---
layout: song

title: '"Light On" by Maggie Rogers'
song_title:  Light On
artist: Maggie Rogers
year: 2019
category: full_song
tags: [Full Song Lesson, 2010s, Key of C, Pop]
yt_video_id: bEqojO6_u2s
slug: "208"
redirect_from:
  - /songs/maggie-rogers-light-on/
#pdf_version: v1
pdf_version: copyright
pdf_numpages: 2
patreon_lesson_available: true
patreon_lesson_url: https://www.patreon.com/posts/24140548
---

## Video lesson

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bEqojO6_u2s?showinfo=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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## Editor's notes

In this video, I'll show you how to play an acoustic version of "Light On" by Maggie Rogers - including chords, tabs for the intro, and a few strumming patterns. Here's some suggested acoustic versions of this song for you to check out, performed by Maggie Rogers and her guitarist.

<!-- ## Amazing acoustic version by Maggie Rogers

via La Blogothèque – Live in Paris

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fVLDxmjeyVo?showinfo=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> -->


<!-- ## Lyrics w/ chords

    * capo 2nd fret

    INTRO

        E ––0––|–––––––––––––––       E ––3––|–––––––––––––––       E ––0––|–––––––––––––––
        B ––1––|––1–0––1–1––0––       B ––0––|––1–0––1–1––0––       B ––1––|––1–0––1–1––0––
        G ––0––|––0–0––0–0––0–– x1    G ––0––|––0–0––0–0––0–– x1    G ––2––|––2–2––2–2––2–– x2
        D ––2––|–––––––––––––––       D ––0––|–––––––––––––––       D ––3––|–––––––––––––––
        A ––3––|–––––––––––––––       A ––2––|–––––––––––––––       A –––––|–––––––––––––––
        E –––––|–––––––––––––––       E ––3––|–––––––––––––––       E –––––|–––––––––––––––
            C                             G                            Fmaj7       

    VERSE
                    C
        Would you believe me now...
             G                             Fmaj7
        If I told you I got caught up in a wave, almost gave it away
                  C
        Would you hear me out...     
             G                            Fmaj7             
        If I told you I was terrified for days, thought I was gonna break

    PRE-CHORUS
            Am                               G
            Oh, I couldn't stop it, tried to slow it all down
            Fmaj7
            Crying in the bathroom, had to figure it out
                 Am                        G                Fmaj7
            With everyone around me saying, "You must be so happy now"

    CHORUS
                                C                            G
                Oh, if you keep reaching out, then I'll keep coming back
                              Fmaj7
                And if you're gone for good, then I'm okay with that
                Am                           G          Em                 Fmaj7
                ...If you leave the light on, then I'll leave the light on

                     C
        And do you believe me now
               G                               Fmaj7
        That I always had the best intentions, babe? Always wanted to stay...
                C
        Can you feel me now
                 G                        Fmaj7
        That I'm vulnerable in oh-so many ways? Oh, and I'll never change

            Am                               G
            Oh, I couldn't stop it, tried to figure it out
                Fmaj7       
            But everything kept moving, and the noise got too loud
                 Am                        G
            With everyone around me saying, "you should be so happy now"

                [chorus]

                Am     G               Fadd9
                ...Oh, leave the light on
                Am               G               Fadd9
                ...Oh, would you leave the light on

                [chorus]

## Chord shapes used

    E –––0––––3––––0––––0––––0–––
    B –––1––––3––––1––––1––––0–––
    G –––0––––0––––2––––2––––0–––
    D –––2––––0––––3––––2––––2–––
    A –––3––––2–––––––––0––––2–––
    E ––––––––3––––––––––––––0–––
         C    G  Fmaj7  Am   Em

## Intro tab, easiest version

The easiest way to approach this is to put your hands in the chord shapes below, and simply remove & add your left index finger to the 1st fret of the 2nd string.

    E ––0––|–––––––––––––––    E ––3––|–––––––––––––––    E ––0––|–––––––––––––––
    B ––1––|––1–0––1–1––0––    B ––0––|––1–0––1–1––0––    B ––1––|––1–0––1–1––0––  <== left index finger
    G ––0––|––0–0––0–0––0––    G ––0––|––0–0––0–0––0––    G ––2––|––2–2––2–2––2––      used on this string for
    D ––2––|–––––––––––––––    D ––0––|–––––––––––––––    D ––3––|–––––––––––––––      the on/off melody note
    A ––3––|–––––––––––––––    A ––2––|–––––––––––––––    A –––––|–––––––––––––––      on all 3 chords
    E –––––|–––––––––––––––    E ––3––|–––––––––––––––    E –––––|–––––––––––––––
        C                          G                         Fmaj7       

## Intro tab, advanced

Here's the full tab, with the pulsing bass notes.

    E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    B –––––1–––––0–––––1–––––1–––0–––––––––1–––––0–––––1–––––1–––0–––––––––1–––––0–––––1–––––1–––0–––––––––1–––––0–––––1–––––1–––0–––––
    G –––––0–––––0–––––0–––––0–––0–––––––––0–––––0–––––0–––––0–––0–––––––––0–––––0–––––0–––––0–––0–––––––––0–––––0–––––0–––––0–––0–––––
    D –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    A –3–––––––––––3–––––––3–––––––3–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––3–––––––––––3–––––––3–––––––3–––1–––––––––––1–––––––1–––––––1–––1–––––––––––1–––––––1–––––––1–––
       C                               G                               Fmaj7                           Fmaj7
       1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a 1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a 1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a 1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a

Here's the timing chart I used when training my fingers to play their parts independently. I practice this by rhythmically knocking my right-hand thumb and index/middle fingers against a table (or steering wheel, or my pants, etc) until I could do the pattern without thinking about it. Then, I translated it to guitar (with my left hand doing the fretting and chord changes). It was hard, but I got it. If you want to learn this, have patience!

    Melody rhythm => |     O     0     O     O   0     |         O = index finger on
                     | 1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a |         0 = index finger off
    Thumb rhythm  => | x           x       x       x   | -->

## Best videos of this song

This is my favorite. Solo acoustic guitar, all shot in one live take, her friends singing the chorus as a group. Released the week before her first album goes out into the world. So happy for her.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fVLDxmjeyVo" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

There's also her SNL performance which I'll include for fun. Less acoustic, but still good I think:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NBNF4OwtSWQ" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

And finally, here's the Spotify Singles version of this song, which has a great acoustic vibe:

<iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/0NIbNHfjpDZYBC9gKpVoWd" width="300" height="380" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe>

<!-- ## Good luck!

Thanks for reading! I hope this helped you. -->
