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Guitar Chords For Folk Songs
Vol 1
Welcome to my guitar chords for folk songs page where below you'll find 15 great folk songs to learn on the acoustic. But don't stop there. See the entire collection of
folk songs in this folk category. There are hundreds of free guitar demos, chord sheets, rhythm tips and more.
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Guitar Chords For Folk Songs
Chords, Lyrics, Demos, Tutorials
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1. Badly Drawn Boy
The Time Of Times was released as a bonus track in 2008 on their DVD and this song appeared in the closing of the film "Definitely Maybe".
The song is from the album "Bork In The U.K.".
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: down up down down up down down and repeat
- Picking: just a riff in the rhythm
- Chords: E, A, B
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2. Brewer & Shipley
One Toke Over The Line was the debut single for the duo Brewer and Shipley back in 1971. Both artists recall being out of it and Tom Shipley kept saying he was one toke over the line. That was the inspiration for the tune.
The duo only had this song that reached the top 40 and peaked at #10 in the US, #5 in Canada and #7 in New Zealand. The song is on their album "Tarkio".
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: 2nd fret
- Rhythm: root down root up down up and repeat
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: D, G, A/Db, Bm, Bm/B, A7, D7, E7
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3. Christopher Cross
Sailing was a debut song from the album "Christopher Cross" and hit the airwaves in the summer of 1980. The song was almost not released as a single but when it did, it hit #1 in the US. It also won a Grammy and other awards.
The song was also a #1 in Canada and a top 40 in several other countries.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: down up down up up down up and repeat
- Picking: No but a few riffs in the rhythm
- Chords: Bm, Gbm, Dbm, E, A, F, G, D#, E#, C, Ab. A#
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4. City & Color
Fragile Bird is from City & Color's 3rd album called "Little Hell".
This song was a #1 and a #48 on two different charts in Canada back in 2011.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: use downstrokes with a few accents and a down down up down down up down up in the ch
- Picking: No
- Chords: Am, Am/Gb, Gmaj7, Fmaj7
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5. David Francey
Torn Screen Door is a track from David Francey's debut album from 1999 entitled Torn Screen Door.
I don't believe the song was ever released as a single.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: a steady down down up down up down up and repeat
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: G, C, D, Em
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6. David Mallett
Pennsylvania Sunrise is the title track from David's 1979 album of the same name.
The song was never released as a single.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: 3rd fret
- Rhythm: root down root up down up and repeat
- Picking: a little blended in the rhythm
- Chords: D, Em, A7, G, D/Gb, Db, Bm, A
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7. David Olney
Stonewall is from a 2003 album by David Olney entitled "The Wheel". Onley had several of his songs recorded by big name entertainers including Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Linda Ronstadt and others.
This song was never released as a single to my knowledge.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: root down up down up bass down up down up and repeat
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: A, D, G
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8. Foy Vance
She Burns is a 2016 song from the album "The Wild Swan" which is the 3rd album from Northern Ireland musician Foy Vance. Elton John produced this album and many say this song, She Burns, could have been a Springsteen composition.
I don't believe this song was ever a single release.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: 4th fret
- Rhythm: downstrokes with accents
- Picking: No
- Chords: Am, C, G, F
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9. Hayden
When The Night Came And Took Us is from Hayden's 2009 album, The Place Where We Lived, which was his 6th album.
I don't believe the song was ever released as a single.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: down down up down up and repeat
- Picking: a few riffs in the rhythm
- Chords: C, Dm, Em, Fmaj7, G6, F, D
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10. Iron & Wine
Call It Dreaming was released as a single in 2017 from the studio album "Beast Epic".
No indication that the song was released as a single.
- Drop D Tuning: Yes
- Capo: 3rd fret
- Rhythm: down down up down up down - down up down up down up and repeat
- Picking: Yes blended in the rhythm
- Chords: D, G, Em, A7, Gbm, Bm, A
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11. Jeff Tweedy
Gwendolyn is from Jeff's 2020 album Love Is the King.
No idea if this one was ever released as a single.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: down down up down up down up and repeat
- Picking: No
- Chords: G, Am, C, D
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12. Jim Ford
I'll Be Ahead If I Can Quit is a 2008 track on the CD "Point Of No Return Unreleased Masters, A Lost 45 & Rare Demos".
I don't believe this was released as a single but has been recorded by a few other artists. Nick Lowe was a big fan of Jim Ford who passed away in 2007.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: down up stop up down up stop up and repeat
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: E, A, B
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13. John Sebastian
Welcome Back was released in 1976 by the front man for The Lovin Spoonful, John Sebastian who wrote and recorded this song. It appeared as the theme song for the TV show Welcome Back Kotter.
The song peaked at #1 in the US and is from the album of the same name.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: down down up down up down up with a few shuffle strums
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: G, A, D, Em, A7sus, A7, Gbm, B7, Esus, E
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14. Jonathan Edwards
Sunshine was Jonathan Edwards' highest charting song reaching #4 in the US, #7 in Canada and #45 in Australia. The engineer accidentally erased a a song for the album called Please Find Me.
So Sunshine was used to finish the album and was selected as the single. It's from his debut album "Jonathan Edwards" from 1971.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: down up stop up and repeat
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: G, D, F, D7
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15. Jose Feliciano
Chico And The Man was the theme song for the TV show of the same name and was released as a single in 1975. The song peaked at #96 in the US and #76 in Brazil.
It was put on a 2004 compilation as far as I can tell with 10 other songs.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: a steady down up down up
- Picking: a few riffs blended into the rhythm
- Chords: A5, Dmaj7, E7, Dbm, Gb, Bm, E7, Gbm, G
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