Quick And Easy “Give A Little Bit” Guitar Lesson To Sound Just Like The Record (Supertramp)

Have you ever wondered how someone can play just two guitar chords, and make a stadium full of music lovers go crazy?

Well, today I’m going to share with you those two secret chords and more from an iconic song.

It’s been said that this song was inspired by The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love", during the love and peace movement of the 1960s.

So grab your guitar and let’s dive into this “Give A Little Bit” guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Give A Little Bit?

"Give a Little Bit" is a song by the British rock band Supertramp. Its writing credits are given to Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson, although it is a Hodgson composition. It was first released in 1977 on their album Even in the Quietest Moments... 

The song sings a simple, positive message about the importance of giving and sharing love and care with others. The track was recorded at The Record Plant in Los Angeles, where multiple layers of 12-string guitars were meticulously overdubbed to create its rich, distinctive sound. 

Roger Hodgson played both acoustic and electric guitars for the song. The production involved complex mixing techniques due to the numerous overdubs, making it a challenging task for the engineers involved. 

"Give a Little Bit" was a commercial success, reaching number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and charting in several other countries. It has been certified Platinum in the UK and Spain​ (Wikipedia)​. 

The song has enjoyed widespread popularity and is a fan favorite. In fact, one of my colleagues here in Los Angeles has been a touring guitar player for Supertramp since the 80s. He told me all he has to do is play the opening two chords to this song on a 12-string Taylor live and the audience always goes wild.

So, let’s next take a look at the…

Give A Little Bit Guitar Chords

If you want to play “Give A Little Bit” on guitar you’ll need to know 11 main chord shapes A7, D, G5, Bm, Esus4, E, Asus4, F#m, C, C/D, and Am7. I know it sounds like a lot. But the old-school bands just knew more chords and were often much better musicians than most of today's artists. Also fear not, the majority of these chords can be played in open position. So let’s take a look at a few ways these chords can be played.

A7 is played from the 5th string down like this:

D is played from the 4th string down like this:

G can be played using any G. But I prefer a G5. For this one, I omit the 5th string like this:

Bm is one of the 2 bar chords you’ll need to know. This is played in 2nd position from the 5th string down like this:

Esus4 looks like an E chord but we just change one note like this:

Then move the note on the 3rd string down one fret and you’ll land on E like this:

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

Asus4 does the same type of move, here we’ll play from the 5th string down like this:

F#m is the 2nd bar chord you’ll need to know. This one is played in the 2nd position using all 6 strings like this:

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

Then we also have a number of slash chords. These are often what I refer to as “hippie chords” in the context of this song.  

(See the video above for more details.)

The basic idea is you take standard open position chords, but then move them up the fretboard. These higher shapes combined with open strings show you a simple way to get a whole new palette of sounds into your music. An example of this is the C/D shape. Which is played from the 4th string down like this:

Finally, we have the last chord, Am7 which is played from the 5th string down like this:

Yes, bands in the 70s used more chords than bands do nowadays. This presents a challenge for guitar players. But expanding your chord vocabulary and putting in a little work to get this down is always a good thing. It will benefit you in many ways.

Is Give A Little Bit hard to play on guitar?

Yes. The combination of many chord changes, rhythms, syncopation, and 12-string guitars doesn’t make playing “Give A Little Bit” a walk in the park. Yet if you put in time and master what I show you here, you will potentially be able to play it.

What is the tuning for Give A Little Bit Supertramp?

The tuning for "Give a Little Bit" by Supertramp is in standard tuning. Roger Hodgson, who wrote and performed the song, used a 12-string guitar to create the rich and full sound that characterizes the track. This is a big part of the sound. (See video above for a demonstration.)

Standard tuning for a guitar 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)

Give A Little Bit Strumming Pattern

The main underlying groove for “Give A Little Bit” is a light 16th-note feel. Strumming 16th notes on guitar means dividing each beat of a 4/4 time signature into 4 equal parts. 

To properly strum 16th notes, you need to understand how to count them within each measure. In a 4/4 time signature, each measure has four beats. When subdividing each beat into 16th notes, each beat is divided into four equal parts. This gives us a total of sixteen 16th notes per measure.

To count 16th notes, you typically use the following syllables:

1 e & a, 2 e & a, 3 e & a, 4 e & a

Here’s how it breaks down: 

• 1: The downbeat (first 16th note)
• e: The second 16th note
• &: The third 16th note (also known as the "and")
• a: The fourth 16th note
  

When counting out loud, it sounds like: 

“One ee and uh, Two ee and uh, Three ee and uh, Four ee and uh”

When strumming 16th notes, your hand should move in a consistent up-and-down motion. Here’s a basic pattern to get you started:

• Downstroke on the count of “1”
• Upstroke on the count of “e”
• Downstroke on the count of “&”
• Upstroke on the count of “a”

This continuous motion helps keep the timing steady and even. 

This is the basic feel. But in “Give A Little Bit” you don’t want to strum all the 16-notes. That would be overkill. So the idea is to keep a steady quarter-note pace, but then “pepper in” some 16-notes like this:

What key is Give A Little Bit in?

“Give A Little Bit” as recorded by Supertramp is in the key of D major. The majority of the chords fit the diatonic scale of D major. But there are a few exceptions. Remember – the D major scale uses the notes: D, E, F#, G, A, B, and C#.  

Let's explore how each chord relates to this scale and key:

D major (I):

Notes: D, F#, A

This is the tonic chord of the key.

A7 (V7):

Notes: A, C#, E, G

Dominant seventh chord in D major.

G major (IV):

Notes: G, B, D

Subdominant chord in D major.

Bm (vi):

Notes: B, D, F#

Relative minor chord (vi) in D major.

F#m (iii):

Notes: F#, A, C#

The mediant chord in D major.

Chords not in D Major:

Esus4:

Notes: E, A, B

Typically resolves to E major. Not naturally in D major.

E major (V of V):

Notes: E, G#, B

This chord contains a G#, which is not in the D major scale. It can be seen as a secondary dominant (V of V), leading to A major or A7.

Asus4:

Notes: A, D, E

Suspended chord often resolving to A major. Fits as it contains A and E, but the suspension (D) is from the key.

C major (bVII):

Notes: C, E, G

Contains a C natural, which is not in D major (C# is). It can be borrowed from the D Mixolydian mode.

Am7 (v7 in D minor):

Notes: A, C, E, G

Contains C natural and G, which aren't in D major. This chord can be borrowed from D minor (parallel minor).

Conclusion

To wrap it up, "Give A Little Bit" by Supertramp is a timeless classic. It continues to resonate with audiences around the world and spread a simple yet profound message of love and generosity.  

The song's rich, full sound is largely attributed to Roger Hodgson's use of a 12-string guitar, layered in the studio to perfection. While sll the chords used in the song might seem daunting at first, breaking them down and understanding their relationship to the key of D major can make them more accessible.

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

Jon MacLennan