Folk and Traditional Music
Perfect Songs for Learning or Teaching Guitar Chords
Welcome!
Whether you plan on playing folk music, rock music, pop music, fingerstyle music, or even metal music, chords are an essential component of all guitar based music.
Some chords are used much more often than others. Below, you'll find several songs that will allow you to get some practice the most commonly used chords that are used in guitar music today. Once you master these chords, you'll be playing the music you love in no time.
There may be some rhythm symbols that you've never come across before, such as diamonds, diamonds, with a stem, and slashes. Click here for a basic guide on those symbols and you'll be ready to roll. Have fun!
6. Amazing Grace.pdfSong #6 from "Chords and Music: Songbook Edition"
Chords used: G, D, Em, C
The strum pattern on this song consists only of dotted half notes, so guitar players will have 3 beats to switch from one chord to the next.
Complete with the melody, lyrics, and chord diagrams.
8. Silent Night.pdfSong #8 from "Chords and Music: Songbook Edition"
Chords used: G, D, Em, C
The strum pattern is consistent quarter notes, so guitar players will need to be able to switch fairly quickly. However, you can simplify it if you'd like to by just playing one strum per measure.
Complete with the melody, lyrics, and chord diagrams.
13. Red River Valley.pdfBoxes around images only appear on the screen. Once printed, they'll be gone.
Song #13 from "Chords and Music: Songbook Edition"
Chords used: D, G, A
The strum pattern is steady half notes.
Complete with the melody, lyrics, and chord diagrams.
15. Joshua Fought the Battl of Jericho.pdfJoshua Fought the Battle of Jericho
Song #15 from "Chords and Music: Songbook Edition"
Chords used: Am, E
The strum pattern is steady half notes.
Complete with the melody, lyrics, and chord diagrams.
18. Drunken Sailor.pdfSong #18 from "Chords and Music: Songbook Edition"
Chords used: Dm, C, Am
The strum pattern is steady whole notes.
Complete with the melody, lyrics, and chord diagrams.
22. Jolly Old St. Nicholas.pdfSong #22 from "Chords and Music: Songbook Edition"
Chords used: G, D, Em, C, A, D7, Am7
The strum pattern is steady half notes.
Complete with the melody, lyrics, and chord diagrams.
25. Down by the Bay.pdfSong #25 from "Chords and Music: Songbook Edition"
Chords used: G, D, D7, G7, C
The strum pattern is steady half notes.
Complete with the melody, lyrics, and chord diagrams.
28. Happy Birthday.pdfSong #28 from "Chords and Music: Songbook Edition"
Chords used: A, E, E7, D
The strum pattern is steady quarter notes, so players will have to switch chords within one beat.
Complete with the melody, lyrics, and chord diagrams.
33. We Three Kings.pdfSong #33 from "Chords and Music: Songbook Edition"
Chords used: Am, E, G, C, Dm, F
This song is the first song so far that has used a barre chord. The F chord can be challenging for some students for weeks or even months, so it's best to know many other chords first.
Complete with the melody, lyrics, and chord diagrams.
37 will the circle be unbroken.pdfSong #37 from "Chords and Music: Songbook Edition"
Chords used: G, Cadd9, Em7, Dsus4, D
This song introduces some chords that are used in many modern day pop and rock songs. The modern G, Cadd9, Dsus4, and Em7 are actually quite simple to play, even though they have complex sounding names.
Complete with the melody, lyrics, and chord diagrams.
Loch Lomond.pdfThis song is taken from "Chords and Music:Volume 2".
This beautiful Scottish traditional introduces new players to the Calypso Strum, which is one of the most common strum patterns in modern guitar music.
Complete with the melody, lyrics, and chord diagrams.
Motherless Child.pdfSometimes I feel Like a Motherless Child
This song is taken from "Chords and Music:Volume 2".
Like Loch Lomond, this song also uses the "Calypso Strum". This song uses very easy chord switches, allowing students to focus primarily on their right hand strumming.
Complete with the melody, lyrics, and chord diagrams.
What Child is this.pdfThis song is taken from "Chords and Music:Volume 2".
This song uses the "bass-strum" technique. Students will play the some relatively easy chords, but play the bass note of the chord first and then strum the higher notes of the chords.
Complete with the melody, lyrics, and chord diagrams.
O Come, O Come Emmanuel - Score.pdfThis song is taken from "Chords and Music:Volume 2".
Once students can switch easily between many different chords, the next step is to learn strum patterns and fingerstyle patterns. This song introduces a very common fingerstyle pattern in 4/4 time.
Complete with the melody, lyrics, and chord diagrams.
House of the Rising Sun PDF - Score.pdfThis song is taken from "Chords and Music: Volume 3".
This popular ballad is featured at the beginning of my third chords book to help students review what they learned in the first two. It uses an easy fingerstyle pattern over familiar chords.
Complete with the melody, lyrics, and chord diagrams.