This Song is so profound no wonder Brandi Carlile won the Grammy award. It is a fairly easy song to play so I am going to teach you how. With this “How to Play Brandi Carlile The Joke Complete Guitar Lesson.”
Maybe your wondering what is a complete guitar lesson on “How to Play Brandi Carlile The Joke”? No problem Let me tell you what all is included in How to Play Brandi Carlile The Joke Complete Guitar Lesson.
- Brandi Carlile The Joke Chords
- Strumming Pattern to The Joke Brandi Carlile
- Chord Progression for The Joke
- Brandi Carlile The Joke Lyrics
- Bonus The Joke Video Tutorial
- Additional Related Questions
If this interests you and looks like fun. Then grab your guitar and lets dive into this Brandi Carlile Guitar Lesson on The Joke. And That’s No Joke!
Brandi Carlile The Joke Chords
Let’s start by looking at the chords we are going to need to use. In order to play The Joke. The chords.

Here are the chords D, Am7, G, D, F#, Gm. Some of these chords are bar chords but now’s a good song to bite the bullet and learn bar chords. And there are different shapes of bar chords once you learn them it really opens up a lot of choices. A Good resource for learning bar chords is in the Guitar Bootcamp Course. If you struggle with them check it out.
Let me go over the finger positions for these chords. If you already know then continue on.
How to Make a D Major Chord
- Place your first finger on the second fret, of the third string. Which is the G string.
- Put your second finger on the second fret, of the first string. The High E string.
- Then your third finger is on the third fret, of the second string. This is the B string.
- Strum from the D string. Which is the 4th string. Don’t play the 5th or 6th strings.
Am7 Guitar Chord
- Place your first finger on the first fret, of the B string. The second string.
- Next place your second finger on the D string at the second fret. (4th string).
- Don’t play the sixth string when strumming.
How to Place Your Fingers for a G Chord
There are several ways to play the G chord in the first position. Here is how I play the G chord.
- Second finger on the fifth string, at the second fret. The A string.
- Third finger on the sixth string, at the third fret. (E String).
- Pinkie on the third fret of the first string. (E string).
- Strum all strings.
Another way is to play the G chord is:
- With your first finger on the second fret of the 5th string.
- Second finger on the third fret of the sixth string.
- And your Third finger on the third fret of the first string.
- Strum all the strings.
Both G’s are correct. What ever is more comfortable for you to play. Pick one and go for it.
F# Finger Position
- Use your first finger like a capo. And bar across all the strings at the second fret.
- Then your second finger is at the third fret of the G string. (3rd string).
- Third finger is on the fourth fret of the A stroing. (5th string).
- Pinkie is under your third finger. On the D string, at the fourth fret. (4th string).
- Strum all strings.
How to play a G Bar Chord
- First finger is barred across all the strings at the third fret.
- Second finger is on the third string, at the fourth fret,
- Third finger is on the fifth fret of the A string. (5th string).
- Pinkie is under your third finger. On the D string, at the fifth fret. (4th string).
- Strum all strings.

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How to play a Gm Bar Chord
- Your First finger is barred across all the strings at the third fret.
- Then your third finger is on the fifth fret of the A string. (5th string).
- And your pinkie is under your third finger. On the D string, at the fifth fret. (4th string).
- Strum all strings.
Some of the Best chords you will ever hear being played. Is from one of the top blues men, and that is Joe Bonamassa. He now has his own line of products. Check it out.
Strumming Pattern to The Joke Brandi Carlile
Now that you know what chords your going to use. Let’s go over the strumming pattern. This is a really easy song to strum. And it goes like this. DD UUDU. Or you could say down down Up Up Down up.
Chord Progression for The Joke
The Joke starts out with these chords D Am7 G and D. And then this progression D Am7 G and D is played through 4 times. When playing the chorus you play D Am7 G Gm D F# G Gm D. After that you play, D Am7 G and D. Then the second verse begins.
When you get to the D chord you want to Play a Dsus chord. Right before where it goes let them “laugh while they can”, just lift your second finger off the string. And then back down. Be sure to watch the Bonus Video The Joke Guitar Tutorial to get a better look at when it happens.
If you need help with playing guitar and singing at the same time. Take a look at this Ultimate Guide How to Play Guitar and Sing at the same time.
If your into country like I am then take a look at this guitar lesson. Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain Chords & solo.
Brandi Carlile The Joke Lyrics
You're feeling nervous aren't you boy With your quiet voice and impeccable style Don't ever let them steel your joy And your gentle ways, to keep them from running wild They can kick dirt in your face Dress you down, and tell you that your place Is in the middle, when they hate the way you shine I see you tugging on your shirt Trying to hide inside of it, hide how much it hurts. Let them laugh while they can Let them spin, let them scatter in the wind I have been to the movies, I've seen how it ends And the joke's on them You get discouraged don't you girl It's your brothers world for a while longer You got to dance with the devil on a river to beat the streams Call it living the dream, call it kicking the ladder They come to kick dirt in your face To call you weak and then displace you After carrying your baby on your back across the desert I saw your eyes behind your hair And you're looking tired, but you don't look scared. Let them laugh while they can Let them spin, let them scatter in the wind I have been to the movies, I've seen how it ends And the joke's on them Source

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Related Questions
FAQ About The Joke Brandi Carlile
- Q – What American singer song writer recorded The Joke?
- A – Brandi Carlile
- Q – When was The Joke released?
- A – The Joke was released in 2017.
- Q – Who wrote the song The Joke?
- A – Brandi Carlile, and Dave Cobb co-wrote the song. Source
Brandi Carlile and The Joke won the Grammy Award in 2019 for best American roots song.
Brandi Carlile The Story Chords
This is another great song by Brandi Carlile. Here are the Brandi Carlile The Story chords. A E F# D. But if you want all the tips, and a complete tutorial on The Story then Click this link The Story Brandi Carlile Acoustic Guitar Lesson.
How do I use a Am7?
I will show you the finger position of the Am7. But if you want to learn how to read chord diagrams. Take a look at this resource How to read a chord chart.
- Put your first finger on the first fret, of the 2nd string. This is the B string.
- Then place your second finger on the 4th string. At the second fret. (D string).
- Don’t play the sixth string when strumming.
If you want to get more tips on chords. How to play them, and the secrets that will make transitioning between chords easy. And much more take a look at the Bootcamp course.
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