About Yellow

Yellow was Coldplay's breakthrough single, written when Chris Martin looked at the stars one night and the word "yellow" came to him as representing something beautiful and devoted. The song's shimmering acoustic guitar and Martin's falsetto created a template for stadium-indie that would define the early 2000s. The music video, filmed on a beach in a single continuous shot at sunrise, became equally iconic.

Tips for Playing Yellow

• The song is in B major — use a capo on the 4th fret and play in G shapes

• With capo: the main progression is G-D-C repeating for the verse

• The intro features a ringing open-string pattern in G with hammer-ons

• Let the acoustic guitar ring openly — the sustain is part of the sound

• The chorus builds with the same chords but fuller strumming and higher vocal register

Fun Facts About Yellow

• Chris Martin wrote the melody after looking at the stars one evening

• The music video was filmed in one continuous take at Studland Bay in Dorset

• The band originally considered calling the song "Stars" instead

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