Strumming Through Relient K's Classic in D
If Today Was Your Last Day by Relient K is one of those songs that looks deceptively simple on paper but trips people up if they don't get the rhythm right. The song sits in the key of D and relies on three main chords that show up in almost every pop-rock song from the mid-2000s: D, G, and A. The chorus adds a Bm for a moment of slight tension before looping back. That's really it. The challenge isn't the chord changes. It's the strumming pattern and making sure you're not rushing through the transitions. Here's the straight chord chart. Verse goes D going to G to A and back to D, then G to A to D. The chorus shifts to D-A-Bm-G, then D-A-D to close it out. Play it in 4/4 time at around 120 beats per minute. The strumming pattern is mostly down-down-up-up-down-up, which is standard pop-punk territory. If you're just learning, stick to all downs at first. Speed comes later. I should mention the G chord specifically. People tend to play the simple open G, but this song sounds much closer to the record if you use a Gadd9 shape with the index finger on the high E string, third fret. It gives that fuller sound that matches the original arrangement. The regular open G works fine for practice, but if you're playing for other people or recording, the add9 version makes a noticeable difference.
The Bm in the chorus is another place where beginners fumble. You can use the full barre shape, but honestly, the simplified version works just as well for this song. Just mute the low E string and play Bm without the barre. Your ring finger on the A string, fifth fret, middle finger on the D string, fourth fret, index on the G string, fourth fret, and pinky on the B string, third fret. It's less effort and sounds nearly identical in context since the strumming covers the missing root note anyway. One thing I ran into when I first learned this song: the transition from A back to D in the verse feels awkward at first because your hand wants to stay in the same position. It actually doesn't. The A chord uses your index finger on the high E string, second fret, middle on the B string, third fret, ring on the G string, second fret, and pinky on the D string, second fret. Then you lift everything and land the D chord with index on the G string, second fret, middle on the high E string, second fret, and ring on the B string, third fret. Practice that A-to-D change in isolation. It takes maybe twenty minutes of slow repetition and it stops being a stumbling block entirely. Here's the tab-friendly version so you can see exactly where your fingers go:
D chord: x-0-2-2-3-0 G chord: 3-2-0-0-0-3 (or the add9 version: 3-2-0-0-0-x with index on the high E, third fret) A chord: x-0-2-2-2-0
Get the Full Details
Bm chord: x-2-4-4-3-2 (simplified version: x-2-4-4-3-x) Bm full barre: 2-4-4-3-2-2 Capo tip: if you want to sing along and the original key sits too low for your voice, put a capo on the second or third fret and play the shapes as written. That raises the key to E or Fwithout changing any of the finger positions. Most people who play this for karaoke or campfire purposes use a capo two. It sounds cleaner than transposing the whole thing down manually.
The timing is straightforward but don't skip counting. The song has a four-bar intro that mirrors the verse progression, and the pre-chorus (which many people just call the second half of the verse) adds a quick A-to-Bm movement that signals the chorus is coming. Counting bars while you practice keeps you from losing the groove when you play with someone else. I've seen too many people fall apart the first time they try to play with a friend because they couldn't count past eight bars. If you need the official chords from a tab site, Songsterr and Ultimate-Guitar both have them listed correctly. The crowd-sourced versions on Ultimate-Guitar sometimes list the Bm as a full barre when it's not necessary, so keep that in mind if you're struggling with finger placement. Songsterr's interactive player is also useful for slowing the tempo down to hear exactly when the chord changes happen.
