How to play "6 Months Later" Chords
on acoustic guitar
Capo 1st fret, standard tuning. We use friendly G-family shapes and a steady
right hand. This Guitar Lesson keeps the record feel without fuss. Short,
useful, musical. A Tutorial you can grow with. It is also a clear how to play
guide for first shows and living-room runs.
Song Overview:
Megan Moroney is playing the '6 Months Later' tabs or chords in the music
video.
Key info: concert key Ab major. With capo 1, you play G shapes. Difficulty:
early intermediate. Strumming sits near 142 bpm.
Chords Used:
Performance in the music video.
Fingerings are relative to capo at fret 1.
G 320003 or 3x0003
D/F# 200232 or 2x0232 thumb-over fine
Em 022000 or Em7 022033 soft top
C x32010 or Cadd9 x32033 pinky-ring parked
Am x02210
G/B x20033 or x2x033 passing bass
Easy-mode: favor G and Cadd9 with ring plus pinky on 3rd fret B and high E.
Then D/F# becomes 2x0233 and Em7 is 022033. One top voice, fewer finger moves.
Working chord set and capo match the shared tab details you pasted and align
with the studio key.
Strumming Pattern:
Performance in the music video.
Strumming: 142 bpm. Time 4-4. Tight eighths, light accent on beats 2 and 4.
Count: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Pattern: D D U U D U
Feel: > >
On verses, add a small palm mute near the bridge on beats 1 and 2. For choruses,
open the hand and lean into backbeats. Push to the next chord on the "&" of 4
to juice momentum.
Sections Breakdown:
Intro. Two bars set the groove with a clear bass walk.
INTRO | G D/F# Em C | G D/F# Em C |
Bass walk idea:
G to D/F#: low E string 3-2
D/F# to Em: 2-0
Em to C: A string 3 then strum
Verse. Keep dynamics low so the story sits on top. Em7 and Cadd9 give chime
without crowding the vocal line.
VERSE | G D/F# Em C | repeat as needed
Right hand: gentle D D U U D U with slight palm mute on 1-2.
Anchor ring+pinky on 3rd fret B and high E across G, D/F#, Em7, Cadd9.
Lift into chorus. Open the mute and add a small pick drag across strings 4-1
into the downbeat.
PRE | same grid | increase accents on 2 and 4
Chorus. Big and bright. Let bass notes define motion across the grid.
CHORUS | G D/F# Em C | repeat
Alt voicing: G D/F# Em7 Cadd9 for a wider top line.
Turn. Land on C, breathe for a half bar, then back to the verse grid.
Bridge. Lyrics get cheeky, guitars pop a touch harder. Try tight mutes on 1 and
3, then open on 2 and 4 for contrast. Sit on C for the spoken tag.
BRIDGE | G D/F# Em C | hold C on the tag
Optional pickup: open D string to 2nd fret into last chorus.
Outro. Tag the grid and end clean on G, let it ring.
OUTRO | D/F# Em C | G D/F# Em C | end on G
Nuances and technique notes:
Right hand. Keep the wrist loose. Downbeats should land confident but never
harsh. Upstrokes stay lighter so the backbeat breathes.
Bass targeting. Aim the pick slightly downward into the bass string on beat 1.
Brush top strings on the "&" of 2 and 4 for shimmer.
Thumb-over on D/F#. If awkward, use 2x0232 and skip the low E. The mix still
reads because the bass guitar owns the very bottom.
Common Mistakes:
Performance in the music video.
Rushing. 142 can feel zippy. Work at 130, then 135, then 142 with a click.
Over-strumming verses. Leave room for the lead vocal. Lighter ups, muted lows.
Noisy changes. Park ring and pinky on the 3rd fret top strings to reduce jumps.
Boomy D/F#. If the low F# booms, use 2x0232 and avoid the 6th string.
General Tips:
Tuning: E A D G B E. Fresh strings brighten the chorus. Roll off highs a notch
to avoid brittle top end.
Capo: 1st fret to live in G shapes while landing in Ab concert key.
Acoustic tone: pick near the soundhole for warmth in verses, edge toward the
bridge for chorus sparkle.
Practice loop: play the intro grid for 3 minutes at 142, then drop to 135 to
polish dynamics. Control before volume.
Song Facts:
Release. The single dropped June 20, 2025 on Sony Music Nashville and Columbia.
Tempo and key. Studio cut clocks about 142 bpm in Ab major with a 3:03 run time.
Writers and producer. Credits list Megan Moroney, Ben Williams, David Mescon,
Rob Hatch as writers, with Kristian Bush producing.
Video concept. The official video riffs on a playful call-center, the Karma Now
Hotline, with cheeky revenge gags and a final decline to the ex.
Context. The single arrived after her second album cycle, extending the bright,
hooky acoustic palette many dubbed emo-cowgirl adjacent.
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Song Meaning:
Big picture. The narrator starts near rock bottom after a breakup, dramatizes
the pain, then steadies. Six months later, the ex calls. The power flips. She
listens, notes his late growth, and declines the rerun. Restraint, not spite.
Verse arc. Time and place detail make the wound feel lived in. The line about
being five feet out of six is theatre for that numb half-life after a split.
Chorus stance. The twist on the old saying matters. Survival is not only about
strength. It is also about options. She chooses peace and forward motion.
Second verse. The “turns have tabled” joke frames the swap. He has therapy and
fresh insight. She has boundaries. Humor keeps it light, not cruel.
Bridge. The playful glow-up line lets her reclaim the mirror. The spoken “wrong
number” tag seals the decision with a wink rather than a door slam.
Outcome. Growth shows as refusal to recycle pain. Delivered over bright guitars
that feel like sunlight through a windshield.
Comparisons to previous works:
If “Tennessee Orange” wore its heart raw and “No Caller ID” let late-night doubt
creep in, “6 Months Later” sits between them. Bright like the former, decisive
like the latter. Sonically it leans on the crisp, hooky acoustics she has used
since Lucky. The punchline forward writing shows the sharpened confidence around
the Am I Okay era.
Questions and Answers
What is the concert key and why use capo 1?
Concert key is Ab major. Capo 1 lets you play open G-family shapes for ring and
easy swaps.
Is 142 bpm too fast for a beginner groove?
Start at 120 to 130, lock D D U U D U, then climb to 142 in small steps.
Do I need D-F sharp or can I play plain D?
Plain D works. D-F sharp tightens the bass walk, but skipping the low E keeps
things clean in a solo setup.
What subs keep top notes ringing?
Use Em7 and Cadd9 so ring plus pinky stay planted on the 3rd fret. Consistent
sparkle, fewer motion errors.
Who wrote and produced the track?
Writers are Moroney, Williams, Mescon, Hatch. Producer is Kristian Bush.
Practice plan snapshot:
Loop the intro grid for 3 minutes at 130 bpm, then at 142. Prioritize clean
bass-note landings.
Run G to D-F sharp to Em7 to Cadd9 ten times with a click. Do not stop the
right hand.
Play one soft verse then one big chorus. Record, listen for rushing on the
"&" of 4.
That is the core. When your chorus grows without simply getting louder, you are
ready to take it on stage.
Capo 1st fret
[Intro]
G D/F# Em C
G D/F# Em C
[Verse 1]
G
Let me set you the scene
D/F# Em
November circa 2019
C G
Put a hole in my heart, watched it bleed
D/F# Em C
You said that we were better off as strangers
G
I was barely alive
D/F# Em
Out of six feet deep, I was five
C G D/F#
Pretty sure they called a hearse outside, okay, that's dramatic
Em C
But I survived, then I survived
[Chorus]
G D/F#
The "Hey Meg, I think I want you back
Em C
I'm a couple drinks in thinkin' it's my bad
G D/F# Em C
That I let you walk away and let you go" (Oh)
G D/F#
It's a tale as old as time I guess
Em C
When you couldn't care more, I couldn't care less
Am G/B C
You're a little too late to the party, heartbreaker
G D/F# Em C
What doesn't kill you calls you six months later
[Verse 2]
G
Oh, how the turns have tabled
D/F# Em
All the sudden, now you're willing and able
C G
Little therapy, now you're so stable
D/F#
Okay, well
Em
Your next girlfriend will be so lucky
C
To not hear
[Chorus]
G D/F#
"Hey Meg, I think I want you back
Em C
I'm a couple drinks in thinkin' it's my bad
G D/F# Em C
That I let you walk away (Let you walk away) and let you go" (Oh)
G D/F#
It's a tale as old as time I guess
Em C
When you couldn't care more, I couldn't care less
Am G/B C
You're a little too late to the party, heartbreaker
G D/F# Em C
What doesn't kill you calls you six months later
[Bridge]
G
What doesn't kill you
D/F# Em
Makes you stronger and blonder and hotter
C G D/F#
Makes you wonder what you even saw in him at all
Em C
What doesn't kill you always calls
N.C.
(Oh, sorry, I think you have the wrong number)
[Chorus]
G D/F#
With a "Hey Meg, I think I want you back
Em C
I'm a couple drinks in thinkin' it's my bad (Thinkin' it's my bad)
G D/F# Em C
That I let you walk away (Let you walk away) and let you go" (Oh)
G D/F#
It's a tale as old as time I guess (Tale as old I guess)
Em C
When you couldn't care more, I couldn't care less
Am G/B C
You're a little too late to the party (A little too late), heartbreaker
G
What doesn't kill you calls you six months later
[Outro]
D/F# Em C G D/F# Em C
