Brown Eyed Girl Chords For Guitar

“Brown Eyed Girl” is one of those songs every guitar player should have in their back pocket. Van Morrison’s 1967 classic has that instantly recognizable intro riff, and the good news? The chords underneath are about as straightforward as they come.

In this lesson, I’ll walk you through both the chord progression AND that famous intro riff. Fair warning—the intro isn’t played with full chords. It’s done with intervals, which are two-note harmonies. But don’t let that scare you off. Once you see the pattern, it clicks pretty fast.

Video Lesson

The Chords: A Classic I-IV-V

The chord progression for “Brown Eyed Girl” is a I-IV-V in the key of G. That means G major is your I chord, C major is your IV, and D major is your V. This three-chord formula shows up everywhere in rock and pop music, so mastering it here sets you up for dozens of other songs.

If you already know these three chords, you can strum along to the entire song. The verse follows a G-C-G-D pattern, and the chorus (“Sha la la la la…”) stays on similar territory. These are foundational chords that show up everywhere—master them here and you’ll use them in dozens of other songs.

The Famous Intro Riff

Here’s where it gets interesting. That iconic intro isn’t strummed chords—it’s played using intervals, specifically major and minor thirds on the 2nd and 3rd strings.

I like to play it starting at the 12th fret. You could also play the same thing down around the 7th and 8th frets—same notes, different position. Some folks will argue about exactly where Van Morrison’s guitarist played it, but honestly, you can argue till you’re blue in the face. Both positions work.

The pattern uses a simple major/minor third shape. A major third is when you bar across two strings at the same fret. A minor third is when you move the higher string up one fret.

For the G section, you’re playing G major third, then A minor third, then B minor third. For the C section, same pattern shifted to the C position. The D section uses D major, E minor, and F# minor partials.

Here’s the secret that makes it sound right: let that D note ring. When you hit those single notes on the second string (the G and A), let them sustain over that ringing D. That’s what gives it that beautiful, blended sound.

The Ending Phrase

The second time through, instead of staying down low on the D, you move up and do a rundown through the whole G scale: D major, C major, B minor, A minor, down to G. That’s your ending phrase before the verse kicks in.

Tips for Getting It Clean

Mute the 1st string when playing the intervals on strings 2 and 3—it looks like you’re playing it, but you’re not. Use your 1st finger to bar, then 2nd and 3rd fingers for the minor third shapes. Start slow and focus on letting notes ring into each other. Once you’ve got the 12th fret version, try it at the 7th/8th fret position for variety.

What’s Next?

“Brown Eyed Girl” is a great tune to have under your fingers. The chord progression is dead simple, and that intro riff—once you understand it’s built on intervals—becomes a lot less mysterious.

If you liked this lesson, check out Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door or Wonderful Tonight — two more classics at a similar level. Browse my easy guitar songs collection, or check out the full guitar song library for more lessons.