Fast & Easy Waiting On The World To Change Chords & Guitar Lesson

You might get a kick out of this…

In 2006, I went to Borders bookstore and bought John Mayer’s new album Continuum.

I came home, popped the CD into my player, opened up the jewel case to look at the liner notes, and got lost in the music. The first track is “Waiting On The World To Change”. 

Shortly after this, I played “Waiting On The World To Change” to my friend who was the bass player in my band at that time. He said, “Oh… these are some gospel changes.”

My ear wasn’t as developed as it is now. But his comment got me thinking.

I later learned the chord progression to “Waiting On The World To Change”, and noticed it was (almost) exactly the same as “People Get Ready” by Curtis Mayfield.

But then something else happened…

I figured out the solo too. It's all played on one string… it just slides up and down the neck and uses bluesy bends. Then later, I learned the solo on Stevie Ray Vaughan’s, “Lenny” and discovered John Mayer’s solo on “Waiting On The World To Change” is lifted (almost) exactly from a lead part in “Lenny”. 

What’s the point?

Music is a language.

All the greats, study the greats. They imbibe their licks and ideas and know how to work them into their own style.

So grab your axe and let’s dive into this “Waiting On The World To Change” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Waiting On The World To Change?

"Waiting On The World To Change" was written by John Mayer. It was released as the lead single from his 2006 album, Continuum.

The song expresses feelings of political and social frustration, particularly from the perspective of younger generations. Mayer describes a generation that feels powerless to make meaningful change in a world controlled by larger systems—government, corporations, and media. But instead of being an aggressive protest song, it takes a more reflective and resigned approach. Mayer has said the song isn’t about apathy but about acknowledging obstacles that make people feel like they have no control over the issues affecting their lives.

The lyrics reflect this idea:

"It's not that we don't care, we just know that the fight ain't fair."

Mayer has cited many soul and R&B influences as the inspiration. This comes clearly from the Curtis Mayfield/Marvin Gaye style of groove but with a 21st century pop twist. 

"Waiting on the World to Change" was recorded at The Village Studios in Los Angeles, California—a legendary recording space used by artists like Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan.

The song features a smooth, bluesy feel with an old-school soul influence. The electric guitar tone is reminiscent of Curtis Mayfield and Stevie Ray Vaughan, two of Mayer’s biggest influences. The drum groove (laid down by Steve Jordan) has a laid-back but engaging pocket. Also, Pino Palladino (who has played with The Who and D’Angelo) plays bass on the track, adding a deep, warm groove to the song. 

“Waiting On The World To Change” won a Grammy for “Best Male Pop Vocal Performance” in 2007. The song peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the charts for over a year

Now, you may be wondering…

What is the tuning for Waiting On The World To Change?

The tuning for "Waiting On The World To Change" by John Mayer is in standard tuning. John kept things simple. 

Standard tuning for a guitar is spelled out as EADGBE.  

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)

Now that you know the “Waiting On The World To Change” tuning, let’s next talk about the…

Waiting On The World To Change Chords

If you want to play “Waiting On The World To Change” on guitar you’ll need to know 6 main chords they are D, Bm, G, A, Em7, and G6 (no 3rd). Now these chords can be played as simple open position chords. But the way Mayer plays them is by using primarily thumb chords in the style of Jimi Hendrix. A thumb chord on guitar refers to a chord shape where the thumb of the fretting hand wraps around the neck to press down on a bass string—usually the low E string (6th string) and sometimes the A string (5th string). Let’s take a look at a few ways these chords can be played on the fretboard.

D is played in the 10th position like so:

Bm shifts down to the 7th position and changes to minor like this:

G is the same shape as D just moved down to the 3rd position like so:

A moves G up to frets like this:

That’s it for the thumb chords. From there we have Em7 which is played from the 5th string down like this:

Finally, we have the last chord G6 (no 3rd). This chord is played using just 2 strings (6th, and 5th strings) like so:

Is Waiting On The World To Change hard to play on guitar?

Yes. To play the guitar part as played by John Mayer is going to require and advanced skill level. However, if playing Jimi Hendrix style thumb chords is too difficult. You can always take the same chords and simplify them down into a more (campfire) style like this:

What key is Waiting On The World To Change in?

“Waiting On The World To Change” as recorded by John Mayer is in the key of D major. The D major scale is built from the following notes: D – E – F# – G – A – B – C# – D

Let’s break down how each of these chords fits into the key of D major.

1. D Major (I)

Notes: D – F# – A

This is the tonic chord, the "home" chord in the key of D major. It provides resolution and stability.

2. B Minor (vi)

Notes: B – D – F#

This is the relative minor chord in the key of D major.

It shares two notes (D and F#) with the D major chord, making it closely related.

Often used for more emotional or melancholic progressions in songs.

3. G Major (IV)

Notes: G – B – D

This is the subdominant chord in D major. The subdominant provides a nice sense of release from the I chord, before it eventually returns home.

4. A Major (V)

Notes: A – C# – E

This is the dominant chord, which creates tension and a strong pull back to D major (I).

However, in “Waiting On The World To Change” the A major chord often moves to the Bm (vi) chord. 

5. E Minor 7 (ii7)

Notes: E – G – B – D

This is the ii7 chord in the key of D major. The ii chord is a common substitute for the IV chord in progressions. The minor 7th (D) adds color and a jazzy/bluesy feel.

6. G6 (IV6, no 3rd)

Notes: G – D – E

This is a variation of the IV chord (G major) but without the 3rd (B), making it neither major nor minor. It’s a bit ambiguous and bluesy. You hear this chord during the bridge section of “Waiting On The World To Change”.

So that’s the theory, but all of that doesn’t mean a thing without a good…

Waiting On The World To Change Strumming Pattern

The main underlying groove for “Waiting On The World To Change” is funky 16th note feel. Strumming 16th notes on guitar means dividing each beat of a 4/4 time signature into four equal parts.

To properly strum 16th notes, you need to understand how to count them within each measure. In 4/4 time, each measure has four beats. When subdividing each beat into 16th notes, each beat is divided into four equal parts, giving us a total of sixteen 16th notes per measure.

To count 16th notes, use the following syllables: 

1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

Here’s how it breaks down: 

1 – The downbeat (first 16th note)

e – The second 16th note

& – The third 16th note

a – The fourth 16th note

When counting out loud, it sounds like:

"One-e-and-a, Two-e-and-a, Three-e-and-a, Four-e-and-a."

Here’s an example of a strumming pattern in the style of “Waiting On The World To Change”. 

Conclusion

Bottom line, "Waiting On The World To Change" by John Mayer is an instant classic. It blends elements of rhythm & blues, and pop in a new and fun way.

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

Jon MacLennan