The ULTIMATE How Deep Is Your Love Chords & Guitar Lesson

I still get the chills every time I hear the Bee Gees harmonize. 

They’d been singing together since they were kids and had an incredible sound. 

Below, I’m going to share with you some insider tips on one of their most famous songs.  

So grab your axe, and let’s dive into this “How Deep Is Your Love” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote How Deep Is Your Love?

"How Deep Is Your Love" was originally written by all three brothers in the Bee Gees: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, and Maurice Gibb.

The song was specifically created for the soundtrack to the 1977 film, Saturday Night Fever. The Bee Gees were initially given the film script and asked to write songs for specific scenes. “How Deep Is Your Love” is a soft and sophisticated pop ballad with incredible vocal harmonies. The lyrics capture a feeling of vulnerability in a relationship. 

The Bee Gees wrote it in a recording studio in Château d'Hérouville, France. The melody came together quickly at the French chateau, a setting perfect for the song’s romantic quality. 

"How Deep Is Your Love" was recorded in 1977 at various locations, including sessions in France and later at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida. The song was released as a single ahead of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack and the film's release. 

Upon its release, it became a global hit, peaking at Number 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and achieving platinum status. The song was instrumental in the cultural phenomenon of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, which won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1979. 

"How Deep Is Your Love" has received significant accolades over the years, and it’s also been covered by countless legendary artists. It’s now become a standard.

Now, you may be wondering…

What is the tuning for How Deep Is Your Love?

The tuning for "How Deep Is Your Love” is standard tuning. Standard tuning is spelled: E, A, D, G, B, and E.  

Here are the strings: 

• E (6th string, lowest pitch)
• A (5th string)
• D (4th string)
• G (3rd string)
• B (2nd string)
• E (1st string, highest pitch)

All right! 

Now that you know the tuning for “How Deep Is Your Love,” let’s next talk about…

How Deep Is Your Love Chords

To play “How Deep Is Your Love”, you’ll need to know 11 main chords they are Ebsus2, Ebmaj7, Abmaj7, Ab/Bb, Eb, Gm7, Fm7, C7, Cm7, Db9, and Abm6. Now, the majority of these chords are played as bar chords. 

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Let’s take a look at a few ways these shapes might appear on the fretboard.

Ebsus2 makes a slight change from a common bar chord position, but that change results in a beautiful, airy, and open sound like this:

Ebmaj7 is a jazzier style chord shape with a root on the 5th string, like so:

Abmaj7 relocates the root to the 6th string like this:

Ab/Bb I often play as a “thumb-chord,” but you can also play it without the fretting hand thumb like this:

Eb is a standard bar chord with a root on the 5th string, like so:

Gm7 is played all on the 3rd fret like this:

Fm7 simply shifts Gm7 down 2 frets like so:

C7 is played in 1st position like this:

Cm7 is a beautiful chord with a root on the 5th string, like this:

Db9 is one of my favorite moves in the chord progression. I play it like this:

Finally, Abm6 is a great gospel-sounding chord played in 3rd position like so:

If you’ve struggled to understand the fretboard for RHYTHM and LEAD guitar, and want to discover the easiest and fastest way. Then get your hands on my free Fretboard Guide PDF right here now:  

Is How Deep Is Your Love hard to play on guitar?

I would say playing “How Deep Is Your Love” on guitar is going to require an advanced skill level. The trickiest parts are all the different chord changes and sections a player must know. The harmony goes far beyond just a simple I, IV, and V chord progression and presents many jazzier style chord shapes. Plus, it’s in the key of Eb, which is a harder guitar key. So, take your time with this one.

What key is How Deep Is Your Love in?

“How Deep Is Your Love”, as recorded by the Bee Gees, is in the key of Eb major. The primary scale for the song is the Eb major scale, which is built using the notes Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, and D.

Let’s take a closer look at how all these chords relate in the key of Eb major. Starting with… 

Eb

Notes: Eb, G, Bb

Function: This is the I chord (tonic) in Eb major. It’s home.

Abmaj7

Notes: Ab, C, Eb, G

Function: This is the IVmaj7 chord (subdominant major 7) in Eb major. The IV chord creates smooth movement away from the tonic, and making it a maj7 makes it have a jazzy flavor. Ab often leads back to Eb or moves toward the dominant.

Ab/Bb

Notes: Ab, C, Eb over Bb in the bass

Function: This is a slash chord where Ab (IV) sits over Bb, the V of Eb. This creates a suspended, pre-dominant motion that naturally leads to the V chord Bb or Bb7 or back to I.

Gm7

Notes: G, Bb, D, F

Function: This is the iii7 chord in Eb major. It’s a minor 7 chord that can function as a connecting chord between changes.

Fm7

Notes: F, Ab, C, Eb

Function: This is the ii7 chord (supertonic minor 7) in Eb major. It’s commonly used to set up the V7 chord to create a ii–V–I motion back to Eb.

C7

Notes: C, E, G, Bb

Function: This is a secondary dominant (V7/ii) in Eb major, and is used to create tension.

Cm7

Notes: C, Eb, G, Bb

Function: This is the vi7 chord (submediant minor 7) in Eb major. It’s the relative minor of Eb major and shares notes with the tonic and ii chord. It’s often used for a melancholic contrast.

Db9

Notes: Db, F, Ab, Cb (B), Eb

Function: This is the ♭VII9 chord in Eb major. It’s a borrowed chord from the Mixolydian mode and adds a bluesy or rock flavor.

Abm6

Notes: Ab, Cb (B), Eb, F

Function: This is a borrowed minor 6 chord (iv6) from the parallel minor (Eb minor). It adds a dark and introspective sound that often resolves back to Eb major.

All right! 

That’s my theory breakdown. 

Next, let’s look at…

What is the strumming pattern for How Deep Is Your Love?

The main underlying feel for “How Deep Is Your Love” is a steady pop ballad. In 4/4 time, quarter notes divide each measure into four equal parts. The counting for quarter notes in a measure looks like this:

1 2 3 4

The numbers (1, 2, 3, 4) represent the main beats in the measure. 

Here’s an example of a simple strumming pattern using half notes in the style of “How Deep Is Your Love”:

Conclusion

To wrap it up, “How Deep Is Your Love” is a legendary song that’s moved the world. It’s got an unbelievable melody and chord progression. However, it’s not the easiest tune.  

So, keep practicing, and if you want to learn songs way faster, better understand the fretboard for lead and rhythm, and not waste years spinning your wheels with guitar, grab my free fretboard guide here right now: 

Jon MacLennan