Learning Chords
For most beginners at guitar playing, the first goal is to learn some easy songs to play on the guitar. And one of the main challenges here is learning all the guitar chords needed in order to be able to play those songs.
And that’s not always an easy thing to accomplish. Many songs uses chords that seem to have been invented for no other reason than to make it impossible to play. No wonder you give up on those songs. They have to wait until you get better at guitar playing.
G-Em-C-D
The Chord progression G-Em-C-D is a common (big understatement!) sequence all over the world, in all sorts of music styles. You can of course transpose to other chords, like C-Am-F-G or D-Bm-G-A and so on. Another way to “transpose” a song that not fits your voice is to use a capo at any fret you like.
I have compiled a little list of songs that I found that uses these chords. Many of them uses the progression all the way through the entire song, others are played with variations. And a few of them uses other chords as well.
The List
So here it is, my small gift to those of you who can’t find easy songs to play on guitar.
Here are the chords again, with two additional variations.
(C-Am-F-G), (G-Em-C-D), (D-Bm-G-A)
Stand by Me – Ben E. King
Heart and Soul – Hoagy Carmichael
The Thin Ice – Pink Floyd
Earth Angel – The Penguins (in family guy, back to the future etc.)
Donna – Ritchie Valens
Duke of Earl – Gene Chandler
Every Breath You Take – The Police
The Living Daylights – a-Ha
Last Kiss
Those Magic Changes and Beauty School Dropout – from Grease
Leader of the Pack
You Send Me
Blue Moon – Chris Isaak
Breaking Up Is Hard To Do – The Carpenters
Bubble Goose – Wyclef Jean
Teenager in Love – Dion & The Belmonts(?)
Fly On The Wings Of Love – The Olsen Brothers
Bus Station – Tom Russell
Heart Of Gold – Neil young
Stand By Me – Ben E King
Beautiful Girls – Sean Kingston
I’ve just seen a face – The Beatles
Last Kiss – Pearl Jam
Bleeding Love – Leona Lewis (I think?)
Single Ladies – Beyonce
Baby – Justin Bieber
Mary’s Song- Taylor Swift
Jump then Fall- Taylor Swift
Wrapped in your Arms- Fireflight
This magic moment
Up on the roof- The Drifters
Wonderful world – Herman Hermits
Lovers moon – Glenn Frye – My new favorite.
She will be loved – Maroon 5
His Latest Flame – Elvis.
I Only Want To Be With You – Dusty Springfield.
End Of The Line – Traveling Wilburys.
Puff The Magic Dragon – Peter, Paul and Mary
Kumbayah
Where Have All The Flowers Gone? – Pete Seeger
Look at the first song in this list. In all its simplicity “Stand By Me” is a fantastic song, and it has travelled with me through all these years. And it’s a very easy song to play on guitar.
If you like that song I’ll show you a very special version of it, at my website.