50+ Three-Chord Songs To Play For Your Kids

If you've been following along with our tutorials on harmonizing children's songs on the guitar here, here, and here, you're ready for the three chord song list. If the D major chord set hasn't been working for your vocal range, try playing these with the A major chord set (A, D, and E) or the C major chord set (C, F, and G). There are chord charts available all over the internet and several good apps that teach guitar chords as well.

Here's a table to help you change keys (chord sets). To change what you've been playing in D major to another key, just use choose your chord set, and replace the chord from the D major chord set with the chord from your key in the same column. If you're changing from D major to A major, you would replace D chord with A, G with D, and A with E.

Chord Roman Numerals	I	IV	V
D Major Chord Set	D	G	A
C Major Chord Set	C	F	G
A Major Chord Set	A	D	E

And now for your three chord strategy and song list...



D Major Chord Set

The D Chord. Play everything but the top string. If you use the D chord set, this chord will always be the last one in the song.  It is very likely to also be the first.

The A Chord.  This is usually the second most common chord in a song, and is second most likely to be the first chord.

The G Chord.  Use this one when the other two don't sound right.

Three-Chord Songs

1. ABC's/ Twinkle Twinkle Little Star/ Baa Baa Black Sheep/Various Others
2. All Shook Up – Elvis Presley 
3. Amazing Grace 
4. Battle Hymn of the Republic  (And various songs to the same tune)
5. Blue Suede Shoes – Elvis Presley 
6. Bye Bye Love – The Everly Brothers 
7. De Colores 
8. Down By the Bay  
9. Down on the Corner – Creedence Clearwater Revival 
10. Five Little Ducks  
11. Five Little Speckled Frogs 
12. Get Along Home Cindy – Dean Martin & Ricky Nelson 
13. Guantanamera – The Sandpipers 
14. Happy Birthday  
15. Hawaiian Rainbows 
16. Hey Mr. Tambourine Man – Bob Dylan 
17. Hound Dog – Elvis 
18. I Love Rock N Roll – Joan Jett 
19. I Saw Her Standing There – The Beatles 
20. If You're Happy and You Know It 
21. I’m a Believer – Monkees, Smash Mouth 
22. I'm A Little Teapot 
23. I’m Bringing Home My Baby Bumble Bee  
24. I've Been Working on the Railroad 
25. La Bamba
26. Las Mañanitas 
27. Louie Louie – The Kingsmen, various 
28. My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean 
29. Oats, Peas, Beans  
30. Ob-la-di ob-la-da – The Beatles 
31. Oh My Darling, Clementine
32. Oh Susanna  
33. Old McDonald 
34. On Top of Old Smoky/ On Top of Spaghetti 
35. Over the River and Through the Woods 
36. Peace Like a River 
37. Que Sera, Sera – Doris Day 
38. Ring of Fire – Johnny Cash 
39. Roll Over Beethoven – Chuck Berry 
40. Shake My Sillies Out 
41. She'll Be Comin' Around the Mountain 
42. Surfin’ USA – The Beach Boys 
43. The Bear Went Over the Mountain 
44. The Lion Sleeps Tonight – The Tokens, various 
45. This Land is Your Land 
46. This Little Light of Mine  
47. This Train Is Bound for Glory 
48. Tutti Frutti –Little Richard 
49. Twist and Shout –The Isley Brothers, The Beatles, various 
50. Uno, Dos, y Tres (Counting Song) 
51. Walking on Sunshine – Katrina & the Waves 
52. Weevily Wheat 
53. When the Saints Go Marching In 
54. Wild Thing – The Troggs 
55. Yankee Doodle 
56. Yellow Submarine – The Beatles 
57. You Are My Sunshine – Jimmy Davis, Johnny Cash, various

There are tons of other songs that can be played with these three chords.  The ones on this list fit into at least one of three categories: 1) major American cultural relevance, 2) subject matter and music that appeals to kids, 3) useful for teaching an educational concept.

Any you would add?