Beginner Song Charts

Just a list of some of the songs we teach at SDML Academy of Guitar to get you started...but these are organized by the song's KEY, using songs for the most common keys for music written on guitar.

The concept of KEY can be a tad confusing, but for our immediate purposes, we'll think of each key as a different chord family. The most common chord shape families are C, G, D, A, and E. The C family of chords includes (but is not limited to) the primary chords C, F, G, and Am....while G family includes G, C, D, and Em.

Be aware that the key actually changes when using a capo, but for now we're concerned with chord families rather than actual key.

Songs in G

"Wonderful World" Sam Cooke

capo @4 (charted as slow version, not original)

G - - - /Em - - - /C - - - /D - - - /

G - - - /Em - - - /C - - - /D - - - /

G - - - /Em - - - /G - - - /Em - - - /

C - - - /D - - - /G - - - /G - - - /

nridge

D - - - /G - - - /D - - - /G - - - /

Em - - - /Em - - - /C - - - /D - - - /

video

"Let It Be" The Beatles

capo @5

verse

G - - - /D - - - /Em - - - /C - - - /

G - - - /D - - - /C - - - /G - - - /

repeat

chorus

Em - - - /D - - - /C - - - /G - - - /

G - - - /D - - - /C - - - /G - - - /

video

"Wagon Wheel" Darius Rucker

capo @2

G - - - /D - - - /Em - - - /C - - - /

G - - - /D - - - /C - - - /C - - - /

repeat

video

"Leaving on a Jetplane" John Denver

G - - - /C - - - /G - - - /C - - - /

G - - - /C - - - /D - - - /D - - - /

repeat

video

"Stand By Me" Ben E King

capo @2

G - - - /G - - - /Em - - - /Em - - - /

C - - - /D - - - /Em - - - /Em - - - /

repeat throughout

video

Songs in D

"This land is Your Land" Woodie Guthrie

D....

G - - - /D - - - /A - - - /D - - - /

G - - - /D - - - /A - - - /D - - - /

repeat

video

"Margeritaville" Jimmy Buffett

verse

D - - - /D - - - /D - - - /D - - - /

D - - - /D - - - /A - - - /A - - - /

A - - - /A7 - - - /A - - - /A7 - - - /

A - - - /A7 - - - /D - - - /D - - - /

chorus

G - - - /A - - - /D - - - /D - - - /

G - - - /A - - - /D - - - /D - - - /

G - - - /A - - - /D - A - /G - - - /

A - - - /G - - - /D - - - /D - - - /

video

"The Gambler" Kenny Rodgers

D - - - /G - D - /G - D - /D - A - /

D - - - /G - D - /G - D - /A - D - /

repeat throughout

"Bad Moon Rising" CCR

verse

D - - - /A - G - /D - - - /D - - - /

D - - - /A - G - /D - - - /D - - - /

repeat

chorus

G - - - /G - - - /D - - - /D - - - /

A - - - /G - - - /D - - - /D - - - /

Songs in A 

"Lion Sleeps Tonight" Tokens

capo @8

A - - - /D - - - /A - - - /E - - - /

repeat

"Wild Thing" the Troggs

A - - D /E - - D /A - - D /E - - D /

repeat

"You Are My Sunshine" Davis/Mitchell

A - - - /A - - - /D - - - /A - - - /

D - - - /A - - - /A - E - /A - - - /

"Spirit In The Sky" Norman Greenbaum

open:
A......(long run with guitar fills)
verse:
A - - - / A - - - /A - - - /D - - - /
D - - - /A - - - /E - - - /E - A - /

"Born in the USA" Bruce Springsteen

capo @2

A - - - /D - A - /A - - - /D - A - /

A - - - /D - A - /A - - - /D - A - /

repeat throughout

Songs in C

"Banana Boat Song" Harry Belafonte

C - - - /C - - - /C - - - /G - C - /

C - - - /C - - - /C - - - /G - C - /

repeat

"Jambalaya" Hank Williams

C - - - /C - - - /G - - - /G - - - /

G - - - /G - - - /C - - - /C - - - /

repeat

Songs in E

"Folsom Prison Blues" Johnny Cash

E - - - /E - - - /E - - - /E7 - - - /

A - - - /A - - - /E - - - /E - - - /

B7 - - - /B7 - - - /E - - - /

repeat

"Paperback Writer" Beatles

capo @2

verse

E - - - /E7 - - - /E - - - /E7 - - - /

E - - - /E7 - - - /E - - - /E7 - - - /

chorus

A - - - /A7 - - - /E - - - /E7 - - - /

BONUS: Songs using the "Cycle" or "Circle" progression 

"Hey Joe" Jimi Hendrix

C - - - /G - - - /D - - - /A - - - /

E - - - /E7 - - - /E - - - /E7 - - - /

repeat throughout

note: this concept is used in many song bridges, intros, etc, like "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles (bridge), "Light My Fire" by The Doors (intro), and some use it to launch the progression but break away to "re-set" to the beginning like "Hotel California" by The Eagles and "Wild World" by Cat Stevens, while others use the progression more strictly (many jazz & jazz-flavored pop songs, like "Fly Me to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra or "Europa" by Carlos Sanatana).