SHALLOW LADDY GAGA
Chords needed
“Magic ring” chord shapes (used for intro & verse fingerpicking):
E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B ––––3–––––3–––––3–––––3––––– <== left ring finger stays here,
G ––––0–––––2–––––0–––––0––––– on 3rd fret, for all chords!
D ––––2–––––0–––––0–––––2–––––
A ––––2–––––0–––––2–––––3–––––
E ––––0–––––2–––––3–––––––––––
Em7 D/F# G Cadd9
Conventional chord shapes (used throughout the song):
E ––––0–––––3–––––3–––––0––––0–––––0–––––2–––––0––––
B ––––0–––––3–––––3–––––1––––1–––––1–––––3–––––2––––
G ––––0–––––2–––––0–––––0––––2–––––0–––––4–––––2––––
D ––––2–––––0–––––0–––––2––––2–––––2–––––4–––––2––––
A ––––2–––––––––––2–––––3––––0–––––x–––––2–––––0––––
E ––––0–––––––––––3––––––––––––––––3––––––––––––––––
Em D G C Am Am/G Bm A
How to learn the intro riff
When learning this song, I recommend using the following as a guide to understand
the rhythm of the intro & verse chords. Whether you strum or fingerpick, you’ll want
to note which chords are switched to on the beat, and which are “pushed” so that
you switch to them an 8th note ahead of the main beat (e.g., the first G is played on
the “4 +” count instead of the “1” count).
E ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––0–––––––––––––––3–––––2–––––––––|–
B ||––3–––––––3–––––3–––––––––––––––––1–––––––––––––––3–––––3–––––––––|–
G ||––0–––––––2–––––0–––––––––––––––––0–––––––––––––––0–––––2–––––––––|–
D ||––2–––––––0–––––0–––––––––––––––––2–––––––––––––––0–––––0–––––––––|–
A ||––2–––––––0–––––2–––––––––––––––––3–––––––––––––––2–––––––––––––––|–
E ||––0–––––––2–––––3–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––3–––––––––––––––|–
Em D/F# G C G D
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
From here, you can bring in the fingerpicking tab as heard in the actual song.
Notice how the chord changes happen on the beats prescribed above.
E ||–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––0–––––––––––0h2p0–––––
B ||–––––3–––––3–––3–––––––––––––––––––––1–3–––––––3–––3–––3––––––3––––
G ||–––0–––0–––2–––0–––––––––––––––––––0–––––0–––––––––0–––2––––––––2––
D ||–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––0–––––––––––
A ||–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––3–––––––––3–––––––––––––––––––––––
E ||–0–––––––2–––––3–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––3–––––––––––––––––
Em D/F# G C G D
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Simplifying the intro & verse riff
Here’s the same intro progression, but using the simplified chord shapes that keep
your left ring finger on the same note for all chords. Can’t beat that!
E ||–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–
B ||––3–––––––3–––––3–––––––––––––––––3–––––––––––––––3–––––3––––––––|–
G ||––0–––––––2–––––0–––––––––––––––––0–––––––––––––––0–––––2––––––––|–
D ||––2–––––––0–––––0–––––––––––––––––2–––––––––––––––0–––––0––––––––|–
A ||––2–––––––0–––––2–––––––––––––––––3–––––––––––––––2––––––––––––––|–
E ||––0–––––––2–––––3–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––3––––––––––––––|–
Em D/F# G C G D
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
If you want to keep things simpler for the intro and/or the verse, I recommend
learning this approach. The benefit is that your left ring finger stays on the B string
(3rd fret) for all chords, which makes things so much easier. Note, this gets looser
with the timing - which also keeps things simpler (don’t feel like you HAVE to
match the exact timing of the song, if it’s giving you a hard time).
E ||––––––––– ––––––––– ––––––––– –––––––– –––––––– –––––––– –––––––– –––––––––
B ||–––––3––– –––––3––– –––––3––– ––––3––– ––––3––– ––––3––– ––––3––– –––––3–––
G ||–––0–––0– –––2–––2– –––0–––0– ––0–––0– ––0–––0– ––0–––0– ––0–––0– –––2–––2–
D ||––––––––– ––––––––– ––––––––– –––––––– –––––––– –––––––– –––––––– –0–––––––
A ||––––––––– ––––––––– ––––––––– –––––––– –3–––––– –3–––––– –––––––– –––––––––
E ||–0––––––– –2––––––– –3––––––– –3–––––– –––––––– –––––––– –3–––––– –––––––––
Em D/F# G G Cadd9 Cadd9 G D
Chord progression cheat sheet
There are four beats per measure - and each of the main song sections used the
following chords (sometimes you stay on a chord for 4 counts, other times you split
a measure between two different chords).
Verse: "Tell me something, girl..."
| Em D/F# | G | C | G D |
Pre-chorus: "I'm off the deep end..."
| Am | D | G D/F# | Em |
Chorus: "In the shallow, shallow..."
| Am Am/G | D/F# | G D/F# | Em |
Bridge: "Whoaaaa....."
| Bm | D | A | Em |
| Bm | D | A |
Strumming pattern
After the verse sections are over, I usually strum the rest of the song. Quite simply,
I’ll use a “down, down up… up down up” pattern, over and over again.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D D U U D U
