Subject: seeking two chord songs From: Margo Date: 10 Dec 04 - 12:33 AM I know there was formerly a thread about this but I couldn't find it in a search. I am going to be teaching beginning guitar and I want to start with two chord songs. Can anyone help me find that thread, or make song suggestions? Thanks a bunch! Margo |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: cool hand Tom Date: 10 Dec 04 - 12:52 AM Many years ago when i was learning the banjo im sure one of the two chord songs was Hush Little Baby. Regards Tom and the marvelous mechanical merlin Banjo. |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: GUEST Date: 10 Dec 04 - 12:59 AM The thread is here
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Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: Jeremiah McCaw Date: 10 Dec 04 - 01:14 AM Yo Guest - no blue clicky. Dommage. 2 chords: Tom Dooley Jambalaya Achey-Breaky Heart (sorry, but it is) :-) |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: Margo Date: 10 Dec 04 - 01:28 AM Guest! Where are you? No link! Come baaaaack....... |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: GUEST,SueB Date: 10 Dec 04 - 01:35 AM You can play Children Go Where I Send Thee with just two chords. Also that one about Had a Dog and His Name Was Blue. |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: GUEST, Hamish Date: 10 Dec 04 - 03:30 AM It's here (http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=14431&messages=44#754501) |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: s&r Date: 10 Dec 04 - 04:33 AM One man went to mow a meadow has the unique advantage that the chord change is indicated by the word 'meadow' Stu |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: GUEST Date: 10 Dec 04 - 08:15 AM "Angelina Baker" (or "Angeline Baker" or ...?) for a traditional song. Chords D & G all day long, till the cows come home .... |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: GUEST,woodsie Date: 10 Dec 04 - 09:59 AM The Mavericks "I want To Dance The Night Away" The Grateful Dead "Franklins Tower" & "Fire On The Mountain" |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: GUEST,allan s. Date: 10 Dec 04 - 10:43 AM " I ride an old paint, I lead an old dan Im going to Montana to throw the hollian etc." C and G7 first song I ever learned on a plastic Uke. |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: Paco Rabanne Date: 10 Dec 04 - 10:45 AM I used to play the Mavericks song mentioned above, it's E and B7 |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: GUEST,Sarah Date: 10 Dec 04 - 11:21 AM Matty Groves |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: GUEST,Jim Date: 10 Dec 04 - 12:00 PM Ditto the Mavericks - good song very easy to play E & B7 or D & A7 (Capo 2) Also - Junp down, turnaround pick a bale o'cotton..... |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: Hovering Bob Date: 10 Dec 04 - 12:04 PM Kerry Recruit. I also heard someone (I know him but I'll shield him from shame) who 'forced' Keith Marsden's wonderful tune for "The Vampire" into two chords, and was proud of doing so. To stop this travesty, I used to sing it at sing-a-rounds before he could, simply to protect one of my favourites. |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: GUEST,Wally Macnow Date: 10 Dec 04 - 12:04 PM The one I always start out with when I teach is "Go Tell Aunt Rhody". I find it slow enough so that the chord changes are manageable with a simple and strong rhythm. |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: Richard Bridge Date: 10 Dec 04 - 01:06 PM Matty Groves is 4. It is possible to do Tolpuddle Man quite effectively with two, E perfect and B9th. But neither is exactly what you want to be teaching beginners since they work best at the 7th fret. |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: Skipjack K8 Date: 10 Dec 04 - 01:11 PM Mursheen Durkin is a two chorder that doesn't sound like it. |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: Cool Beans Date: 10 Dec 04 - 01:48 PM Anything by America. "A Horse With no Name," and that other one they did. Or maybe it's one chord.... |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: Jimmy Twitcher Date: 10 Dec 04 - 03:08 PM From singing with my little girl: Skip to My Lou; Wheels on the Bus |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: breezy Date: 10 Dec 04 - 05:12 PM why not teach em D, A7th with 2 fingers or a barre and a 4string G usint the pinkie, then the worlds yer oyster. Hope yous all got capos and thumbpicks and tuners |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: fat B****rd Date: 10 Dec 04 - 06:32 PM Ha ha this a way |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: Tradsinger Date: 10 Dec 04 - 07:16 PM Clementine. |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: Margret RoadKnight Date: 10 Dec 04 - 09:43 PM "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho" Am <-> E(7) |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: Richard Bridge Date: 11 Dec 04 - 04:18 AM Murshin Durkin is three or more. But I think "Sinner Man" is two, Em and D (position with capo!) and it sings like billy-o! |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: Big Al Whittle Date: 11 Dec 04 - 01:22 PM Still looking? G & D7 One man went to mow (of course with chord change on meadow) Whole world in his hand( change on the second whole and every whole afterwards and the last word) Singing in the Rain How much is that doggy in the window I wanna be your man (beatles) The Manchester Rambler D&C If I were a carpenter Em & D7 What shall we do with the drunken sailor Am & E Step it out Mary American folksong - I've forgotten but he blows little sadie down with a big smoke pistol - Bob Dylan did it on Self portrait Am & G Spancil Hill |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: Eve Goldberg Date: 11 Dec 04 - 10:54 PM Actually, when I teach an absolute beginner I start with ONE chord songs. It may be hard to believe, but you can actually play some songs that we normally play with two or three chords with just one chord. The two I've been using are "Old Blue" and "Swing Low" The first time you do it, it sounds a little strange, but it really does work. This allows a beginning guitar player to get used to one chord and the idea of strumming on each beat. They don't have to worry about when to change or what the next chord is going to be. It works great. Once they have the idea of that, you can add a second chord to the same song. They already know the song, so then they can start concentrating on what the two different chords are and when the chord changes happen. If I'm teaching using Swing Low, I will introduce the third chord after they are comfortable with the two chord version. "Old Blue" we just leave with two chords. I'm sure there are other songs that work with one chord -- I'd be curious if other people have tried this and what other songs work! |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: Jeremiah McCaw Date: 12 Dec 04 - 02:39 PM Thanks for that, Eve. I seem to recall Oscar Brand saying on one of his shows that he'd showed his daughter a (I think) C6 chord so she could do "Home On The Range" at school. On his first album, Gordon Lightfoot had a song he wrote called "O Linda", recorded with just voice and bass. When I decided to do it myself, I sat down prepared to do extended battle with all sorts of weird jazz progressions ('cuz that's how it sounded), and discovered to my surprise (and relief) that the whole thing just riffed around an Em7 chord! There ARE one-chord songs out there, and damn good ones. |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: Jeremiah McCaw Date: 12 Dec 04 - 05:12 PM How could I have missed "Who Do You Love?" and "Bo Diddley"? Both one chord wonders. Apparently uber-producer David Foster worked for Ronnie Hawkins at one time (wa-ay back). Story is Hawkins fired him because he kept trying to add a second chord to "Bo Diddley"! |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: Janice in NJ Date: 12 Dec 04 - 05:43 PM Down in the Valley: C and G7 The Old Gospel Ship: C and G (or C and G7) Which Side Are You On?: Am and Em Shady Grove: Dm and C The Railroad Boy (or The Buthcher's Boy): Am and C Pastures of Plenty: Am and C (Woody often used only one chord!) Little Maggie: G and F Spike Driver's Blues: G and G7 (but with some fancy fingerpicking) Yes, I know that you can add a third or even a fourth chord to some of these songs, but it is not necessary to do so. Feel free to transpose these to other keys to fit your voice. |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: The Fooles Troupe Date: 12 Dec 04 - 09:57 PM This works fine if you are on your own - but if you are in a group, you have to be careful of this, as the combination of different chords can be very dissonant. |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: GUEST,reggie miles Date: 13 Dec 04 - 10:03 PM Well, I've written a couple of two chord songs. I initially thought that these might make it easy for others to join in and play along. But instead, I have since found that the Pavlovian preconditioning of those who have previously been involved with three chord patterns found in blues, bluegrass, or even rock music often takes over, and that those who sit in or jam often automatically assume there are additional changes that do not exist. It's at that point that the song then starts to sound more like a train wreck. Ouch! I like the concept of offering this type of musical environment, one or two chord songs, to those who love to solo. I've had the opportunity to have some wonderful soloists join me and a simple one or two chord background really allows those who have the ability to shine through. |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: The Fooles Troupe Date: 14 Dec 04 - 07:24 AM reggie, the 'train wreck' effect is the reason why those musos who call themsleves a 'group', but refuse to practice as a group at all, insisting that they only need get up and perform, are only fooling themselves... :-) Of course, if you have a bunch of musos all of the same low level of limited talent, no one will try anything interesting, so it can work out.... |
Subject: RE: seeking two chord songs From: Margo Date: 16 Dec 04 - 12:43 AM Thanks a million folks! You have helped a great deal! Margo |
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