“Wake Me Up When September Ends” by Green Day is a poignant and emotionally resonant song that’s also fantastic for guitar players to learn. Its simple yet powerful chord progression makes it accessible for beginners while still sounding beautiful and complete. Here’s a breakdown of the guitar chords so you can start playing this iconic track.
Song Structure and Chords
The song primarily uses a repeating structure with a few core chord shapes. You’ll be using these chords throughout “Wake Me Up When September Ends”:
- G
- D/F# (This is a D chord with F# in the bass – you can play it as a simplified version if needed, focusing on the top part of the D chord)
- Em7 (E minor 7)
- Em (E minor)
- Bm (B minor)
- C
- Cm (C minor)
- D
The song sections are structured as follows:
Verse 1 (A Section)
(G)Summer has come and passed, the (D/F#)innocent can never (Em7)last
(G)
(C)Wake me up when (Cm)September (G)ends
Verse 2 (A Section)
(G)Like my fathers come to pass, (D/F#)seven years has gone so (Em7)fast
(G)
(C)Wake me up when (Cm)September (G)ends
Chorus (B Section)
(Em)Here comes the rain a(Bm)gain, falling from the (C)stars
(G)Drenched in my (D/F#)pain again, becoming who we (Em)are
(Bm) (C) (D)
Verse 3 (A Section)
(G)As my memory rests but (D/F#)never forgets what I (Em7)lost
(G)
(C)Wake me up when (Cm)September (G)ends
Verse 4 (A Section)
(G)Summer has come and passed, the (D/F#)innocent can never (Em7)last
(G)
(C)Wake me up when (Cm)September (G)ends
Verse 5 (A Section)
(G)Ring out the bells again, (D/F#)like we did when spring be(Em7)gan
(G)
(C)Wake me up when (Cm)September (G)ends
Chorus 2 (B Section)
(Em)Here comes the rain a(Bm)gain, falling from the (C)stars
(G)Drenched in my (D/F#)pain again, becoming who we (Em)are
(Bm) (C) (D)
Verse 6 (A Section)
(G)As my memory rests but (D/F#)never forgets what I (Em7)lost
(G)
(C)Wake me up when (Cm)September (G)ends
Verse 7 (A Section)
(G)Summer has come and passed, the (D/F#)innocent can never (Em7)last
(G)
(C)Wake me up when (Cm)September (G)ends
Verse 8 (A Section)
(G)Like my father’s come to pass, (D/F#)twenty years has gone so (Em7)fast
Coda
(C)Wake me up when (Cm)September (G)ends
(C)Wake me up when (Cm)September (G)ends
(C)Wake me up when (Cm)September (G)ends
Tips for Playing “Wake Me Up When September Ends”
- Strumming Pattern: For beginners, start with simple downstrokes on each chord change. As you get comfortable, listen to the song and try to emulate the strumming pattern. A common pattern is down-down-up-down-up.
- D/F# Chord: If the D/F# chord is challenging, you can simplify it by just playing a regular D chord, especially when starting out. The bass note change is subtle and the song will still sound great.
- Chord Transitions: Focus on smooth transitions between chords. Practice changing chords slowly at first, then gradually increase your speed.
- Listen to the Song: The best way to learn the timing and feel of the song is to listen to Green Day’s original recording frequently.
Start practicing these guitar chords for “Wake Me Up When September Ends” and you’ll be playing this Green Day classic in no time!
