Brahms’ Lullaby—originally titled Wiegenlied, Op. 49 No. 4—is one of Johannes Brahms most well-known and recognizable melodies. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to play it on guitar with simple chords, easy tabs, and a straightforward arrangement that works well for beginners or anyone looking to add a calm, classic piece to their playing.
Grab your guitar, and let’s get started!
How to read the guitar chord charts
To clarify how to read the chord charts, the top horizontal line represents the high E string and the bottom horizontal line represents the low E string. The vertical lines separate each fret. The numbers in the blue dots tell you which fingers to use on the fretting hand.
For example, on the G Major chord, you use the:
- 2nd finger on the 6th string, 3rd fret
- 1st finger on the 5th string, 2nd fret
- 3rd finger on the 2nd string, 3rd fret
- 4th finger on the 1st string, 3rd fret
- Circles represent open strings
- On some other chords, X means to avoid the string
You can check this link for more on how to read guitar notation symbols.
Brahms Lullaby chords
The basic guitar chords for Brahms Lullaby are G Major, G/B, C add 2, A minor 7, D7 and E minor 7. You can click on the chords with links to learn different ways of playing that chord.
Try the following chords one at a time until you feel comfortable switching between them. These chords will be written above the melody in the next section.
By the way, you can get all the PDFs for this lesson below.

Here are some other resources on chords:
- Master the basic chords on guitar
- Essential 7th chords on guitar
- How to play chord inversions on guitar
- Add 2 chords vs Sus 2 chords: What’s the difference?
Brahms Lullaby – melody with tabs and chords
For the sheet music below, keep in mind that the chords and melody are meant to be played as separate parts. We’ll look at how to connect these parts later in the arrangement section of this lesson.
When playing the chords part, continue playing the same chord when switching to a measure that doesn’t show one. For example, you would play D 7 for measures 7 and 8.
You can refer to this simple guide to understanding music symbols if needed.
Backing Track 🎶
🎶 Want to practice along with audio tracks? Get the Brahms Lullaby backing tracks here!


Brahms Lullaby – fingerstyle arrangement
In this section, we are essentially connecting the melody and chords together using a finger picking method of playing. If needed, check out this lesson to learn how to finger pick on guitar.
Backing Track 🎶
🎶 Want to practice along with audio tracks? Get the Brahms Lullaby backing tracks here!

Get full access as a Pro Member!
Join now or
log in to unlock this lesson and more!
Start Playing Better, Faster
with Pro Membership! ✨
Get the guidance, tools, and support that keep your progress on track:
🏁 Always know what to practice next. Access the full Guitar Learning Roadmap with lessons in sequence.
🎼 Play songs with confidence. Step-by-step lessons of popular, classical pieces and other styles.
📙 Save time and frustration. Clear PDFs and ebooks that save time so you can focus on playing.
🎟️ Your membership pays for itself. 2 free downloads every month (a $240+ yearly value).
🎁 Never overpay again. 50% off all charts, tracks, and posters — up to 75% off bundles.
🚫 Stay focused. Ad-free environment keeps you in the zone.
💬 Get help when you need it. Direct member support to keep you on track.
The third to last measure uses a G chord in 2nd inversion, meaning that the 3rd of the chord is in the bass.
If you like this style of playing, you can check out this lesson to learn how to connect a melody and chords on guitar.
📘 Get the free guitar practice guide here!
Check out all the song PDFs or search for a specific song below.
Want to learn more songs? Check out the sheet music with guitar tabs resource on this site.
All the best,
JG Music Lessons
Explore Songs with Guitar Tabs
Start Playing Better, Faster
with Pro Membership! ✨
Get the guidance, tools, and support that keep your progress on track:
🏁 Always know what to practice next. Access the full Guitar Learning Roadmap with lessons in sequence.
🎼 Play songs with confidence. Step-by-step lessons of popular, classical pieces and other styles.
📙 Save time and frustration. Clear PDFs and ebooks that save time so you can focus on playing.
🎟️ Your membership pays for itself. 2 free downloads every month (a $240+ yearly value).
🎁 Never overpay again. 50% off all charts, tracks, and posters — up to 75% off bundles.
🚫 Stay focused. Ad-free environment keeps you in the zone.
💬 Get help when you need it. Direct member support to keep you on track.