Jim Bottorff's
Beginner's Play-Along Songs
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The following songs have chord structures that should be easy for Beginner's to follow.  The words "Advanced Chords" are next to songs that have more complicated chord structures.  The melodies, however, vary from advanced to difficult.  Songs like "Skip To My Lou" and "Camptown Races" may be easy to learn "by ear", while other tunes like "Beaumont Rag" and "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" may require sheet music, tablature, or special notation to learn properly.  Try the songs out to see which are the easiest for your level of playing, whether it's chord strumming, melody picking, or whatever. Then, move on to the harder songs as you improve.  Lots of 4 and 5 string banjo players have learned to play from some of these songs.  So, have fun and start pickin' and strummin'.
 
Pick below to get in tune:
 
Plectrum Banjo: CGBD,   5-String Banjo: GDGBD,   Tenor Banjo: CGDA
Banjo with Guitar Tuning: DGBE,   Guitar: EADGBE
Ukulele: GCEA,   Mandolin: GDAE,   Bass: EADG
(Tip: All strings are played first, as indicated, then each string is played individually)
 

Beginner's Songs:
 
Click a "Song Name" to play or "Chords" to see a Chord Chart
 
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A-B
ARKANSAS TRAVELER  -  Key of  G - Chords & Lyrics
ALLEY CAT  -  Key of  C - Chords & Lyrics
BANJO BOOGIE  -  Key of  G - Chords & Lyrics plus 5-String, Plectrum, and Tenor Tablature
BANJO BOY  -  Key of G with Verse - Chords & Lyrics
BANJO IN THE HOLLOW  -  Key of  G - Chords and 5-String Tablature
BANJO SONG  -  Key of  C, 3/4 time - Chords.
BARN DANCE, THE  -  Key of  C and F - Advanced Chords
BEAUMONT RAG  -  Key of  G - Chords
BILE THAT CABBAGE DOWN  -  Key of  G - Chords & Lyrics
BILLY BOY  -  Key of  C - Chords, Lyrics & Sound Clip
BLUESY BANJO  -  Key of  G - Chords and 5-String Tablature
BUFFALO GALS  -  Key of  C - Chords, Lyrics & Sound Clip
 
C-D
CAMPTOWN RACES  -  Key of  C - Chords & Lyrics
CLARINET POLKA  -  Verse in Bb, Chorus in Eb - Chords..
CRIPPLE CREEK  -  Key of  G - Chords, Lyrics & Sound Clip
DARLING NELLIE GRAY  -  Key of  D - Chords, Lyrics & Sound Clip
DEVIL'S DREAM  -  Key of  G - Chords
DIXIE  -  Key of  C - Chords & Lyrics
DOWN IN THE VALLEY  -  Key of  C, 3/4 time - Chords & Lyrics
DUELING BANJOS  -  Key of  G - Chords
 
F-G
FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREAKDOWN  -  Key of  G - Chords and 5-String Tablature
FOGGY MOUNTAIN SPECIAL  -  Key of  G - Chords
GIRL I LEFT BEHIND, THE  -  Key of  F - Chords & Lyrics
GOOD BYE, MY LOVER GOOD BYE  -  Key of  G - Chords & Lyrics
GOTTA TRAVEL ON  -  Key of  G - Chords & Lyrics
GRANDFATHER'S CLOCK  -  Key of  G - Chords, Lyrics & Sound Clip
 
H-I
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU  -  Key of  G, 3/4 time - Chords, Lyrics & Sound Clip
HEY, MR. BANJO  -  Key of  C - Chords, Lyrics & Sound Clip.
HOME ON THE RANGE  -  Key of  G - Chords & Lyrics.
HOME SWEET HOME  -  Key of  D - Chords & Lyrics
IT'S HARD, AIN'T IT HARD  -  Key of  G - Chords & Lyrics
I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE RAILROAD  -  Key of  G - Advanced Chords & Lyrics.
 
J-L
JESSE JAMES  -  Key of  G - Chords & Lyrics.
JINGLE BELLS  -  Key of  G - Chords and 5-String Tab & Lyrics
LIBERTY  -  Key of  D - Chords, 5-String Tab, & Sound Clip
LITTLE BROWN JUG  -  Key of  C - Chords & Lyrics
LOONEY TUNES THEME, THE  -  Key of  C - Chords & Sound Clip
 
 
 
M-N
MOUNTAIN DEW  -  Key of  G - Chords & Lyrics
NASHVILLE BLUES  -  Key of  Dm - Chords
NEVER ON SUNDAY  -  Key of  C - Chords & Lyrics
 
O-P
OH, LONESOME ME  -  Key of  C - Advanced Chords & Lyrics
OH, MY DARLING CLEMENTINE  -  Key of  C, 3/4 time - Chords & Lyrics
OH! SUSANNA  -  Key of  G - Chords & Lyrics
OLD JOE CLARK  -  Key of  G - Chords & Lyrics
ON TOP OF OLD SMOKEY  -  Key of  C, 3/4 time - Chords, Lyrics & Sound Clip
OUR BOYS WILL SHINE TONIGHT  -  Key of  C - Chords & Lyrics& Sound clip
OVER THE WAVES  -  Key of  Bb, Eb, 3/4 time, 3-Parts - Advanced Chords & Lyrics
PAPA JOE'S  -  Key of  C - Chords & Lyrics
PISTOL PACKIN' MAMA  -  Key of  G - Chords & Lyrics
 
R-S
RAMBLIN' ROSE  -  Key of  G - Advanced Chords & Lyrics
RED-HAIRED BOY  -  Key of  A - Chords
RED RIVER VALLEY  -  Key of  G - Chords & Lyrics
RED WING  -  Key of  C - Chords & Lyrics.
RIDIN' DOWN THE CANYON  -  Key of  G - Advanced Chords & Lyrics
RING, RING THE BANJO  -  Key of  C, Verse - Chords & Lyrics
ROCKY TOP  -  Key of  G - Advanced Chords & Lyrics
SALLY GOODIN  -  Key of  G - Chords & Lyrics
SALTY DOG  -  Key of  G - Advanced Chords & Lyrics
SHE'LL BE COMIN' ROUND THE MOUNTAIN  -  Key of  G, Verse - Chords, Lyrics & Lead Sheet
SILENT NIGHT  -  Keys of  C and G, 3/4 time - Chords and 5-String Tab & Lyrics
SILVER BELL  -  Verse in G, Chorus in C - Chords & Lyrics..
SKIP TO MY LOU  -  Key of  C - Chords, Lyrics & Sound Clip
SOLDIER'S JOY  -  Key of  D - Chords and 5-String Tablature
ST. ANNE'S REEL  -  Key of  D - Chords
 
T
TENNESSEE WALTZ  -  Key of  C, 3/4 time - Chords & Lyrics
THERE IS A TAVERN IN THE TOWN  -  Key of  C - Chords, Lyrics & Sound Clip
THERE'S A TEAR IN MY BEER  -  Key of  D - Chords & Lyrics
THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND  -  Key of  G - Chords & Lyrics
TOM DOOLEY  -  Keys of  G and C - Chords, Lyrics and Lead Sheet
TURKEY IN THE STRAW  -  Key of  G - Chords & Lyrics
 
W
WABASH CANNONBALL  -  Key of  G - Chords & Lyrics
WASHINGTON AND LEE SWING  -  Key of  C with Verse - Chords & Lyrics
WAY OUT WEST IN KANSAS  -  Key of  C - Advanced Chords & Lyrics
WHISKEY BEFORE BREAKFAST  -  Key of  D - Chords
WILDWOOD FLOWER (Basic Version)  -  Key of  C - Chords & Lyrics
WILDWOOD FLOWER (Extended Version)  -  Keys of  C and G - Chords and 5-String Tab & Lyrics
WRECK OF THE OLD 97 (MTA)  -  Key of  G - Chords & Lyrics
 
Y
YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE  -  Key of  F - Chords & Lyrics
 

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