Count Your Blessings Lyrics Chords And

Getting Count Your Blessings Right Without Losing Your Mind

I've been playing church music for longer than I'd like to admit, and Count Your Blessings comes up constantly. It's one of those hymns that everyone knows the melody but almost no one plays correctly from the charts they find online. The problem isn't the song itself. It's the chord voicings most people default to, and the fact that the bridge section catches beginners off guard every single time. The key is almost always G major, thoughTranspose to F or D depending on your vocalist. The standard progression in the main body is G - C - G - D - Em - C - D - G. That's straightforward enough. But here's where people mess it up.

Count Your Blessings Lyrics Chords And What Actually Works

The first verse chords are deceptively simple. You strum G, then C, then back to G, then D. The next line drops to Em before going C-D-G. I keep a cheat sheet for this because even though it's basic, finger fatigue sets in fast during a full service, and your hand will naturally want to simplify the C and Em shapes into something easier, which sounds wrong. The bridge is where everything falls apart. The lyrics shift to "When somethings are right, it's hard to be happy" and the harmony moves to C - Am - D - G - Em - B7 - C. That B7 is the pivot point. It's a secondary dominant leading back to Em. If you play a regular E major instead of B7, the whole bridge loses its tension and sounds flat. I learned this the hard way during a wedding rehearsal where I just went with what felt comfortable. The organist looked at me for about three seconds before gently suggesting I try the B7. I was embarrassed but grateful. For the final chorus, which is typically repeated twice with a crescendo, you can add a G/B on beat three before the final C. It's a common church music move that adds depth without any extra difficulty. Your thumb just slides down to the fifth string second fret. Takes about two seconds to get it into muscle memory.

Common Mistakes I See Repeatedly

People rush the tempo. This song sits comfortably at around 72 beats per minute in 4/4 time. Anything faster and the melody gets muddy. I usually count aloud while playing for the first few times just to stay grounded. Another issue is over-voice-leading. The original hymnal versions use fairly straightforward block chords. There's no need to add sus2s, add9s, or any of that jazz inflection unless the arrangement specifically calls for it. It clutters up the sound and makes it harder for the congregation to sing along. Timing on the "And when you count your blessings" line is also tricky. The chord changes hit on the "when" not on the downbeat of the measure. Most people anticipate it and land early. Count it out slowly: "ONE and TWO and THREE and FOUR and" with the chord switching on the "and of three." It sounds weird in practice but sounds right once you nail it.

Lyrics Reference with Chords Mapped

G C Count your blessings, name them one by one G D

Count your blessings, see what God has done Em C D G Count your blessings, name them every day

Em C D G Count your blessings, and you'll see you have more than you thought. C Am D G

And when you count your blessings, you'll see Em B7 C How many blessings your life will bring.

C Am D G You'll have plenty of blessings Em D G

If you will but count them, and blessing on blessing God will send. I don't transcribe these sections separately anymore. Once you get the bridge progression locked in, everything else maps back to it naturally. The song is short enough that you should be able to memorize it within a week of casual practice, maybe three or four sessions at twenty minutes each.

What Doesn't Work

Don't try to fingerpick this as an arpeggiated solo piece unless you really know what you're doing. The melody relies on the rhythmic drive of the strum. Slow it down too much and it loses its character. Also, if your vocalist has a limited range, don't transpose above A major. The melody goes up to a D above middle C and it's uncomfortable for most people past that point. F major is usually the safest lower option for bass voices.