Bluegrass - Beginner Song
 

Looking for some recommendations on the most fundamental (3 chord etc.) beginner bluegrass songs.

Don't know what level your pickin' is, but how about a two chord slow song.

Capo 4, G and D.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5XWZViDD2E

String Letter Publishing has a lot of really great lesson books. I have used several for learning and teaching. Here's one you might benfit from:

http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/...asics/19291946

Aren't all bluegrass tunes 3 chords? :confused:

heres some 2 ,3 and 4 chord songs that might get played pistol packin mama, waltz across texas, rollin in my sweet babys arms, wreck of the old 97, mountain dew,dark hollow, truck drivin man, mind your own business, shady grove , wabash cannonball. you can put in a search and find the chords for each song and listen to them on youtube.

If it's bluegrass flatpicking you're after, Wildwood Flower is a great place to start. There are some easy arrangements for it, as well as for Ragtime Annie, Whiskey Before Breakfast and Soldier's Joy.

Lots of free tab available for these tunes. If you're having trouble finding some that work for you, send me a PM.

Many standard bluegrass songs that are played at jams, festival parking lots, etc. go beyond the basic three chord form usually associated with blues and country music. The VI, flatted VII, and II chords are very common in addition to I, IV, and V chords. That being said, there are plenty of great 3 chord bluegrass songs. Check out any of the "best of" compilations by Bill Monroe, The Stanley Brothers, and Flatt and Scruggs for a wealth of material.

Start with two-chords songs. Here's a list:
http://www.drbanjo.com/instructional-2chordsongs.php

Add 3-chorders from here:
http://www.drbanjo.com/instructional...2or3chords.php

Jam favorites:
http://www.drbanjo.com/instructional...gfavorites.php

Highly recommended jamming DVDs:
http://www.drbanjo.com/drbshop/dvds/...total-beginner

http://www.drbanjo.com/drbshop/dvds/...closet-pickers

http://www.drbanjo.com/drbshop/dvds/...ss-jam-session


Since you are in Chattanooga, you should get together with these people:
http://www.chattanoogafolk.com/

The first two my teacher had me work on were Old Joe Clark and Nine Pound Hammer, capo on the second fret, G-C-D progression. These are good for learning tempo and beats-per-measure, and also for practicing pull offs/hammer-ons, slides, and cross-picking. Of course there are many other songs in bluegrass that are "fundamental" in this way.

This site offers a number of standard bluegrass (and old time/folk) tunes sung with a rhythm guitar: http://toneway.com/songs Many of those marked CORE are classics. I use them as backing tracks for practicing leads...and rhythm.

WOW, thank you guys so much for the responses! My pickin' isn't in the cotton field yet, just bought a guitar, learning the string names ha! But I love bluegrass and my family does also so figured it would be cool to find some starter songs for when that time comes. Thank you again, so much info, gotta love bluegrass nation :)

Yep, pretty much. :)

Norman Blake's version of "Man of Constant Sorrow".