What's your favorite 3 chords only song?

pepamahina

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My Uke group is trying to make beginners feel comfortable by having a special "3 chords only" meetup. Any suggestions out there for really good 3 chord or less songs? I'm looking for those songs that are very simple, but sound great and build confidence. Thanks guys.
 
Don't worry, be happy. :) Bobby McFerrin. It's a good one for getting people to sing along with.

C Here's a little song I wrote, you
Dm might want to sing it note for note, don't
F worry, be
C happy
 
Knockin' On Heaven's Door

Verses
G D Am7
G D C
G D Am7
G D C

Chorus
G D C
G D C
G D C

Okay, it's actually 4 chords, but don't count the Am7 and it's 3 chords.
 
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Our uke class learned This Land is Your Land with F-C-G7. We optionally add C7 and Am, but it's perfectly fine with just three.
 
I happen to love Jambalaya, with F, C and C7 @ the word "fun" each time it comes up.... i've often heard this played with only 2 chords, but that C7 makes a big diff to me!!
 
THere are so many songs that can be faked with three chords that a booklet of them is likely to look more like an encyclopedia... :)

Bad Moon Rising (v. DAGD x4, ch. GDAGD)
Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain (CFG & optionally G7)
Boney Fingers (DGA7)
Bread and Butter (CFG7)
Clementine (Oh my Darlin) (CG7 - just two chords)
Cool Water (CFG7)
Corrina, Corrina (DGA (optionally add D7))
Down on the Corner (CFG)

Okay...I'm tired now but you get the idea...
 
La Bamba
The Lion Sleeps Tonight
Folsom Prison Blues
Wild Thing
Good Lovin'

There are more than a bazillion 3-chord songs. I have to object to the 4-chord song, as there are actually 6 bazillion of them.
 
Don't worry, be happy. :) Bobby McFerrin. It's a good one for getting people to sing along with.

C Here's a little song I wrote, you
Dm might want to sing it note for note, don't
F worry, be
C happy

That is uncanny! I saw the name of this thread and came here to post and the first reply is almost word for word what I was going to say!

Such a great sing-a-long. People can't help themselves from joining in.
 
Beirut's "Nantes" is a current favorite with our HS uke club:

Dm
C
F

If you have more advanced players they can work in a reggae strum, or they can lead each chord with a melody note (D, E, and F work well).

Cheers on a cool thread.
 
Mary had a little lamb: C and G7 (take that!) Had my 5 yr old daughter playing and singing that tonight! :cheers:
 
I have a feature on my website called The 3 Chord Club. I have over 100 artists and genres of music with the the basic three chord structure.
 
Glow Worm (Mills Brothers) is mostly F and C7, with a Gm thrown in on the second to the last line.

–Lori
 
"King of the Road" by Roger Miller
"Goodnight Irene" by Leadbelly
"Midnight Special" by Leadbelly
"Lay Down Sally" by Eric Clapton
"Blue Suede Shoes" by Carl Perkins
"No Particular Place to Go" by Chuck Berry
"Midnight Rider" by the Allman Brothers
 
This Land Is Your Land by Woody Guthrie. It is a 4 bar chord sequence all the way through.

||: F | C| G7 | C :||
 
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