The ULTIMATE September Chords And Guitar Lesson (Earth, Wind & Fire)

If I had to pick ONE song that’s been a staple of all the weddings, parties, and events I’ve played over the years… it would be THIS ONE!

The carefree vibe and infectious dance groove have made its status legendary.

Below, I’m going to break down the guitar style behind it, as well as some cool jazzier chords to boot.

So grab your 6-stringer, and let’s dive into this "September" chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote September?

“September” was originally written by Maurice White, Al McKay, and Allee Willis. It was first recorded in 1978 and released as a new track for Earth, Wind & Fire’s album: The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1. The song’s iconic date, “the 21st night of September,” has no specific meaning other than “the words just sounded good together”, according to Allee Willis. Similarly, the “ba-dee-ya” lyric came from Maurice White whose preference was more about focusing on groove vs. literal meaning. This clearly worked out and the playful elements drive the song’s carefree joy. 

Al McKay came up with the riff that opens “September”. This immediately caught Willis’s attention when she joined the band for the project. The recording took place at Hollywood Sound Recorders in Los Angeles, not to far from where I am typing you this post.

In fact, my childhood friend’s dad used to tour with Earth, Wind & Fire as a percussionist. And also, I’ve personally worked with touring members of Al McKay’s band. 

“September” is a shining example of how the power of music can bring joy and unite people across generations.  

Now, you may be wondering…

What is the tuning for September?

The tuning for "September”, as recorded by Earth, Wind & Fire is standard tuning.

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)

Let’s next take a look at the…

September Chords

To play "September” as recorded by Earth, Wind and Fire you only need to know 7 main chords Dmaj7, C#m7, Bm7, F#m7, G/A, and E7. For this lesson, I’m going to be playing the majority of these chords as shell chords. A shell chord is a simplified chord voicing that uses only the most essential notes to define the chord's harmonic function. In this case, I will be primarily playing the root, third, and sevenths of each chord. 

Let’s take a look at a few ways these shapes might unfold on the fretboard.

Dmaj7 is a moveable shape played using just 3 strings like this:

C#m7 is a minor version of the previous moveable shape again using just 3 strings like this:

Bm7 takes the same shape as C#m7 and simply shifts it down 2 frets like this:

F#m7 is another moveable shape using 3 strings but this time the root note has shifted to the 6th string like this:

C#7 only comes up occasionally through the verse sections, I would play it like this:

G/A is a tricky one. To play this, I use my fretting hand thumb on the 6th string. If that is too hard you can always play the open 5th string and not play the 6th string as an option as well:

Finally, E7 is played in the 6th position and back to a shell chord like this:

If you’ve struggled to understand the fretboard and want to learn it faster and in the simplest way. Then get your hands on my free fretboard guide PDF right here now:  

All right, now that you know the "September" chords, let’s next talk about…

What key is September in?

“September" as recorded by Earth, Wind & Fire is in the key of A major. However, it starts on the IV chord Dmaj7. 

Let’s take a quick look at how each chord relates to the key of A major.

Dmaj7

Function in A Major: IV chord (subdominant)

Notes: D, F#, A, C#

Role: The IV chord provides a sense of departure from the tonic and often creates a gentle, uplifting mood. The added major seventh (C#) gives it a jazzier flavor.

C#m7

Function in A Major: iii chord (mediant)

Notes: C#, E, G#, B

Role: This chord functions as a part of the walkdown progression in the verse, and also in the chorus.

Bm7

Function in A Major: ii chord (supertonic)

Notes: B, D, F#, A

Role: The ii chord often functions as a pre-dominant, leading naturally to the dominant (V or V7) which you’ll here in the chorus. 

F#m7

Function in A Major: vi chord (relative minor)

Notes: F#, A, C#, E

Role: The vi chord is the relative minor and can add a darker tonality to the chord progression. 

C#7

Function in A Major: V/vi (secondary dominant)

Notes: C#, E#, G#, B

Role: This chord is the dominant (V) of the vi chord (C#m7). It introduces chromatic tension and only comes in occasionally during the verse to create movement.

G/A

Function in A Major: Sub-tonic with the I in the bass.

Notes: G, B, D, A

Role: This is a borrowed chord and is used to create tension throughout the tune. Typically at the end of each section. 

E7

Function in A Major: V7 chord (dominant seventh)

Notes: E, G#, B, D

Role: The dominant seventh in A major, it creates tension that resolves naturally to the tonic (A). However, in “September” this chord moves up to a C#m7. So it doesn’t follow the typical V – I cadence.

Let’s now talk about the iconic…

September Riff

As stated above, Al McKay is the one responsible for coming up with this riff. It’s a simple line using primarily step-wise motion. Step-wise motion in music theory refers to melodic movement between consecutive notes of a scale, either ascending or descending. 

Here’s an example coming straight out of the A major scale:

The main scale for “September” is the A major scale. The A major scale is built from the notes:

A (root)

B (major second)

C# (major third)

D (perfect fourth)

E (perfect fifth)

F# (major sixth)

G# (major seventh)

Here’s how I would play this scale in the 4th position:

September Strumming Pattern

The main underlying groove for "September" is a funky 16th-note feel. This rhythmic style divides each beat of a 4/4 time signature into four equal parts, creating a highly rhythmic and syncopated groove.

In 4/4 time, subdividing each beat into 16th notes results in 16 notes per measure. To count them, we use:

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

Here’s the breakdown:

1, 2, 3, 4: The main beats in the measure.

e: The second 16th note in each beat.

&: The third 16th note in each beat (the midpoint between beats).

a: The fourth 16th note in each beat.

When counted out loud, it sounds like: 

"One-ee-and-uh, Two-ee-and-uh, Three-ee-and-uh, Four-ee-and-uh."

Now, I wouldn’t play all 16th notes for the strumming pattern. But that is the feel. 

Here’s an example of a rhythm I might play and how I might use syncopation in a “September” style strumming pattern:

Conclusion

There ya have it! 

One of the most important wedding/party band songs of the 20th century.

Have a blast playing it, 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 PDF right here now:   

Jon MacLennan