Monday, March 3, 2008

Guitar Chords For Country Songs

If you have just started playing guitar you probably want to know what are the guitar chords for country songs, how many chords should I learn, what happens if the chord shapes are difficult to play. Acoustic guitars are great to take with you anywhere and are ideally suited to playing country songs. The guitar chords you use for country songs will depend on whether it s a two chord or three chord song. The best guitar-friendly keys for your country songs are: G, D, A and E. Two chord songs. Guitar chords for country songs in keys G, D, A, and E. Key of G = G and D7 Key of D = D and A7 Key of A = A and E7 Key of E = E and B7 Here is a short list of some country tunes using two chords. Jambalaya Tulsa Time Achey Breaky Heart Deep In The Heart Of Texas Country artists don t sing songs, they tell stories. Country songs are about real life--memories and reactions to real things that happen to everyone. It s about the story the singer is telling it has nothing to do with how many chords a song has, remember that many successful song have only three chords. Country music evolved out of the tradition of working cowboys singing cowhand ballads such as Texas Cowboy around the campfire or on the range and was later popularized in Hollywood by singers such as Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. However, the image of the cowboy was enshrined in country music by Hank Williams. Three chord songs. Guitar chords for country songs in keys G, D, A, and E. Key of G = G, C and D7 Key of D = D, G and A7 Key of A = A, D and E7 Key of E = E, A and B7 Here is a list of some country tunes using three chords. Am I That Easy To Forget? Blue Eyes Cryin In The Rain Bonapart s Retreat Cold Cold Heart Coward Of The County Crazy Arms Folsom Prison Blues Green, Green Grass Of Home I Fall To Pieces I Walk The Line Jealous Heart King Of The Road Mamas Don t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys Okie From Muskogee Please Release Me Rollin In My Sweet Baby s Arms Six Days On The Road The Gambler Truck Drivin Man Wabash Cannonball When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again You Are My Sunshine And hundreds more ... Songs like Your Cheatin Heart, people still like that, it doesn t matter what year you sing it in or where you came from. If you find that a song is in the wrong key or the chord shapes are difficult to play use a capo to make things easy. Here s what happens when you put a capo on the first fret. G chord now becomes G#/Ab C chord now becomes C#/Db D7 chord now becomes D#7/Eb7 ------------------------ D chord now becomes D#/Eb G chord now becomes G#/Ab A7 chord now becomes A#7/Bb7 ------------------------ A chord now becomes A#/Bb D chord now becomes D#/Eb E7 chord now becomes E#7/F7 ------------------------ E chord now becomes F A chord now becomes A#/Bb B7 chord now becomes C7 When you practice your guitar chords for country songs listen carefully and you will notice how so many country songs are strikingly similar.Many great country songs just use G, C, D or G, D, A or some combination thereof. Mike Hayes is a teacher, author, speaker and consultant. Get his tips and tested strategies proven to boost your guitar playing his membership site at http://www.guitarcoaching.com today.

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