Lennon, John - Instant Karma!

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John Lennon - Imagine
Hello! Below you'll find my "Instant Karma!" chords & lyrics chart as well as a tutorial video on how to play the piano accompaniment.
 

This song by John Lennon is an absolute powerhouse and so much fun to play and sing. 

Enjoy!

Lesson Video
Chord Chart

Instant Karma! Piano Tutorial

Here's a piano tutorial video for Instant Karma!:

Instant Karma! Chords & Lyrics

[Intro] (single notes)
| E | G |

[Verse 1]
A            C#m/G#                    F#m
   Instant Karma's gonna get you
A                             C#m/G#              F#m
   Gonna knock you right on the head
A                               C#m/G#      F#m
   You better get yourself together
F                                         G           A
   Pretty soon you're gonna be dead
 
[Bridge 1]
D                    F#m/C#                 Bm   D/A
   What in the world you thinking of
D                    F#m/C#      Bm    D/A
   Laughing in the face of love
C                   Em/B                 Am  C/G
   What on earth you tryin' to do
     D               E
It's up to you, yeah you
 
[Verse 2]
A               C#m/G#                  F#m
   Instant Karma's gonna get you
A                             C#m/G#        F#m
   Gonna look you right in the face
A                        C#m/G#         F#m
   Better get yourself together darlin'
F                          G         A
   Join the human race
 
[Bridge 2]
D                  F#m/C#               Bm (D/A)
   How in the world you gonna see
D                   F#m/C#   Bm   D/A
   Laughin' at fools like me
C               Em/B                          Am   C/G
   Who on earth do you think you are
    D                         E
A super star? Well, right you are
 
[Chorus 1]
              G Bm(7) Em (Em7)
Well we all shine   on
              G                    Bm(7)             Em (Em7)
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
              G  Bm(7) Em (Em7)
Well we all shine   on
D               E
Everyone! Come on!
 
[Verse 3]
A            C#m/G#                    F#m
   Instant Karma's gonna get you
A                               C#m/G#      F#m
   Gonna knock you off your feet
A                    C#m/G#              F#m
   Better recognize your brothers
F                        G           A
   Everyone you meet
 
[Bridge 3]
D                   F#m/C#          Bm   (D/A)
   Why in the world are we here
D                      F#m/C#            Bm   D/A
   Surely not to live in pain and fear
C              Em/B               Am   C/G
   Why on earth are you there
                     D
When you're everywhere
                  E
Come and get your share
 
[Chorus 2]
              G Bm(7)  Em (Em7)
Well we all shine   on
              G                      Bm(7)           Em (Em7)
Like the moons and the stars and the sun
             G  Bm(7) Em (Em7)
Yea we all shine   on
D                                     E
Come on and on and on on on

[Verse 4]
| A C#m/G# | F#m | (Yeah, yeah)
| A C#m/G# | F#m | (Alright)
| A C#m/G# | F#m | (Uh huh)
| F G | A C#m/G# | (Ah)
 
[Chorus 3]
              G  Bm(7) Em (Em7)
Well we all shine  on
              G                    Bm(7) Em (Em7)
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
             G  Bm(7) Em (Em7)
Yea we all shine   on
D                            E
On and on and on on and on
 
[Outro]
              G Bm(7) Em (Em7)
Well we all shine  on
              G                    Bm(7)            Em (Em7)
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
 
Repeat and fade, or:
 
[Alternate Live in NYC outro]
              G Bm(7)  Em (Em7)
Well we all shine   on
D                       E
On and on and on and on
D                       E         D
On and on and on and on
This document is the author's own work and represents his interpretation of this song. It's intended solely for private study, scholarship or research.
This chord chart is here only to support online learning. We recommend buying official transcripts from a licensed and reputable publisher.
Instant Karma! Piano Tips
1. Take It Slow: It's counterintuitive, but the quickest way to get comfortable and sound great playing a song is to practice it very slowly at first. Steady rhythm and counting are crucial to sounding like a pro, so let yourself get used to feeling the beat at a slow, easy tempo. Once you can nail "Instant Karma!" slowly, *gradually* speed it up. You'll sound much better than if you jumped in at full speed!
 
2. Use The Pedal Wisely: Utilize the sustain pedal to connect the chords smoothly, timing your lifts with the arrival of a new chord. For help with sustain pedal timing, check out this video.  
 
3. Simplify if need be: "Instant Karma!" still sounds great even if you simply hold out the chords and ignore most of the rhythm patterns and extra details in the tutorial video. Feel free to keep it simple, especially if you sing while playing. As you get comfortable, you can always add the fancy stuff later.
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