Index
Bar chords 21 Carey 13 Chords explained 6 Chords that are good to know 10 Clocks 16 El Condor Pasa 8 Eleanor Rigby 9 Finger picking 22 First chords 3 Give Peace a Chance 4 Good Riddance 26 Green Eyes 20 Hey jude 25 House of the Rising Sun 30 I Hung My Head 28 I.P.Ms. 14 John B. Sails 11 One 17 Redemption Song 15 Scarborough Fair 29 Simple Twist of Fate 18 Strums 12 Teach Your Children 27 Tom Dooley 5 Tuning 2 Wonderful Tonight 24 Wonderwall 19
4 John Lennon - Give Peace A Chance
(Two, one, two, three, four ): G Ev'rybody's talking about Bagism, Shagism, Dragism, Madism, Ragism, Tagism This-ism, That-ism, is-m, is-m, is-m G D7 G All we are saying is give piece a chance, G D7 G All we are saying is give piece a chance G
G C'mon : Ev'rybody's talking about ministers, Sinister, Banisters And canisters, Bishops, Fishops, Rabbis, and Pop eyes, Bye, bye, bye byes G D7 G All we are saying is give peace a chance, G D7 G All we are saying is give peace a chance D7
Let me tell you now: Ev'rybody's talking about Revoluton, evolution, masturbation, Flagellation, regulation, integrations, Meditations, United Nations, Congratulations G D7 G All we are saying is give peace a chance, G D7 G All we are saying is give peace a chance
Ev'rybody's talking about John and Yoko, Timmy Leary, Rosemary, Tommy Smothers, Bobby Dylan, Tommy Cooper, Derek Taylor, Norman Mailer, Allen Ginsberg, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna G D7 G All we are saying is give peace a chance, G D7 G All we are saying is give peace a chance keep repeating
Strum D D D D or D D D U D U
Chord structure ( theory)
How does all this hang together, G chords and melodies?
A basic chord consists of three notes. This is called a “Triad”. Mostly when you strum a chord on the guitar there are more notes , one per string, but that s because you have more than one of some. In a basic G chord there are , from bass to treble, the note G on the 6th string, third fret. Then you will get a B on the 5th, a D on the 4th, another G on the 3rd, a B again on the 2nd and yet another G on the 1st string.
Fact is when you think of notes it often helps to thing of the piano keyboard layout to give you a visual aid.
#= sharp, b= flat
The notes in our western scale are these: C C# ( or Db, depending on the scale , more on this soon), D , D# or Eb, E, F ( notice on the keyboard how there isn t a black key here. ), F# or Gb, G, Only 7 of these make a scale. But it is G# or Ab, A, A# or Bb, and B. No black which ones you use that determine the key (half step) between B and C either. scale. A C-scale looks like this: C D E F G A B C and so on. All the white keys, in fact. Something that helps immensely is to figure out how to express the scale in half and whole steps. This will give you the template Expressed in words then the Major scale to a major scale , or minor. The C major template consists of : scale looks like this: whole step, whole, half, whole, whole, C D E F G A B C whole, half. A whole step is the distance between C and D, a half step between C and C# If you take away the C scale you end up with this: Try to make your own scales by starting on any random note and follow the template. Heavy Stuff!
Chord construction.
The scale is what makes up a key. All the chords in a key contains only notes from the scale that make up that key. So the chords in the key of C are made up of notes from the C scale only.
Each key has three Major chords and three minor chords. There is also a half diminished chord. This makes seven different chords, one for each of the notes in the scale.
The note that gives the chord it s name is called “the Root” . A C chord has C for a root. Chord “template”: Each chord also contain a 3rd and a 5th. The 3rd determines whether it s a Major or minor C = Major chord. ( In a Major chord there is a Major 3rd Dm = minor and in a minor a minor 3rd). If you add the third Em = minor note from C in the scale you get the 3rd. This is F = Major the note E. ( C D E - one, two, three ). To G = Major figure out if it s a Major or minor 3rd we have to Am = minor count half steps; 1 for C, 2 for C#, 3 for D, 4 for Bmb5 = minor flat 5 D#, and 5 for E. This is a Major third, so the C being built is a Major chord. We add the 5th - for a fuller sound- and that is it. The 5th is the So substitute another scale for the C G. ( CDEFG, 12345). No half steps needed scale and you will get an entirely here. different list of chords;
To find a chord with a minor 3rd we start on Major note 2 in the C scale, D. So the root is D and minor three up for the 3rd is F. Counting half steps minor between D and F goes like this; D is 1, D# is 2, Major E is 3, F is 4. So only four steps to the 3rd Major here. D is therefore a minor chord. We add the minor 5th, A and we have a Dm ( D minor). minor flat 5
Going through the scale like this will yield C, Now you also might Dm, Em, F, G ,Am, and Bmb5. Bmb5 is the notice where the famous mystery chord called a half diminished chord. expression ”three chord The way it works is that usually the 5th is the song” comes from. You eight half step from the root, but in this case it get this by using only the is the seventh. So we end up with a diminished Major chords in any key, 5th. Hence Bmb5. known as I, IV, V. ( one four five) El Condor Pasa ( If I could) Simon and Garfunkel
|Em | |G | I'd rather be a sparrow than a snail. | | | | Yes I would. If I could, | Em | Em I surely would. |Em | |G | I'd rather be a hammer than a nail. | | | | Yes I would. If I only could, |Em | I surely would. G CHORUS |C | | | Away, I'd rather sail away |G | | | Like a swan that's here and gone |C | | | A man gets tied up to the ground C |G | | | He gives the world Its saddest sound, |Em | | | || Its saddest sound. A- a- a- ah…
2 I'd rather be a forest than a street. Yes I would. If I could, I surely would.
I'd rather feel the earth beneath my feet, Yes I would. If I only could, I surely would.
CHORUS
A couple of strums!
The rule is to strum in the direction of the beat. The down beat ( which is when a tapping foot hits the floor) should be strummed downwards. You will hit the bass strings first on a downbeat.
The up beat ( which is when a tapping foot is at it s furthest from the floor) is then strummed as an up strum, where you will hit the treble strings first.
When one is using a pick this is fairly simple, just touch the pick to the strings and move your hand up and down. With some small wrist adjustments this should come fairly easily. Without a pick the choices aren t as obvious. One can strum down on the back of ones fingers, mostly with the nails, and then up just using the back of the thumb. This works fine as well.
It s simplest to strum on the beats. But strumming just on the down beats, down down down down etc... gets boring so using the up beat is the way to fix that. You can strum on all the upbeats too and that is fairly interesting. Even more interesting is when you leave a few up strums out here and there. This pattern; D DUDUDU leaves the first up beat out. That way you can really hear beat one in every bar quite well.
Strum: D D U D U D U
There are many other combinations you can strum that are similar by taking out other up strums. D D D DU is one that is quite simple, but if you do it fast it is nevertheless exciting. Combine different versions to make two bar patterns too! A way that is a little more difficult, it turns out , is to leave out a down strum. This following example leaves out the strum on the third beat. You have to keep your right hand moving though because next is an up strum. If you need to, tap the guitar lightly below the strings on the third beat to bring your hand down wards. By the way: I ve called the strumming hand the right and strum D D U U D U fretting hand left, which would be all wrong if you re left handed. I know this is probably bad, but it makes the point more quickly than having to interject every time something like; “or the left hand if you re a left handed player”. My apologies.
The chord in the first strum is a Dm, the second a G.
A word on I.P.M s
I.P.M. stands for “intense practice moments”. I ve completely made this up for the benefit of finding time and space to practice. When one is learning the guitar, or just about anything, there are things that have to be practiced over and over to seem to get better. This is problematic and sometimes quite boring. You know, to play a song you have to be able to get from the chord G to the chord C relatively quickly as not to break the momentum and maybe sing on top of it all. This isn t just going to happen without some hard work. But if you spent and I.P.M. doing this every day for a week , or twice a day or whatever you can muster, then , yes, you can swap back and forth between G and C very well thank you. An I.P.M. should be 2 minutes by the way. Or whatever you decide. A commercial break when you re watching T.V.
Make a list of things you need to practice, say: 1) G change to C 2) strum D D U U D U 3) learn A minor (Am)
There , you have 3 I.P.M s. Do them every day and you ll see that you get better.
Another tool is to use “flash cards” for chords. Write the name of the chord on one side and then draw the fingering ( chord diagram) on the other side. When you have a few you can just randomly select two or three and then spend an I.P.M. practicing your new chord progression.
Mostly though; HAVE FUN! Redemption song Bob Marley
|G | Em | G Em C Old pirates yes they rob I C | Am | Sold I to the merchant ships G | Em | Minutes after they took I C | D Am D from the bottomless pit |G | Em | But my hand was made strong C | Am | By the hand of the almighty G | Em | We forward in this generation C | D | triumphantly | G | C D | G Won't you help to sing these songs of freedom | C D | Em | C D | G | C D | G | Cause all I ever had redemption songs, redemption songs
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery None but ourselves can free our minds Have no fear for atomic energy Cause none of them can stop the time How long shall they kill our prophets While we stand aside and look Some say it's just a part of it We've got to fulfill the book*
strum D D U U D U Clocks Coldplay
D Am (2) Em Lights go out and I can't be saved, tides that I tried to swim against D Am (2) Em Brought me down upon my knees, oh I beg I beg and plead -singing D Am (2) Em Come out of the things unsaid, shoot an apple off my head - and a D Am (2) Em trouble that can't be named, tigers waiting to be tamed - singing w/Piano Riff: D Am (2) Em D Am (2) Em D ye hooooooooh aahh ye hooooooooh aahh w/Piano Riff: / D - - - / Am - - - / - - - - / Em - - - / (x2)
D Am (2) Em Confusion never stops, closing walls and ticking clocks - gonna D Am (2) Em come back and take you home, I could not stop the tune now known - singing D Am (2) Em Am Come out upon my seas, curse missed opportunities - am I D Am (2) Em a part of the cure, or am I a part of the disease? - singing w/Piano Riff: D Am (2) Em D Am (2) Em ye hooooooooh aahh ye hooooooooh aahh Em w/High Piano Riff: / D - - - / Am - - - / - - - - / Em - - - / (x2) w/High Piano Riff: D Am (2) Em D Am (2) Em ye hooooooooh aahh ye hooooooooh aahh
Bridge: Fmaj7 (2) C G Fmaj7 and nothing else compares Fmaj7 (2) C G oh nothing else compares Fmaj7 (2) C G F (4) and nothing else compares
Piano Riff x2 w/High Piano Riff: F / D - - - / Am - - - / - - - - / Em - - - / (x2) w/High Piano Riff: D Am (2) Em D Am (2) Em ye hooooooooh aahh ye hooooooooh aahh w/High Piano Riff: D Am (2) Em Home, home, where I wanted to go D Am (2) Em Home, home, where I wanted to go D Am (2) Em Home, home, where I wanted to go D Am (2) Em Home, home, where I wanted to go
High Piano Riff x2 End on D
18 SIMPLE TWIST OF FATE Bob Dylan |D | They sat together in the park |Dmaj7 | As the evening sky grew dark |D7 | 4 She looked at him and he felt a spark He woke up, the room was bare |G/B | He didn't see her anywhere He told himself he didn't care Tingle to his bones Pushed the window open wide |Gm | Felt an emptiness inside 'Twas then he felt alone To which he just could not relate | D | G/B | Brought on by his simple twist of fate And wished that he'd gone straight D |Asus4 |D | | 5 And watched out for a simple twist of fate He hears the ticking of the clocks And walks along with a parrot that talks 2 Hunts her down by the waterfront docks They walked along the old canal Were the saliors all come in A little confused, I remember well Maybe she'll pick him out again And stopped into a strange hotel How long must he wait? With the neon burning bright One more time for his simple twist of fate He felt the heat of the night Hit him like a freight Train moving with a simple twist of fate 6 People tell me its a sin 3 To know and feel too much within A saxaphone someplace far off played I still believe she was my twin As she was walking down by the arcade But I lost the ring As the light burst through a beat up shade She was born in spring Where he was waking up But I was born too late She dropped a coin into the cup Blame it on a simple twist of fate Of a blind man at the gate And forgot about a simple twist of fate
D Dmaj7 D7 G/B Gm A7
Strum: D D U D U D U
Green Eyes Coldplay verse A E Bm change mid measure: A E Bm Honey you are a rock Upon which I stand
A E Bm A E Bm And I come here to talk I hope you understand
Bm D A E The green eyes Yeah the spotlight Shines upon you Bm D A E And how could Anybody Deny you
Bm D I came here with a load A G D And it feels so much lighhhh..ter Now I met you
Bm D A G Honey you should know That I could never go .... on D Bm Without you Green eyes verse Honey you are the sea Upon which I float And I came here to talk I think you should know
Bm D A E That green eyes You're the one that I wanted to fi...... nd Bm D A E And anyone who tried to deny you, Must be out of their mi...... nd Bm D A G Because I came here with a load And it feels so much lighhhh..ter D since I met you Bm D A G D And Honey you should know That I could never go .... on Without you Bm A Bm Green eyes, green eyes, ohohoh... ohohoh... ohohoh...
A E Bm A E Bm Honey you are a rock Upon which I stand.
Strum : D DU UDU (with “swing” feel)
A E Bm D
Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton pick; T, i, m, a G D Its late in the evening G C D She s wondering what clothes to wear G D She puts on her make up C D And brushes her long blonde hair C DG Em D And then she asks me Do I look alright C D G And I say yes, you look wonderful tonight C
2 We go a party And everyone turns to see This beautiful lady Thats walking around with me And then she asks me Em Do you feel alright And I say yes, I feel wonderful tonight
C I feel wonderful D G Em 3 Because I see the love light in your eyes Its time to go home now C D And Ive got an aching head And the wonder of it all So I give her the car keys C D She helps me to bed Is that you just don t realize And then I tell her G As I turn out the light How much I love you I say my darling, you were wonderful tonight Oh my darling, you were Melody riff: wonderful tonight Hey Jude 4/4 : strum down 8 times per bar
|G | |D | | | |G Hey Jude, don't make it bad Take a sad song and make it better |C | | G | |D | |G Remember to let her into your heart Then you can start to make it better | | |D | | | |G | Hey Jude, don't be afraid You were made to go out and get her |C | |G | |D | |G | The minute you let her under your skin Then you begin to make it better
| | |C | / | And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain | |D | |G | | Don't carry the world upon your shoulders | |C | / | For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool | |D | |G | By making his world a little colder | | D | | | Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah
| G etc…. Hey Jude, don't let me down You have found her, now go and get her Remember to let her into your heart Then you can start to make it better
So let it out and let it in, hey Jude, begin You're waiting for someone to perform with And don't you know that it's just you, hey Jude, you'll do The movement you need is on your shoulder Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah yeah
Hey Jude, don't make it bad Take a sad song and make it better Remember to let her under your skin Then you'll begin to make it Better better better better better better, oh
| | _ | _ |G | Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude (repeat and fade)
G D C G7 C/B Am7 F Dsus4
The Circle of 5ths
C F G Bb D
Eb A
Ab E Db B F#
Major scale template