Eric Clapton - I Shot The Sheriff Ukulele Chords
Before you play, tune your ukulele and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Ukulele Dm chord diagram
Ukulele Gm chord diagram
Ukulele Am chord diagram
Ukulele Gm7 chord diagram
[Opening]
[Dm]I shot the Sheriff [Gm]but I didn’t shoot no [Dm]deputy
[Dm]I shot the Sheriff [Gm]but I didn’t shoot no [Dm]deputy
[Gm]All a[Am]round in my [Dm]hometown
[Gm]They’re [Am]trying to track me [Dm]down
[Gm]They [Am]say they want to bring me [Dm]in guilty
For the [Gm]killing of a [Am]depu[Dm]ty
For the [Gm]life of a [Am]depu[Dm]ty But I say (riff)
[section 2]
[Dm]I shot the Sheriff [Gm]but I swear it was in [Dm]self-defence
[Dm]I shot the Sheriff [Gm]and they say it is a [Dm]capital offence
[Gm]Sheriff [Am]John Brown always [Dm]hated me
[Gm]For [Am]what I don’t [Dm]know
[Gm]Every [Am]time I [Dm]plant a seed
He said [Gm]kill it be[Am]fore it [Dm]grows
He said [Gm]kill them be[Am]fore they [Dm]grow And so (riff)
[section 3]
[Dm]I shot the Sheriff [Gm]but I swear it was in [Dm]self-defence
[Dm]I shot the Sheriff [Gm]but I swear it was in [Dm]self-defence
[Gm]Freedom [Am]came my way [Dm]one day
[Gm]And I [Am]started out of [Dm]town
[Gm]All of a [Am]sudden I saw [Dm]Sheriff John Brown
[Gm]Aiming to [Am]shoot me [Dm]down
So I [Gm]shot I [Am]shot I shot him [Dm]down But I say (riff)
[section 4]
[Dm]I shot the Sheriff [Gm]but I did not shoot the [Dm]deputy
[Dm]I shot the Sheriff [Gm]but I did not shoot the [Dm]deputy
[Gm]Reflexes [Am]got the [Dm]better of me
[Gm]And what is to [Am]be must [Dm]be
[Gm]Every [Am]day the bucket goes [Dm]to the well
[Gm]But one [Am]day the bottom [Dm]will drop out
[Gm7]One [Am]day the bottom [Dm]will drop out I say (riff)
[Closing]
[Dm]I shot the Sheriff [Gm]but I did not shoot the [Dm]deputy
[Dm]I shot the Sheriff [Gm]but I did not shoot no [Dm]deputy
How to play I Shot The Sheriff on Ukulele (Step-by-step)
Eric Clapton - I Shot The Sheriff on ukulele requires 4 chords and 5 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓↑-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.
I Shot The Sheriff uses these transitions most often: Dm → Gm (29), Am → Dm (20), and Gm → Am (19). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with Dm - Gm chord transition.
1. Dm → Gm chord transition
To move from Dm to Gm;
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to C string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from C string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 3.
2. Gm → Am chord transition
To move from Gm to Am;
- While playing Gm, first lift your index finger and ring finger.
- Lift your middle finger from C string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
3. Am → Dm chord transition
To move from Am to Dm;
- Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
- Place index finger on E string fret 1.
- Place ring finger on C string fret 2.
4. Dm → Gm7 chord transition
To move from Dm to Gm7;
- While playing Dm, lift your ring finger from C string fret 2.
- Keep index finger on E string fret 1.
- Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 2.
5. Gm7 → Am chord transition
To move from Gm7 to Am;
- While playing Gm7, lift your index finger from E string fret 1.
- Lift your middle finger from C string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
I Shot The Sheriff chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in I Shot The Sheriff.
- I Shot The Sheriff includes 80 chord transitions, 5 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
- I Shot The Sheriff contains 1 of the top 25 transitions across Ukulelearn.
- These transition patterns show how I Shot The Sheriff connects to the rest of Ukulelearn. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After Dm, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are C (18%), G (16%), and Am (14%).
- Dm → Gm: 5%
- Dm → Gm7: 0%
After Gm, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are C (15%), F (12%), and Dm (9%).- Gm → Dm: 9%
- Gm → Am: 6%