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Hard Times

Aretha Franklin

R&B / SoulAdvanced for beginners15 chords

How to play it

Fingering diagrams for the shapes in this song. × = don't play, ○ = open string.

A7×
D6Diagram coming soon
F#7Diagram coming soon
Bm7Diagram coming soon
E
D5Diagram coming soon
D7××
G6Diagram coming soon
EdimDiagram coming soon
B7Diagram coming soon
E7
G
BDiagram coming soon
CdimDiagram coming soon
Em7

Chords & lyrics

Chord names sit directly above the word where you change.

Text size
 
              A7/13       D6       F#7 
My mother told me before she passed away 
 Bm7                Bm7/E  D5+             D7 
Said, "Son, when I'm gone, don't forget to pray 
                   G6         Edim            D6   B7 
'Cause there'll be hard times,    Lord those hard times  
E7/9 E7   G/B    A7/13- D6 Cdim Em7 G/B A4/7 A7 
Who knows better than I" 
A7/13-    D6            F#7 
Well I soon found out just what she meant 
    Bm7               Bm7/E   D5+             D7 
When I had to pawn my clothes just to pay the rent 
               G6         Edim   D6        B7 
Talkin' 'about hard times,     hard times 
E7/9 E7   G/B    A7/13- D6  Cdim Em7 G/B A4/7 A7 
Who knows better than I 
A7/13    D6          F#7 
I had a woman, Lord,    who was always around 
    Bm7            Bm7/E  D5+             D7 
But when I lost my money,     she put me down 
               G6        Edim                 D6        B7 
Talkin' 'bout hard times,      you know those hard times 
            E7/9 E7   G/B    A7/13- D6   Cdim Em7 G/B A4/7 A7 
Yeah, Lord, who knows better than I 
A7/13    D6            F#7 
Lord, one of these days, there'll be no sorrow 
Bm7           Bm7/E  D5+ D7 
When I pass away 
G6         Edim   D6        B7 
And no more hard times 
           E7/9  E7   G/B    A7/13- D6   F#7   B7 
Yeah, yeah, who knows better than I 
            E7/9  E7   G/B    A7/13-    D6 
Yeah, Lord, who knows better than I 
          
 

Details

Rating

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Chord set

A7 · D6 · F#7 · Bm7 · E · D5 · D7 · G6 · Edim · B7 · E7 · G · B · Cdim · Em7

Practice tip

Loop the first two chords slowly until the change is clean, then add the rest.