To play "Feathered Indians" as heard on the studio cut, keep your acoustic guitar in standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E) and place your capo securely on the 3rd fret. This transposes open G shapes into the song's native concert key of B-flat major (Bb).
While intermediate players can technically tackle the tune in barre chords without a capo, you will sacrifice the sustained ringing strings that give the tune its rhythmic drive. Tyler Childers relies heavily on open chord shapes where the ring and pinky fingers remain anchored on the high strings:
1. G Major (3-2-0-0-3-3): Keep your third finger on the 2nd string (3rd fret relative to capo) and fourth finger on the 1st string (3rd fret). This two-finger anchor stays planted through nearly every chord change in the progression.
2. Cadd9 (X-3-2-0-3-3): From the G shape, simply drop your index and middle fingers down one string each. Your pinky and ring fingers do not move. This creates a smooth transition without losing top-end sustain.
3. Em7 (0-2-2-0-3-3): Shift your index and middle fingers to fret the A and D strings at the 2nd fret, retaining the two-finger anchor on the high strings.
4. D / Dsus4 (X-X-0-2-3-2 or X-X-0-2-3-3): Used as the turnaround. Childers frequently bounces his pinky finger onto the 1st string 3rd fret to alternate between a straight D and Dsus4, mirroring the vocal lift.
The verse cycles through a cyclical cadence: G, Cadd9, G, D. In the chorus ("Hold me darlin', hold me tight..."), Childers pivots to open up the emotional weight, launching into Em7, Cadd9, G, D before resolving back to the tonic G.
