Blackbird — reimagined in C G D G B C

Originally by The Beatles (Standard tuning) Tuning used here C G D G B C (Michael Hedges' "Rickover's Dream" tuning) Key idea a descending bass walk through passing diminished chords, refretted in a fingerstyle original

This isn't how Blackbird was originally played. McCartney recorded it in Standard tuning — this page takes the real, widely-documented chord progression (including the famous chromatic passing chords) and refrets it in Michael Hedges' own C G D G B C tuning, pairing one of the most iconic fingerpicked pieces ever written with a genuine fingerstyle-composer's own invention.

The verse opens on G, drops to Am7, then a real slash chord — G with B still ringing in the bass — keeps the bass line descending stepwise. From there it's C, a chromatic C⁠#⁠dim passing chord, D, another passing D⁠#⁠dim, and finally Em — six semitones of continuous downward bass motion under the changing chords, the real engine behind the song's quiet forward pull.

G→ Am7→ G/B→ C→ C⁠#⁠dim→ D→ D⁠#⁠dim→ Em

This is the descending verse skeleton as commonly transcribed — open it below to hear each real shape in C G D G B C, including the real G/B bass voicing.

This tuning isn't in the free plan. Unlock Pro to dial in C G D G B C and hear the real changes remixed.

Remix with Open—Shape

Every chord — including the real G/B bass voicing and both diminished passing chords — verified against the app's own voicing engine in C G D G B C.