Simple Song Charts

Simple, well-known songs are often the same chords throughout and are a good way to initially practice numbers and see how they work in the real world. These can be played (and often are played), in any key (except when noted). Also included here are simple songs from many genres of music in a specific key. Two beat chords are enclosed with () throughout.

2 Chords (some combo of 1, 4, 5)

I Saw Three Ships-

Head: (1 5) (1 5) 1 5 / (1 5) (1 5) 1 (5 1)

Born In The U.S.A., Bruce Springsteen-
(Recording is in Key of B)

Whole Tune: ||: 1, (4 1) :||

Lively Up Yourself, Bob Marley-
(Recording is in Key of D)

Whole Tune: ||: 1 4 :||

Got You (Where I Want You), The Fly's -
(Recording is in Key of Eb)

Whole Tune: ||: 1 4 :||

Achy Breaky Heart, Billy Ray Cyrus-
(Recording is in Key of C)

V/C: ||: 1 1 1 5 / 5 5 5 1 :||

3 Chords (1, 4, 5)

You Are My Sunshine-

V and C: 1 1 1 1 / 4 4 1 1 / 4 4 1 1 / 1 5 1 1

Mary Had A Little Lamb-

V and C: 1 1 5 1 / 1 1 5 1

Silent Night- (in 3/4- chords switch every 3 beats)

Head: 1 1 1 1 / 5 5 1 1 / 4 4 1 1 / 4 4 1 1 / 5 5 1 1 / 1 5 1 1

Silver Bells- (in 3/4- chords switch every 3 beats)

V/C: 1 1 4 4 / 5 5 1 1 / 1 1 4 4 / 5 5 1 1

Amazing Grace- (in 3/4- chords switch every 3 beats)

Head: 1 1 4 1 / 1 1 5 5 / 1 1 4 1 / 1 5 1 1

The Lion Sleeps Tonight-

Head: 1 4 1 5 / 1 4 1 5

This Land Is Your Land-

V/C: 4 4 1 1 / 5 5 1 1 / 4 4 1 1 / 5 5 1 1

Jambalaya (On the Bayou)-

Head: 1 1 5 5 / 5 5 1 1

La Bamba-

Head: (1 4) 5 (1 4) 5

Twist and Shout, The Beatles-

(Recording is in Key of D)

Head: (1 4) 5 (1 4) 5 / (1 4) 5 (1 4) 5 :||

'Ahs': 5 5 5 5 / 5 5 (then back to head)

Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms-

V/C: 1 1 1 5 / 1 4 5 1

Go Tell Aunt Rhody-

Head: 1 1 5 1 / 1 1 5 1

Will The Circle Be Unbroken-

V/C: 1 1 4 1 / 1 1 (15) 1

On Top of Old Smoky- (in 3/4- chords switch every 3 beats)

Head: 4 4 4 4 / 1 1 1 1 / 5 5 5 5 / 1 1 1 1
4 4 4 4 / 1 1 1 1 / 5 5 5 5 / 1 1 1 1

Home on the Range- (in 3/4- chords switch every 3 beats)

Head: 1 5 1 1 / 1 (1) 5 5 / 1 1 4 4 / 1 5 1 1

(1) is often replaced by a major 2 chord.

Yankee Doodle-

Head: 1 (1 5) 1 (1 5) / 1 4 5 1 / 4 4 1 1 / 4 4 (1 5) 1

Midnight Special-

Head: 4 4 1 1 / 5 5 1 1

Nine Pound Hammer-

Head: 1 1 4 4 / 1 5 1 1

Auld Lang Syne-

V/C: 1 5 1 4 / 1 5 4 1

Brahms' Lullaby- (in 3/4- chords switch every 3 beats)

Head: 1 1 1 5 / 5 5 5 1 / 4 1 5 1 / 4 1 5 1

Red River Valley-

Head: 1 5 1 1 / 1 1 5 5 / 1 1 4 4 / 1 5 1 1

Oh My Darlin' Clementine- (in 3/4- chords switch every 3 beats)

Head: 1 1 1 5 / 5 1 5 1 / 1 1 1 5 / 5 1 5 1

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star-

Head: 1 (4 1) (4 1) (5 1) / (1 4) (1 5) (1 4) (1 5) / 1 (4 1) (4 1) (5 1)

Wabash Cannonball-

V/C: 1 (1 4) 5 (5 1) / 1 (1 4) 5 (5 1)

Undone (The Sweater Song), Weezer
(Recording is in F#, G chords tuned down 1/2 step for Guitar)

V/C: ||: (1 4) (5 4) :||

What I Got, Sublime-
(Recording is in Key of D)

V/C: ||: (1 4) (1 4) (1 4) (1 4) :||

Wild Thing, The Troggs-
(Recording is in Key of A)

Head: ||: (1 4) 5 (1 4) 5 :||

Helpless, Neil Young-
(Recording is in Key of D)

V/C: ||: (1 5) 4 (1 5) 4 :||

Stir It Up, Bob Marley-
(Recording is in Key of A)

Whole Song: ||: 1 ( 4 5 ) 1 ( 4 5 ) :||

Down By The River to Pray-

V: 1 1 5 / 1 1 (5 4) 1

C: 5 1 (1 4) (4 1) / 5 1 (1 4) 1

Danny Boy-

V: 1 1 4 4 / 1 1 5 5 / 1 1 4 4 / 1 5 1 1

C: 1 4 1 1 / 1 4 5 5 / 1 4 1 1 / 1 5 1 1

Chasing Cars, Snow Patrol-
(Recording is in Key of A)

Whole Song: ||: 1 1 5 5 / 4 4 1 1 :||

Blowin' In The Wind, Bob Dylan-
(Recording is in Key of G)

V: ||: 1 4 1 1 / 1 4 1 1 / 1 4 1 1 / 1 4 5 5
1 4 1 1 / 1 4 5 5

C: 4 5 1 4 / 4 5 1 1 :||

Love Is A Rose, Neil Young-
(Recording is in Key of G)

Intro/Chorus: ||: 1 (4 1) 1 (5 1) / 1 (4 1) 1 (5 1)

Bridge "I Wanna.." 4 1 5 1 / 4 1 5 1 :||

Bad Moon Rising, Creedence Clearwater Revival-
(Recording is in Key of D)

Intro/V: 1 (5 4) 1 1 / 1 (5 4) 1 1

C: 4 4 1 1 / 5 4 1 1

Mr. Tambourine Man, Bob Dylan-
(Recording is in Key of E)

C: 4 5 1 4 / 1 4 5 5 / 4 5 1 4 / 1 4 5 1

V: 4 5 1 4 / 1 4 1 4 / 5 5 / 4 5 1 4 / 1 4 1 4 / 5 5

Thank U, Alanis Morissette-
(Recording is in Key of C)

Whole Song: ||: 1 1 5 4 :||

The Cowboy Rides Away, George Strait-
(Recording is in Key of G)

Whole Song: ||: 1 1 4 4 / 5 5 1 1 :||

3-4 Chords (1, 4, 5, 6m)

Stand By Me, Ben E. King-
(Recording is in Key of A)

V/C: ||: 1 1 6m 6m / 4 5 1 1 :||

If I Were A Boy, Beyoncé-
(Recording is in Key of E)

Whole Song: ||: (6m 4) (1 5) :||

I Gotta Feeling, Black Eyed Peas-
(Recording is in Key of G)

Whole Song: ||: 1 1 4 4 / 6m 6m 4 4 :||

Zombie, The Cranberries-
(Recording is in Key of G)

Whole Song: ||: 6m 4 1 5 :||

Dangerous Woman, Ariana Grande-
(Recording is in Key of G, 6/8, each chord gets 2 big beats)

Whole Song: ||: 6m 4 1 5 :||

Happier, Ed Sheeran-
(Recording is in Key of C)

Whole Song: ||: (6m, 4) 1 :||

Stay With Me, Sam Smith-
(Recording is in Key of C)

Whole Song (Simplified Version) ||: (6m, 4) 1* :||
*1 chord is slightly quicker, or pushed.

Say You Won’t Let Go, James Arthur-
(Recording is in Key of Bb)

Whole Song: ||: 1 5 6m 4 :||

Stranger Things, One Republic/Kygo-
(Recording is in Key of C)

Whole Song: ||: 4 6m 1 4 :||

I Don’t Wanna Live Forever, ZAYN/Taylor Swift-
(Recording is in Key of C)

Whole Song: ||: 4 1 5 6m :||

New, Daya-
(Recording is in Key of C)

Whole Song: ||: 6m 4 1 5 :||

I'm Good, The Mowgli's-

Whole Song (Simplified a bit): ||: 4 1 5 6m* :|| *(6m, 5) on Choruses

Wagon Wheel, Old Crow Medicine Show-
(Recording is in Key of A)

Whole Tune: ||: 1 5 6m 4 / 1 5 4 4 :||

Just The Way You Are, Bruno Mars-
(Recording is in Key of F)

Whole Tune: ||: 1 1 6m 6m / 4 4 1 1 :||

J-Boy, Phoenix-
(Recording is in Key of C)

Whole Tune: ||: 4 (4 5) 4 (4 5) / 4 (4 5) 1 6m :||

Laid (Version 2), James-
(Recording is in Key of C)

Whole Tune: ||: 1 5 1 5 / 1 5 4 5 :||

Humble and Kind, Tim McGraw-
(Recording is in Key of B, 12/8, 4 big beats per chord)

Whole Tune: ||: 1 6m 4 1 :||

Down In The Valley- (in 3/4- chords switch every 3 beats)

V: 1 1 1 / 5 5 5 / 5 5 5 / 1 1 1

C: 6m 6m 6m / 5 5 5 / 5 5 5 / 1 1 1

The Story, Brandi Carlile-
(Recording is in Key of B)

Intro: 1 1sus 1 1sus
Whole Tune: ||: 1 1 5 5 / 6m 6m 4 4 / 1 5 6m 4 / 1 5 1 1 :|| (5x total)
Tag- 1 5 1 1

Sound of Silence, Simon And Garfunkel-
(Recording is in Key of F#)

Intro: 6m 6m

Head: ||: 5 5 6m 6m / (4 1) 1 (4) 1 / 4 4 1 (1 6m) (1) / 5 6m 6m :||

5 Chords (1, 2m, 4, 5, 6m)

Run-Around, Blues Traveler-
(Recording is in Key of G)

Whole Song: ||: (1 4) (2m 5) :||

Knockin' On Heaven's Door, Bob Dylan-
(Recording is in Key of G)

V/C: ||: (1 5) 2m (1 5) 4 :||

Pray, Sam Smith-
(Recording is in Key of G, 6/8, each chord gets 2 big beats)

V/C: ||: 6m 6m 1 1 / 2m 2m 4 4 :||

What's Up, 4 Non Blondes-
(Recording is in Key of A)

V/C: ||: 1 2m 4 1 :||

Get Lucky, Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams-
(Recording is in Key of A)

Whole Song: ||: 2m 4 6m 5 :||

High And Dry, Radiohead-
(Recording is in Key of E)

Whole Song: ||: 2m 4 1 1 :||

Shake It Off, Taylor Swift-
(Recording is in Key of G)

Whole Song: ||: 2m 2m 4 4 / 1 1 1 1 :||

Everything Is Free, Gillian Welch-
(Recording is in Key of C, Big Beats, listen for rhythm)

Whole Song: ||: 2m 4 1 5 :||

6+ Chords

Creep, Radiohead-
(Recording is in Key of G)

V/C: ||: 1 1 3 3 / 4 4 4m 4m :||

Like I’m Gonna Lose You, Meghan Trainor, ft. John Legend-
(Recording is in Key of C, 12/8, 4 big beats per chord)

Whole Song: ||: 1 3m 6m 4 :||