Quick And Easy Can’t Buy Me Love Chords And Guitar Lesson

Behold…one of the signature songs of Beatlemania.

A unique period in pop culture history where a whole horde of teenagers went berserker for The Beatles. It was a time characterized by overwhelming excitement, devotion, and sometimes even chaotic reactions from fans – especially young women – during the 60s. 

This song is rooted in the blues and fundamental principles every guitarist should know. So grab your 6-stringer and let’s dive into this “Can’t Buy Me Love” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Can’t Buy Me Love?

"Can't Buy Me Love" was originally written by Paul McCartney although it was credited to the usual Lennon-McCartney partnership. It was released in 1964 and became one of The Beatles’ biggest hits. It’s considered a signature song of Beatlemania. And has a powerful, timeless theme: money can’t buy love. 

"Can't Buy Me Love" was recorded at the famous Pathé Marconi Studios in Paris on January 29, 1964, during The Beatles’ time in France. This marked a rare occasion where they recorded outside their usual haunt of Abbey Road Studios in London. 

The song was an enormous success. "Can't Buy Me Love" topped the charts in both the UK and the US. It was The Beatles' fourth number-one single in the UK and their third in the US. “Can’t Buy Me Love” became the first song in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 to jump from #27 to #1 in a single week. 

It went platinum in the US, selling over a million copies, and the tune was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001.

"Can't Buy Me Love" was also prominently featured in The Beatles' movie A Hard Day's Night. During the famous scene, the band is shown running and playing in a field—an iconic moment of the movie and a perfect visual for the youthful vibe of the song.

 "Can't Buy Me Love" cemented The Beatles as global superstars.

Now, before we dive into this “Can’t Buy Me Love” chords and guitar lesson any further, let’s next answer the question of…

What is the tuning for Can’t Buy Me Love?

The guitar tuning for “Can’t Buy Me Love” as recorded by The Beatles is standard tuning. John and George kept things simple. Standard tuning is spelled out as EADGBE. 

Here are the strings: 

• E (6th string, lowest pitch)
• A (5th string)
• D (4th string)
• G (3rd string)
• B (2nd string)
• E (1st string, highest pitch)

Now that you know the “Can’t Buy Me Love” tuning, let’s now take a look at the…

Can’t Buy Me Love Chords

To play “Can’t Buy Me Love” on guitar you’ll need to know 7 main chords Em, Am, Dm7, G6, C7, F7, and G7. These chords can be played as a mix of open position chords and bar chords. Let’s take a look at a few examples of how they could be played on the fretboard. 

Em can be played as a great open chord using all 6 strings like this:

Am is played from the 5th string down like this:

Dm7 is an open position minor seventh chord played from the 4th string down like this:

G6 is a cheeky Beatles chord they used all the time. This can be played from the 4th string down like this:

Then we get into the bluesier chords, starting with C7 like this:

F7 is played as a bar chord in 1st position like this:

Finally, G7 is played just like F7 however you shift it up 2 frets like this:

If you struggled to understand chords on the neck and navigate the fretboard for rhythm and lead then get your hands on my free fretboard guide PDF right here:

All right, now that you know the “Can’t Buy Me Love” chords, let’s next answer the question of…

What key is Can’t Buy Me Love in?

“Can’t Buy Me Love” as recorded by The Beatles is in the key of C major. The main scale for the song is the C major scale which uses the following notes:

C - D - E - F - G - A - B

There are no sharps and no flats in the key of C major. All the chords in the song fit into the diatonic scale of C major scale except for the C7, and F7 chords. However, these are used to create a common blues progression that’s used in millions of songs. Let’s take a look at how all these chords relate to the key of C major.

Em (E minor) – iii chord

Em is built from the notes E, G, and B.

In the key of C major, this is the iii chord, built on the third scale degree (E).

This chord is minor by nature and is less stable compared to the tonic (I) or dominant (V). What’s interesting about “Can’t Buy Me Love” is it starts on the iii chord.

Am (A minor) – vi chord

Am is built from the notes A, C, and E.

In the key of C major, this is the vi chord, built on the sixth scale degree (A).

The vi chord is minor and creates a more melancholy-sounding progression.

Dm7 (D minor 7) – ii7 chord

Dm7 is built from the notes  D, F, A, and C.

In the key of C major, this is the ii7 chord, built on the second scale degree (D).

The ii7 chord functions as a predominant chord, often leading to the dominant chord (G) in a progression like ii–V–I. Its minor seventh quality adds depth and color to the chord.

G6 (G sixth) – V6 chord

G6 is built from the notes G, B, D, and E.

In the key of C major, G6 is a variation of the V chord (G major), with the added sixth (E). This gives the chord a more relaxed, jazzy sound compared to a standard G major or G7. The Beatles used major 6th chords in a ton of their biggest hits.

Then we get to the bluesier side of the tune. And that’s how I want you to look at the next 3 chords – as simply a I7, IV7, and V7 in a C blues. In a blues progression in the key of C, the chords C7, F7, and G7 are the primary chords used. Let’s break down how these chords function in the key of C blues:

C7 – The I7 Chord

C7 is the I7 chord in a blues progression in the key of C.

A dominant 7th chord adds a flattened 7th to the major chord, so C7 is made up of the notes C, E, G, and Bb.

This chord serves as the tonic in a blues song, but it has a built-in tension due to the presence of the minor seventh (Bb), which gives the blues that feeling of unresolved tension, even when you're on the tonic chord.

F7 – The IV7 Chord

F7 is the IV7 chord in C blues.

It’s built from the notes F, A, C, and Eb.

The IV chord in a standard major key would typically be a major chord (F major), but in blues, it's turned into a dominant 7th chord (F7). This dominant 7th quality in the IV chord adds even more tension and blues flavor.

G7 – The V7 Chord

G7 is the V7 chord in the key of C.

It’s built from the notes G, B, D, and F.

This chord functions as the dominant chord, and its role is to resolve back to the I7 (C7) chord. 

So that’s the theory, but remember all that doesn’t mean a thing without a good… 

Can’t Buy Me Love Strumming Pattern And Groove

The main underlying groove for “Can’t Buy Me Love” is a swinging 8th-note feel. This gives the rhythm more of a jazzy vibe. In swing, each beat in a 4/4 time signature is still divided into two parts, but instead of being even, the division is uneven, creating a long-short rhythmic pattern. 

Here's how you can count swing 8th notes:

1 - a 2 - a 3 - a 4 - a

1, 2, 3, 4: The downbeats (the main beats) a: The upbeat, which comes after the downbeat and is slightly delayed.

When counting out loud, it sounds like:

"One-ah, Two-ah, Three-ah, Four-ah"

This gives the rhythm a bouncy, swung feel rather than a strict, steady pulse. Here’s an example of strumming in the style of “Can’t Buy Me Love”. 

Can't Buy Me Love Guitar Solo

Conclusion

To wrap it up, “Can’t Buy Me Love” is a swinging tune that captures not only the essence of Beatlemania. But also The Beatles’ deep connection to the fundamentals of the blues. 

So keep practicing, and if you want to learn songs faster, better understand the fretboard, and not waste years spinning your wheels with guitar, grab my free fretboard guide right here now:  

Jon MacLennan