photo from www.seymourduncan.com
If you’re learning how to play guitar, you should know that country music is fun to play and easy to learn.
Hence, the existence of this article.
I’m here to share one of the best YouTube videos that will teach you how to play country guitar. Once you finish reading this article, you can check out these three country songs for beginner guitarists.
Generally, country songs have an easy pace to follow and melodies that are easy to remember. That will make it easy for you, the guitar player.
First, you should learn basic song structure. Typically, a song will have this pattern: intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus — something along those lines. Because you’re addicted to country music, you probably already know (or can recognize) the different parts of a song.
There are a ton of videos on the internet that can help you play country songs, but how do you know what videos are the best? To save you some time, here’s the cream of the crop.
Learn to play “I Walk The Line” by Johnny Cash
Who doesn’t know Johnny Cash? Even non-country music fans know and love his music. He was in the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This song from 1956 became one of his biggest songs. It uses a pattern in the intro that repeats throughout the verse, making it very easy to play.
Learn to play “Tulsa Time” by Don Williams
Do you want to play a song that Eric Clapton recorded? That’d be pretty sweet.
Originally recorded by Don Williams in’78, “Tulsa Time” is a classic country song that uses a super easy progression involving two chords — E and B7.
Learn to play “Hey, Good Lookin’” by Hank Williams Sr.
Hank Williams Sr. — the legend — recorded “Hey, Good Lookin’” in 1951. It’s not only easy, but it will help you learn basic, foundational country guitar strumming patterns. The only chords in the song are C, D7, and G. This video will walk you through the whole thing.
Learn to play “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver
Yes, Denver was more folk than country, but this song did very well in country music, becoming one of the three songs combined to make “Forever Country,” the mashup made for the CMA’s 50th anniversary.
“Take Me Home, Country Roads” is a hit song you can play without a hiccup. It uses a standard progression of G, Em, D, C, and G, the repeats with slight variations. Check out the video to walk through the song.
