She’s a Country Music Fan: The Chords You Need to Know

If you’re a country music fan, then you know that the chords you need to know are C, G, and D. Here’s a blog post that will teach you how to play those chords so you can jam out to your favorite country songs!

Basic Chords for Country Music

Country music generally uses a lot of simple chords- the I, IV, V, and vi chords, also called the 1, 4, 5, and 6 chords. If you’re a beginner, these are the chords you should start with. The I, IV, and V chords are the major chords, while the vi chord is a minor chord.

A Major

The A Major chord is one of the first chords most beginners learn. It’s also a very commonly used chord in country music. The A Major chord is made up of the notes A, C#, and E. You can play this chord in a few different ways. The most common way to play it is with your first finger on the second fret of the low E string, your second finger on the second fret of the A string, and your third finger on the second fret of the D string. Another common way to play it is with your first finger on the first fret of the low E string, your second finger on the second fret of the high E string, and your third finger on the second fret of the B string.

D Major

The D Major chord is one of the most basic chords in country music. This three-note chord also appears in other genres, including blues and rock. The root note of the D Major chord is D, and the other notes are F# and A. When you play this chord, you can use either your first finger on the second fret of the low E string, your second finger on the third fret of the A string, or your third finger on the second fret of the high E string. You can also play this chord with an open position by strumming all six strings.

E Major

E Major is a very popular chord used in country music. It is often one of the first chords that guitarists learn how to play. The E major chord can be played in two different ways. The first way uses the first, second, and third fingers. The second way uses the second, third, and fourth fingers. To play the E major chord using the first, second, and third fingers, place your fingers on the strings in the following order:

-E string: First finger
-B string: Second finger
-G string: Third finger

To play the E major chord using the second, third, and fourth fingers, place your fingers on the strings in the following order:

-B string: Second finger
-G string: Third finger
-D string: Fourth finger

More Advanced Chords for Country Music

Though country music is often thought of as simple, three-chord songs, there are actually a wide variety of chords used in the genre. If you’re looking to take your country guitar playing to the next level, check out these more advanced chords.

A7

The A7 chord is a great chord to add to your country repertoire. This chord has a bit of a twang to it that is perfect for country music. To play the A7 chord, start by placing your index finger on the second fret of the low E string. Next, place your middle finger on the second fret of the A string. Finally, place your ring finger on the third fret of the high E string.

D7

The D7 chord is a very important chord in country music. It is often used as a “turnaround” chord, which means it helps move the song back to the tonic (the starting point of the song).

The D7 chord is made up of the following notes: D, F#, A, and C. To play a D7 chord on the guitar, you would strum all six strings like this:

e|——-
B|——-
G|——-
D|-0--2--4
A|-1--2--4 (If you’re playing in standard tuning)
E|-2--4--5 (If you’re playing in standard tuning)

If you’re playing in a different tuning, you’ll need to adjust the fingering accordingly.

E7

E7 is a major chord with an added seventh, and is used often in country music. To play an E7 chord, use the following fingerings:

-For a standard E7 chord, use your first (index) finger on the second fret of the low E string, your second (middle) finger on the second fret of the A string, your third (ring) finger on the second fret of the D string, and your pinky on the first fret of the high E string.
-For a “barred” E7, which is sometimes easier to play, use your first finger to bar all strings at the second fret. You can then add your other fingers as needed.
-For an “open” E7, don’t place any fingers on the low E string. Instead, use your first finger on the first fret of the A string, your second finger on the second fret of the D string, and your third finger on the third fret of the high E string.

Chord Progressions for Country Music

Country music is a genre of music that is often based on simple chord progressions. If you are a beginner songwriter or musician, learning some of the most common chord progressions in country music can be a great way to get started. In this article, we will take a look at some of the most common chord progressions in country music.

I-IV-V

The I-IV-V is one of the most common chord progressions in all of music, not just country. It’s so common because it’s incredibly easy to play and it sounds great. This progression is made up of the 1st, 4th, and 5th chords in any given key. In the key of C, those chords would be C, F, and G. This progression is extremely popular in many genres outside of country music, including rock, pop, and even blues.

I-vi-IV-V

The I-vi-IV-V chord progression is one of the most popular in country music. Also known as the “1-6-4-5 progression” or the “three chord trick,” it’s often used in songs in major keys. The I, vi, IV and V chords are all major chords, which gives the progression a bright, cheerful sound.

Some well-known country songs that use the I-vi-IV-V progression include “I Walk the Line” by Johnny Cash, “Jolene” by Dolly Parton, and “Stand By Your Man” by Tammy Wynette. The chord progression can also be heard in pop songs like “Sugar, Sugar” by the Archies and “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5.

ii-V-I

The ii-V-I progression is one of the most common chord progressions in all of music. It’s used in Jazz, Blues, Rock, Pop, and Country music, and can be found in countless songs. If you’re a country music fan, then it’s likely that you’ve heard this progression many times.

The ii-V-I progression is made up of three chords: the ii, the V, and the I. In the key of C, these chords would be Dm7, G7, and Cmaj7. The Roman numerals represent the scale degrees of each chord: ii is the 2nd scale degree, V is the 5th scale degree, and I is the 1st scale degree.

This progression is called a “ii-V-I” because it moves from the ii chord to the V chord to the I chord. The “ii” chord is usually a minor 7th chord, the “V” chord is usually a dominant 7th chord, and the “I” chord is usually a major 7th chord. In country music, however, you will often hear different chords being used for each of these positions. For example, instead of a Dm7 chord on the ii position, you might hear a Dmajor7 or even just a D6 chord. On the V position, you might hear a G9 or G13 chord instead of just a G7. And on the I position, you might hear an CMaj9 or CMaj13 instead of just a CMaj7.

The great thing about learning this progression is that once you know it in one key, you can easily move it to any other key and use it there. So if you want to learn how to play this progressions in other keys besides C major, just follow these simple steps:

1) Figure out what notes make up each chord in the key of C major. For example: Dm7 = D F A C; G7 = G B D F; Cmaj7 = C E G B
2) Find those same notes in another key. For example: if you want to play this progression in the key of F major, you would use chords with these notes: Dm7 = D F A C; G7 = G B D F; Cmaj7 = C E G B
3) Play those chords in order from ii to V to I. So in F major your progression would be: FMaj7 – Bb7 – EbMaj9