it also has a story and a meaning behind it. It is one of the songs that shows the Beatles’ evolution and maturity as songwriters and musicians. By learning how to play “No Reply” chords on guitar, you can appreciate the song more and also improve your guitar skills and musical knowledge.