Country music combines elements of folk, pop and blues. Typical country chords feature simple open chords strung slowly along a strumming pattern – perfect for beginner guitarists!
Some of the more popular country songs you should practice include I Will Always Love You, Jambalaya and Folsom Prison Blues – each following an I-IV-V chord progression.
I Will Always Love You
Country songs tend to utilize major and dominant 7th guitar chords. Though these chord progressions may be difficult for beginners to learn, they’re an integral part of country music – plus, they serve as an excellent opportunity to practice transitions and strumming patterns!
Some popular examples include Jolene by Dolly Parton and Friends In Low Places by Garth Brooks. More Of You by Chris Stapleton is a country waltz with four easy chords and an accessible strumming pattern; however, its F barre chord may present challenges for beginners.
Willie Nelson’s Wagon Wheel is another classic country song that can be played using just four chords, making it easy for beginner guitarists to adapt. This track tells an engaging tale while offering a soothing strumming pattern suitable for novice guitarists. While its lyrics seem romantic at times, Wagon Wheel actually addresses professional relationships rather than romantic ones.
Jambalaya
Country music can be an easy genre to pick up for beginners, with just a few chord progressions required to get you playing the style. Furthermore, its rhythmic patterns can challenge experienced musicians too!
Keith Urban’s country hit, ‘Heartbreaker,’ is an ideal way to expand your repertoire. It features accessible open chords with an easy country strum pattern that guitarists will recognize. Since this song’s key is C, use a capo at the 2nd fret in order to match its original sound.
Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire is another country classic with an addictive chorus and fun rhythm that will keep you engaged while perfecting your skills in D key. A capo must be used on fret 2 for this track to work correctly.
Okie From Muskogee
Country guitar chord progressions typically incorporate major and dominant 7th chords into their chord progressions, which can easily be recognized with some music theory knowledge, and work particularly well in country songs and ballads. This particular progression can also be found in anthem-type songs and ballads.
Merle Haggard’s iconic 1969 song Okie from Muskogee quickly captured the country music audience’s acclaim when released, quickly becoming an ongoing dialogue about region and class, politics and counterculture.
It’s easy to see why it has become such a classic; its lyrics were an accurate reflection of Haggard’s experiences at that time and resonated deeply with so many listeners. Unfortunately, though, its meaning remains misunderstood today with many trying to read their own biases into its message – an excellent example of how one song can spark heated debate without regard for its original intention.
Folsom Prison Blues
Johnny Cash made this classic country song famous when he recorded and wrote it; its poignant tale follows an imprisoned individual longing to break free, with its memorable guitar solo becoming synonymous with it.
Folsom Prison Blues was one of Cash’s best-known songs and ranked 51 on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Country Music Songs list. The track opens with four bars of E major and features an unusual strumming pattern featuring rapid down up strumming on each beat.
This style of progression is common to country music, yet this song stands out by also including a solo interspersed amongst the chords – creating a distinct tone and feel to match its lyrics, reflecting both movement and stasis – as if reflecting tension from within a prison cell. Without chorus, momentum builds with each verse until finally reaching a peak after second verse before energy declines again, symbolizing life outside.
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.