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Try A Little Tenderness

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[Intro]
G,   Adim    C/E    G7/F   C/E    G/E    C#dim  D  
[Verse 1]
 GOh, Emshe may be weary;
 AmThem young girls, D7they do get weary,
 GWearing that F6same old shaggy E7dress.
 AmBut when she gets weary;D7  
                     G/B  Bb7,   Am  Am/D  
Try a little tenderness.
[Verse 2]
 GYou know, Emshe's waiting; Amjust an-D7ticipating,
 Gmaj7The thing that she'll F6never, never, E7never, never posses, yeah, yeah.
 AmBut while she's there waiting, D7and without them,
Try a little Gmaj7tenderness, Cthat's Gall you got to do.G7  
[Bridge]
 CIt's not just B7sentimental, no, no, no;
 EmShe has her A7griefs and cares.
 CBut the soft words; B7they are spoke so gentle, yeah,
 A7It makes it easier, Am7easier to D7bear.
[Verse 3]
 GYou Emwon't regret it, no, no;
 AmYoung girls, they, D7don't forget it;
 GLove is their F6whole happi-E7ness.
 AmBut its all so easy;D7  
All you got to do is try, try a little G/Btenderness yeah.
All you gotta, E7do is dance, and hold her where you want her.
[Coda]
 AmSqueeze her, Bmdon't tease her,
 CNever A/C#leave her, Dnow B/D#get to her;
 EGot, got, got to Ftry a F#little Gtenderness, yeah, yeah,
 F7You got to know how to E7#9love her bad, take this advice, man, you got to...
 AmSqueeze her, Bmdon't tease her,
 CNever A/C#leave, you got to Dhold her,B/D#  
Brother Esometimes(?) Ftry a F#little Gtenderness, yeah, yeah,
 F7You got to know how to E7#9love her bad, don't lose her, no, no.
 AmYou got to Bmlove her, Ctease her, A/C#always please her.
 D(n.C)                                       G  
 Got to try, now, now, now, try, try a little tenderness, yeah,
 F7Watch me groove, you got to E7#9know what to do, man, take this advice;
You gotta, Amlove her, Bmsqueeze, Cdon't you tease my A/C#baby..D.
(Fade)
CHORD DIAGRAMS:
---------------
   G      Adim     C/E    G7/F     G/E    C#dim    D       Em
   Am      D7      F6      E7      G/B     Bb7    Am/D    Gmaj7
   C       G7      B7      A7      Am7     Bm     A/C#    B/D#
TabEbed by JFoel from F#cLuMsY, F7BristoE7#9l, England, 2004 ([email protected])

All chords in this song (24)

The story behind the song

Otis Redding was a pivotal figure in soul music, often called the "King of Soul," whose singing style was deeply inspired by gospel music. His vocals influenced many other soul artists of the 1960s. This song, "Try a Little Tenderness," embodies the raw emotion and soulful delivery that defined his sound. It encourages a gentle, compassionate approach, suggesting that even a little tenderness can make a profound difference.

AI-written from these sources:Otis Redding — Wikipedia ↗MusicBrainz ↗

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Chord Book

670,000+ free guitar chords · free-chords.com

Try A Little Tenderness

by Otis Redding

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

Adim

C/E

G7/F

G/E

C#dim

G/B

Bb7

Am/D

Gmaj7

Am7

A/C#

B/D#

[Intro]

G Adim C/E G7/F C/E G/E C#dim D

[Verse 1]

G Em

Oh, she may be weary;

Am D7

Them young girls, they do get weary,

G F6 E7

Wearing that same old shaggy dress.

Am D7

But when she gets weary;

G/B Bb7 Am Am/D

Try a little tenderness.

[Verse 2]

G Em Am D7

You know, she's waiting; just an-ticipating,

Gmaj7 F6 E7

The thing that she'll never, never, never, never posses, yeah, yeah.

Am D7

But while she's there waiting, and without them,

Gmaj7 C G G7

Try a little tenderness, that's all you got to do.

[Bridge]

C B7

It's not just sentimental, no, no, no;

Em A7

She has her griefs and cares.

C B7

But the soft words; they are spoke so gentle, yeah,

A7 Am7 D7

It makes it easier, easier to bear.

[Verse 3]

G Em

You won't regret it, no, no;

Am D7

Young girls, they, don't forget it;

G F6 E7

Love is their whole happi-ness.

Am D7

But its all so easy;

G/B

All you got to do is try, try a little tenderness yeah.

All you gotta, do is dance, and hold her where you want her.

[Coda]

Am Bm

Squeeze her, don't tease her,

C A/C# D B/D#

Never leave her, now get to her;

E F F# G

Got, got, got to try a little tenderness, yeah, yeah,

F7 E7#9

You got to know how to love her bad, take this advice, man, you got to...

Am Bm

Squeeze her, don't tease her,

C A/C# D B/D#

Never leave, you got to hold her,

E F F# G

Brother sometimes(?) try a little tenderness, yeah, yeah,

F7 E7#9

You got to know how to love her bad, don't lose her, no, no.

Am Bm C A/C#

You got to love her, tease her, always please her.

D C G

(n.)

Got to try, now, now, now, try, try a little tenderness, yeah,

F7 E7#9

Watch me groove, you got to know what to do, man, take this advice;

Am Bm C A/C# D

You gotta, love her, squeeze, don't you tease my baby...

(Fade)

CHORD DIAGRAMS:

---------------

G Adim C/E G7/F G/E C#dim D Em

Am D7 F6 E7 G/B Bb7 Am/D Gmaj7

C G7 B7 A7 Am7 Bm A/C# B/D#

E F F# F7 E7#9

Tabbed by Joel from cLuMsY, Bristol, England, 2004 ([email protected])

About Try A Little Tenderness Chords by Otis Redding

Learn how to play Try A Little Tenderness by Otis Redding with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Try A Little Tenderness chords”, “Try A Little Tenderness guitar chords”, or “Otis Redding Try A Little Tenderness chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy Try A Little Tenderness chords and for experienced players who want accurate Try A Little Tenderness lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include G, Adim, C/E, G7/F, G/E, C#dim.

FAQ — Try A Little Tenderness by Otis Redding

How do I play "Try A Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding on guitar?

Open the free chords for "Try A Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding on Free Chord Book. Tap any chord to see its diagram, use transpose to change the key, and turn on auto-scroll to play hands-free.

Are the chords for "Try A Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding free?

Yes. The chords for "Try A Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "Try A Little Tenderness" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "Try A Little Tenderness" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

Can I see chord diagrams for "Try A Little Tenderness"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "Try A Little Tenderness" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "Try A Little Tenderness" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "Try A Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Otis Redding below.

What key is "Try A Little Tenderness" in?

The chords for "Try A Little Tenderness" show the original chord names (including G, Adim, C/E, G7/F, G/E, C#dim). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.