Death Cab for Cutie – I Will Follow You Into the Dark
June 4, 2009
Death Cab for Cutie – I Will Follow You Into the Dark (Chords)
The second part of Captain Obvious Week and it’s Ben Gibbard again. A very different sound to last time but some very similar chords.
Suggested Strumming
For the verses you can go with:
d – d u
All the way through. But you have to hold some chords longer than others. For the verse you do it four times for F, Dm and Bb. Then twice for F and C.
The intro and choruses are a bit more tricky. Do it twice for Dm, F, Bb. Once each for F and F7M. Two for Dm and F again. Four for C. Two for Dm, F, A. One for Dm, Dm7. Two for Bb and Bbm. And four for F.
I hope you followed that. I never know how much detail to give for the strumming.
I like C instead of F7M and Dm7
I agree. That sounds much better. DJ Coffman once made it into a comic, even. But I can’t find it anymore. Too bad though, it had Death playing the song while strolling in a graveyard. :D
SadToots and Rembrand: I think you’re both out of your minds!
I am both embarrassed and pleased to say that I played this tune on my uke at a friend’s wedding almost exactly one year ago. It’s a great uke song, I love it. Thanks for posting it.
Any suggestions for how to do the fingerpick/strum combo Gibbard does on the recording? I know guitarists learn this, but I’m not one.
hehe woodshed fancies ben gibbard!
another excellent choice for captain obvious week.
good chords too
pam: I don’t think you have any reason to be embarrassed. But I did think this song was about suicide.
Mike: It’s a bit different from the guitar. He’s plucking the bass notes. You could use your thumb to pluck certain notes and strum with your finger.
cbf: I didn’t choose these songs. They chose me.
Great song, thank you!
I knew how to play this one already. But I used C instead of FM7.
I also absolutley adore this song :D
Nice one. I wonder about the use of the F and the Dm7 being voiced the same, I see that they both should be there, but shouldn’t Dm7 be 2213. I’ve played this through like this and it seems to make more sense.
Cheers, B
Stephanie: You’re welcome.
daydreamer: If you need a substitute there, Am would be a better choice.
Benedict: I chose that variation because the bass line is going from D to C – so it makes sense to replicate that on the uke.
I actuallly kinda like A7 instead of FM7. I know it’s not right but I think it sounds so much better ^.^
Madizonia: Okay, I give in. Play whatever you like there.
:D Nice job though.
Rembrand: Thanks.
Can anyone write this out so that the chords go with the words to the song? I don’t know why but it’s hard for me to grasp how to play a tab if it’s not laid out with the lyrics and I really want to learn this song. If someone could do that for me I would really appreciate it.
Maya: Click where it says “Death Cab for Cutie – I Will Follow You Into the Dark (Chords)” in red.
Great chords, great song.
I’m also having a little touble with the picking/strumming..
Also with recording.. any suggestions?
I love the amount of detail you give for the strum patterns! It makes it so much easier!! Thank you! :)
Will: Glad you find it useful. I was thinking it might be too complicated for people to follow.
When you said:
“For the verse you do it four times for F, Dm and Bb.”
did you mean do the D-DU four times, or just a single strum four times?
Actually, nevermind. After playing with it for a while I figured it out. I love how you gave really in depth descriptions for the strumming that has helped me so much! Now, i’m trying to add in some picking, do you have any tips for doing that?
Catherine: Glad you got it worked out.
Great chords. I thought it sounded lovely as transcribed. Thanks
Thanks, Zac.