Looking for one and two chord songs for my 8 year old to play on guitar

June 2, 2016 1:53 PM

My (very nearly) eight year old has progressed to the point on guitar where she can play root positions pretty cleanly. Any suggestions for songs that are pretty simple - one chord across the verse, no quick changes. Can be folk or pop or whatever. I'm digging through Rise Up Singing right now.
posted by mzurer to Media & Arts (12 answers total)

I just Googled "two-chord guitar songs" and got too many results to re-post here, but you can do the same.

The first one that came to mind for me is Weird Al's "Word Crimes" (because "Blurred Lines" is super gross). I believe it's just G and D chords, with changes only once every 4 bars. They can transpose it to A and E chords (but not play along with the recording because capo at the 10th fret would be kind of silly, unless they are using a full-size guitar--then their fingers would fit).
posted by TinWhistle at 2:16 PM on June 2, 2016

I think you can get away with two chords on Old McDonald had a Farm.
posted by JimN2TAW at 2:19 PM on June 2, 2016

Jane Says
Molly's Lips
What I Got
posted by jeffamaphone at 2:32 PM on June 2, 2016 [2 favorites]

Row, Row, Row Your Boat. Probably wouldn't work as a round, but hey, maybe.
posted by amtho at 4:17 PM on June 2, 2016

When I was learning ukulele I really enjoyed My Darling Clementine.
posted by jessamyn at 4:25 PM on June 2, 2016

Tom Dooley is a classic folk song that uses two chords, G and D7, and has a very simple strumming pattern. It's also sad -- its about a murderer sentenced to hang for his crime -- so I don't know if that's a deal breaker for your 8 year old. If they're going to be playing folk songs, though, death and suffering come with the territory.
posted by mosk at 5:03 PM on June 2, 2016

The Ramones catalog?
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 5:42 PM on June 2, 2016 [1 favorite]

Santa Monica by Everclear has two main chords and like five? chords total. Not sure it's lyrically appropriate for a young kid, but it is a great song.
posted by guster4lovers at 8:21 PM on June 2, 2016 [1 favorite]

Roadrunner, by Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers. It's A and D (with, I think, an E once or twice), and it's awesome.
posted by Gelatin at 4:46 AM on June 3, 2016

Whole Wide World by Wreckless Eric. Just A and E!
posted by thebots at 8:09 AM on June 3, 2016 [1 favorite]

Dreams by Fleetwood Mac
posted by Clustercuss at 8:17 AM on June 3, 2016

A Horse With No Name (America)
Memphis Tennessee (Berry)
posted by jeffamaphone at 10:52 AM on June 11, 2016 [1 favorite]