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Stay

by Alessia Cara and Zedd • Lesson #64 • May 4, 2017

Editor’s Notes

Here’s my acoustic guitar lesson for Stay by Alessia Cara and Zedd. I’ll teach the chords, strumming, show tabs for the riff, and more. Enjoy!

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Capo on 1st fret…

If you want to play along with the album version, toss a capo on the first fret! Note, in my video lesson I’m not using a capo.

Chords

Note the optional pinky additions, on the high E-string:

---0+3---2+3---0+3---
---1-----3-----0-----
---0-----2-----0-----
---2-----0-----2-----
---3-----------2-----
---------------0-----
   C     D     Em

Simple chorus riff (high E string)

Use your pinky on the 3rd fret of the high E string for all the chords, as shown here:

e –––3–––––––––––3––2––––––––3–––––––––––3––2–––––––––
B –––1–––––––––––3–––––––––––0–––––––––––3––––––––––––
G –––0–––––––––––2–––––––––––0–––––––––––2––––––––––––
D –––2–––––––––––0–––––––––––2–––––––––––0––––––––––––
A –––3–––––––––––––––––––––––2––––––––––––––––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––0––––––––––––––––––––––––
     1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +  1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +  
     C           D           Em          D

Strumming

Verse, all down strums:

C         Em    D
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8     
d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d
>         >     >

Chorus, with muted chops:

C       D       Em      D
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
d x     dux     d x     dux
>       >       >       >

Breakdown riff

Mainly, play this:

e –––3–––––––––––3––2––––––––7–––––––––––7–/5–––––––––
B –––1–––––––––––3–––––––––––8–––––––––––0––3–––––––––
G –––0–––––––––––2–––––––––––9–––––––––––0––0–––––––––
D –––2–––––––––––0–––––––––––9–––––––––––x––4–––––––––
A –––3–––––––––––––––––––––––7–––––––––––7–/5–––––––––
E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
     •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  
     C           D           Em          D

In the album version you hear this the third time it’s played in each sequence:

e –––3–––––––––––3––2––––––––7–––––––––––2––2–––––––––
B –––1–––––––––––3–––––––––––8–––––––––––5––4–––––––––
G –––0–––––––––––2–––––––––––9–––––––––––2––2–––––––––
D –––2–––––––––––0–––––––––––9–––––––––––4––4–––––––––
A –––3–––––––––––––––––––––––7–––––––––––2––2–––––––––
E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
     •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  
     C           D           Em          B

Lyrics with chords

VERSE

    C                    Em          D
    Waiting for the time to pass you by
    C                        Em               D   
    Hope the winds of change will change your mind
    C                   Em          D
    I could give a thousand reasons why
          C        Em            D
    And I know you... and you've got to

PRE-CHORUS

    C                           Em                     D
    Make it on your own, but we don't have to grow up, we can stay forever young
    C                           Em            D
    Living on my sofa, drinking rum and cola, underneath the rising sun
    C                   Em          D
    I could give a thousand reasons why
                C     Em         D  
    But you're going... and you know that

CHORUS
                              C      D            Em        D
        All you have to do is stay a minute, just take your time
            C        D           Em     (D)
        The clock is ticking, so stay...
                              C      D            Em       D   
        All you have to do is wait a second, your hands on mine
            C        D           Em     (D)
        The clock is ticking, so stay

BREAKDOWN

        C - D - Em - D

        (no lyrics, but same chords as the chorus)

And so on, and so forth.

Good luck!

Let me know if you have questions. I hope this was helpful.

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