Breakdown Chords

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Difficulty:	intermediate
Tuning:	E A D G B E
Key:	Am
Capo:	no capo

Author Unregistered.

4 contributors total, last edit on Nov 9, 2020

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Chords

Fmaj7

Fmaj7sus2

Strumming

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Breakdown - Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
 
https://youtu.be/dqxns-JTTqA?t=1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsKsFU766Io
 
 
| * = palm-mute
 
[Intro]
Am   G   x3*
 N.C.    x3
Am   G   x8
 
[Verse 1]
Am     G            Am      G
It's alright if you love me,
Am     G            Am    G
It's alright if you don't
Am       G            Am       G
I'm not afraid of you runnin' away honey,
Am         G           Fmaj7  Fmaj7sus2  Fmaj7
I got this feeling you won't
 
[Verse 2]
    Am             G         Am      G
Say there ain't no use in pretending,
Am        G         Am   G
Your eyes give you away
Am          G           Am           G
Something inside you is feeling like I do,
Am          G           Fmaj7  Fmaj7sus2  Fmaj7
We said all there is to say...             Baby!
 
[Chorus]
Am   G    Fmaj7        G
Breakdown go ahead and give it to me
Am   G           Fmaj7               G
Breakdown honey, take me through the night
Am   G            Fmaj7          G
Breakdown now I'm standing here, can you see
Am   G           Fmaj7  Fmaj7sus2  Fmaj7
Breakdown it's alright...
          Fmaj7  Fmaj7sus2  Fmaj7
...it's alright,
          Am    G
...it's alright.
 
[Instrumental]
Am   G  x10
Fmaj7
 
[Chorus]
Am   G    Fmaj7        G
Breakdown go ahead and give it to me
Am   G           Fmaj7               G
Breakdown honey, take me through the night
Am   G            Fmaj7          G
Breakdown now I'm standing here, can you see
Am   G           Fmaj7  Fmaj7sus2  Fmaj7
Breakdown it's alright...
          Fmaj7  Fmaj7sus2  Fmaj7
...it's alright,
          Am    G
...it's alright.
 
[Outro]
Am   G  x7
X

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Breakdown – Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers

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12 comments

Am/F is the same as Fmaj7. It would read easier if written that way

Incredibly this song is in the key of C major, yet the C chord does not appear in the song. I cannot think of any other pop / rock song that does that. The main riff is very clearly played on the Cm pentatonic and the Am is the VI chord, the G the V and so on, fascinating.

A minor is the key. The notes are the same as C major scale but the octave starts at A - B - C - D - E - F - G - A instead of C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C. This the difference between the Minor and the Major and why they sound so different using the same notes.