God Bless The Child

MoneyChords

Resources Lyrics

MoneyChords
Store

God Bless The Child

Here are the chord substitutions that I use to play the 1941 Billie Holiday classic God Bless The Child. The B section makes use of the descending minor cliche. I play the tune in a moderate 4/4 tempo. Don't forget to check out the Blood, Sweat, and Tears version of this song. The chord fingerings I use (in a Standard tuning) are as follows: Emaj7 = 0x6444; Amaj7 = 5x665x; Bm7 = 7x7777; Bm6 = 7x6777; E9/A# = 6x6777; Am6 = 5x4555; G#m7 = 4x4444; C#7b9 = x4343x; F#m7 = 2x2222; B7 = x21202; C#m7 = x46454; B11 = x22222; E7b5 = 6x675x; A7 = 57565x; G#7 = 46454x; C#m = x46654; C#m(M7) = x4554x; C#m6 = x4x354; G#m = 466444; G#m(M7) = 465444; G#m6 = 4x3444; C9 = x32333; B9 = x21222; Emaj9 = 0x4444.

Various arrangements show many different chord substitutions for the first and second bars of the A section including the following repeated progressions: "E-A": "E-A11"; "E13-A11"; "Emaj7-E7-A"; "Emaj7-E7-A6; or "Emaj7-E7-Amaj7". Some arrangements I have encountered also show the diminished minor cliche in the B section played with a descending bass line as follows: "C#m-C#m(M7)/C-C#m7/B-C#m6/A#". Another great substitution for the "Am6" chord in the sixth bar of the A section is the "D9#11" chord.

A1 section

Emaj7 / Amaj7 / Emaj7 / Amaj7 / Bm7 / Bm6 / Bm7 / E9/A# /

Amaj7 / / / Am6 / / / G#m7 / C#7b9 / F#m7 / B7 /
Emaj7 / C#m7 / F#m7 / B11 /

A2 section

Emaj7 / Amaj7 / Emaj7 / Amaj7 / Bm7 / Bm6 / Bm7 / E9/A# /
Amaj7 / / / Am6 / / / G#m7 / C#7b9 / F#m7 / B7 /

Emaj7 / E7b5/A# / A7 / G#7 /

B section

C#m / C#m(M7) / C#m7 / C#m6 / G#m / G#m(M7) / G#m7 / G#m6 /
C#m / C#m7(M7) / C#m7 / C#m6 / G#m7 / C#7b9 / C9 /B9 /

A3 section

Emaj7 / Amaj7 / Emaj7 / Amaj7 / Bm7 / Bm6 / Bm7 / E9/A# /

Amaj7 / / / Am6 / / / G#m7 / C#7b9 / F#m7 / B7 /

Emaj7 / Amaj7 / Emaj9 / / /