Country music draws its inspiration from older genres like blues, traditional folk and gospel; its primary purpose being capturing everyday experiences through song.
Guitarists must learn to identify patterns of chord progressions found in songs by country legends of the past and present. Guitar instructor Zachary A from Katy, TX provides 12 essential country chords every beginner should learn.
1. G chord
Country music is a form of American popular music that blends old-fashioned themes with contemporary tempos and chord progressions, often borrowing elements from older genres like blues, folk, gospel or R&B to produce an identifiable American sound that celebrates traditional culture.
The G chord is an iconic country guitar chord. To play it, place your index finger on the third fret of A string; middle finger on fifth fret of B string and ring finger on second fret of D string; or use both fingers simultaneously by placing second fret of E string and middle finger on first fret of A string as opposed to D.
When playing the G chord, it is essential not to put too much pressure on your fingers as this could cause them to hurt and lead to the formation of calluses. Furthermore, practicing different strumming patterns with flat and finger picking techniques is vitally important.
As well as knowing your favorite country songs and chords, it is also helpful to learn other major chords used in country music. Verse and choruses in country songs frequently use variations of these chords in their verses and choruses, with some songs even featuring bridges that break up chord progression with multiple notes being used for playing bridges.
2. C chord
C chord is an essential building block of many country songs. Along with G and D chords, it forms what’s known as an I-IV-V progression in G key – a classic chord sequence found across blues, folk music and rock & roll genres.
One of the best ways to learn a song is through understanding its chord progressions. There are often patterns found across most musical genres that you can spot from hearing them; once you recognize these, it becomes much easier to identify songs with similar chord progressions.
Learning country music chords can be particularly helpful. While most country songs utilize a three-chord progression, you can alter its chords and strumming pattern for various musical moods.
Country writers have increasingly moved beyond standard three-note triads in order to craft unique melodies and chords, often by adding subtle changes such as flattening or sharpening chords ever so slightly out of their original key signatures – such as Willie Nelson’s use of chromatic chords on “Pancho and Lefty”, or Conway Twitty using C7 chords on his plaintive “Hello Darlin'”, creating an air of uncertainty which adds an air of loneliness that gives the song its unique soundscape.
3. D chord
Country songs such as Dolly Parton’s timeless “Jolene” cover emotional subjects related to love, loss and heartache – images and storytelling provide listeners with insight into everyday American life.
To truly comprehend these songs, it’s best to first master basic major guitar chords as well as some fundamental music theory concepts. To do this effectively, start learning about I (tonic), IV and V chords which make up any key’s triad triad and allow for scale building on any string instrument.
Once you’ve mastered these three chords, it’s time to learn more advanced song progressions that will expand your guitar repertoire across genres like rock, blues, and folk.
One effective way to learn these progressions is by practicing easy country songs that incorporate them. If you want to build your fretwork, try learning Hank Williams’ hit, “Jambalaya (On the Bayou).” It is easy and will help improve both your technique as well as hearing how these chords are used in country music. Simply play this song using open G chord for four beats followed by D chord and back to G for four more. Once familiarized, strum this pattern several times until you gain control of it.