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Simple, 3 chord songs

I am trying to put together a list of simple, easy to play songs, that are your basic 3 chord songs. For example, almost any 12 bar blues song would belong on my list. These songs can be blues, country, pop, any song that a person might recognize and want to play. There are literally thousands to choose from.

Primarily, I want songs that can be played on an open tuned 3 stringer by just barring all three strings with one finger, and just strumming, with no finger picking or single notes played.

Please add your suggestions here. For starters, here are some of mine:

You can't lose what you ain't never had - Muddy Waters

Living on Love - Alan Jackson

All My Ex's Live In Texas - George Strait

One More Last Chance - Vince Gill

Bad To The Bone - George Thorogood

Mustang Sally - Various Artists

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Permalink Reply by Ballymack on March 4, 2010 at 9:26am

Thanks Bluesdog. That is very very helpful. Cheers

Bluesdog said:

No that's not dumb if you don't know this, i'll explain.

You don't realy have to retune your guitar. (tunning 7 fret's up or 5 down would probebly require another string set-up than you have now btw. Assuming you'r using the 5th 4th and 3rd string (Adg) they would either snap or slack too much, you'd need to change to 6th 5th and 4th (low EAD) if you realy want to do it that way)

DAd tunning is a 151 tunning meaning your thickest string is the rootnote, your middle the 5th and the thinnest is another 1 but an octave higher, GDg is exactly the same only higher in pitch. If you take your Gdg (open G) tuned cbg an put a capo on fret 7 you'd have DAd (open D) tunning :)

It's basicly the same 3 string powerchord, the actual note doesn't matter, the mechanic's are exactly the same. It's if the pitch is comfortable for your vocal range to sing in what's important, might be G or a or f whatever is most comfortable for you but as long staying with the 151 tunning's you can do exactly what Lenny does in the video.

Hope this help's.
Frans

Ballymack said:
OK I like it but this is going to sound dumb. I'm in GDG so do I tune up or down to DAD

Bluesdog said:
KnotLenny does a badass version of Chuck Berry's Maybeline further up in this instructional video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy04bkM_JSc

The song start's @ 3:52 but the lesson is good to so it might help you.

3 chord's, no pick'in ) but very cool. :)

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Permalink Reply by Ballymack on March 4, 2010 at 9:31am

Thats exactly what I need Keni, knowing what chords go together. I am waiting on your CD1 & 4 to arrive. Cheers

Keni Lee Burgess said:

Very soon, in an upcoming lesson on 4 string CBG, I will be teaching a lesson on chords.
Here is the basic problem about learning to play guitar:
I should start by saying I was guilty of doing this too. You buy chord books or find fingering charts and proceed to try to figure out songs. This does work, but in a very superficial way. It gets old quick.
The major problem is not having a reference system. You don't know what chords go together or actually where to find them.
My intention is not to make this complicated, but to offer a clear approach that will have a snowball effect.
It is my hope that this will demystify chords and produce better players.
Considering there are no standard string arrangments or tunings going on here at the nation is the first issue.
This is why undertanding theory makes a lot of sense. It is applicable to a wide variety of choices.
Most times theory is taught in the key of C. The key of C is the master key (no sharps, no flats).
I will teach in the key of G. Using my 4 string CBG tuned Dgbd, but I will clearly show how to apply this to different keys or different string arrangements to complete the picture. Understand there is a relativity between the keys. If you can play in one key correctly, playing in other keys is not that difficult to understand.
Please stay tuned. Enjoy.

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Permalink Reply by NoxTerran on March 4, 2010 at 12:04pm

Kryptonite - 3 doors down B-G-A thats it, repeat endlessly and sing

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Permalink Reply by Outhouse Instruments on March 4, 2010 at 2:40pm

Ok wait a minute. We have seriously hi-jacked the crap outta this thread, and it is all relevant. ( my $5.00 word for today).

I went back to this ....

ross harper said:

Michael, my knowledge of chords and stuff is extremely basic too.A muso friend of mine wrote this out for me when I made my first CBG,tuned DGDG (open G),and you just move down to whatever chord you are tuned to and start from there. G ( open)
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G (12thFret)
G# etc etc

Just move the starting (open) chord to whatever you're tuned to and go down from there. Hope that helped,it sure made it a lot clearer for me.

... and it works. And it works well!

I tuned to an open F# ... 1st fret is G. Played stuff in GDg, all slide, all barred -so to speak- and tuning to F# meant no open chords which sounded better to me.

Doing this all of the 3 chord stuff worked and sounded good. And lots of other stuff sounded good too.
This could be tabbed easily just by stating tuning, what 1 st fret was, and just giving a series of numbers which are fret numbers.

A new slide CBG tab system perhaps?

Keep an eye out in the CBG tabs group for "on top of old smokey".

Matt

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Permalink Reply by Outhouse Instruments on March 4, 2010 at 3:19pm

Here it is .....
Simple, just strum and put the slide in the right place. Or just fret the right place. ( fret number )

On Top Of Old Smokey slide tab

Tell me how it works.

Matt

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Permalink Reply by Keni Lee Burgess on March 4, 2010 at 3:58pm

Please see this song example:
http://www.cigarboxnation.com/profiles/blogs/example-1-chord-chemis...

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Permalink Reply by Jeremiah Cornelius on March 4, 2010 at 4:17pm

You want simple?

Damp 'em, ring 'em

He even named him self after a 1-stringer, and made his own square guitars, when he "graduated" from the cigar box.

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Permalink Reply by Ballymack on March 4, 2010 at 9:57pm

Will try it out Thanks

Matt Towe said:

Here it is .....
Simple, just strum and put the slide in the right place. Or just fret the right place. ( fret number )

On Top Of Old Smokey slide tab

Tell me how it works.

Matt

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Permalink Reply by CaptNick on July 16, 2010 at 1:37pm

I think this is a great idea, I have been looking at some songs that could be played this way. Maybe I should look at yours if they are downloadable. As I progress on my songs I'll try to add to the page.

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Permalink Reply by Outhouse Instruments on July 17, 2010 at 1:41am

This is really easy. Google 3 chord songs.
Or go to chordie.com and search for 3 chord songs.

OR just look for chords instead of tabs. An amazing large amount of songs ... thousands (?) ... can be played with only 3, 4, or 5 chords.

Here's a good trci for those that build and sell different instruments ..... learn 5 chords ..... learn the same 5 chords on all instruments you build. Impress the poop outta people looking at yer stuff when you pick up and play.

Matt

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Permalink Reply by YeahDoIt on July 17, 2010 at 10:35pm

I'm playing "Who Knew" by Pink on my 3 string cigar box guitar tuned GDd with slide. Chords are C, D, Em and open G. It's kinda neat because the song is a recent radio hit.

My demo: 890 KB Who Knew.mp3 http://www.box.net/shared/f4bq1ay8ae

Lyrics and real chords: http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/p/pink/who_knew_crd.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJWIbIe0N90

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Permalink Reply by CaptNick on July 18, 2010 at 1:19am

Hey, sounds cool, thanks for this post!

YeahDoIt said:

I'm playing "Who Knew" by Pink on my 3 string cigar box guitar tuned GDd with slide. Chords are C, D, Em and open G. It's kinda neat because the song is a recent radio hit.

My demo: 890 KB Who Knew.mp3 http://www.box.net/shared/f4bq1ay8ae

Lyrics and real chords: http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/p/pink/who_knew_crd.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJWIbIe0N90