easy old country songs with just three chords?

[cyclopean]

Long black veil

 

[Eddie Bray]

Most Everly Brothers songs
Good Hearted Woman

 

[Satchmo]

I guess I'm older than some of the others in this thread but songs that are 30 years old don't seem like "old school" to me.

When I think "old school", songs like "Lonesome 7-7203" come to mind.

 

[wayloncash]

George Jones the one I loved back then

Marshall tucker fire on the mountain.

Waylon Jennings mental revenge

John conlee rose colored glasses

 

[ripgtr]

Hank's songs aren't all that difficult, but for all the chord changes in lovesick blues...the hard part is getting the yodel-like falsetto stuff.
On a side note, first time I did lovesick in public, I asked a few people how my Hank voice went...unfortunatel they were all too young to comment

I love Hank, but I am not surprised. Not going to be recognizable to a lot of the audience, and the style will sound "old" unless you change it up.

Heck, it sounded old when I was in high school, and that was in the early 70s. I went over to a buddy's house, must have been like '73, the guys were playing records and laughing, they had found an old Hank record and thought it was pretty funny. Now, I didn't get it, I was like, Yea, that's Hank, great stuff. Of course 6 months later, they were all die hard country fans and had Merle tapes in their 8 tracks, lol. But to most folks, it will sound a little hokey unless you "modernize" it a bit. Which you can, cause the core songs are great.

 

[waparker4]

I like the dramatic II7 chord in country but that makes four

 

[Junkyard Dog]

Truck Driving Man
Six Days On The Road
Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down
Swinging Doors

 

[Dan R]

Many great ones are already listed. I'll add these two.

Merle Haggard - I'm a Lonesome Fugitive
Don Williams - 'Til the Rivers All Run Dry

 

[Zachevans3]

Hank Thompson wild side of life if it ain't already been mentioned

 

[screamin eagle]

I thought is was only Western music that had more than three chords...

 

[Rustbucket]

I thought is was only Western music that had more than three chords...

"We play only two kinds of music here..." Well you know the rest

 

[suthol]

silver wings - merle haggard

At least 6 chords in this one if you diffentiate between the the F#m and F#7

 

[Ira7]

If you got a singer who can can pull it off with sincerity, but he doesn't have to be a great singer, you gotta check out "Conversation with the Devil" performed by Ray Wylie Hubbard.

The lyrics are INTENSE, and I think the whole damn song is only TWO chords.

Sample it on iTunes, but it's worth $1.29 to buy.

 

[Rowrx1]

Friends in Low Places, by Garth. It's more than 3 chords but pretty easy to play. Gets people singing along.

 

[Rustbucket]

I like the dramatic II7 chord in country but that makes four

Don't go all jazz on us now, we're simple country folk in this thread lol

 

[Ira7]

Friends in Low Places, by Garth. It's more than 3 chords but pretty easy to play. Gets people singing along.

What's that song on Scarecrow about your tombstone, "Pushing Up Daisies?"

Very Irish sounding, but a really easy and fantastic number.

 

[thunderbyrd]

"""At least 6 chords in this one if you diffentiate between the the F#m and F#7"""


well, shucks. i guess that explains why my version always sounded so...inept.

 

[Dirtsquirrel]

The Snakes Crawl at Night- Charley Pride
Hickory Wind- Gram Parsons
Skip a Rope- Henson Cargill

 

[bchaffin72]

That Freddy Fender tune (forget the title and maybe more than one)

Wasted Days and Wasted Nights
Before the Next Teardrop Falls

 

[maxvintage]

Hank Williams Sr. That's your Bible right there, the three chord Bible of Hank.

I love Honky Tonkin'. I love mind your own business. I love the whole Hank catalog except Kaw Liga which is dumb