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In popular guitar music, the most commonly used chords are the one, four, and five chords in each major key. As many songs have proven, these three chords can be all you need to create a memorable tune. This page lists out all of the songs I’ve taught built entirely with 1-4-5 chords. I’m also happy to share a new batch of PDF cheat sheets I’ve made, all of which dive into the topic of musical keys with plenty of helpful diagrams and charts. Enjoy!
Instructional PDF 3 pages
Lesson Discussion
Key of C, using C-F-G
Key of G, using G-C-D
Key of D, using D-G-A
Key of A, using A-D-E
Key of E, using E-A-B
1-4-5 Songs That Change Keys
An incredibly common choice songwriters make is using 1-4-5 chords and changing keys midway through a song. This can mix things up a bit, in a good way — while still keeping thingis relatively simple from a chord standpoint.
These two start with Key of G (G-C-D), then move up a whole step to Key of A (A-D-E) halfway through:
These two start with Key of D (D-G-A), then move up a whole step to Key of E (E-A-B7) halfway through. You can think of B7 and B as the same chord, in this case. B7 has one additional note, but it’s based on the B-major chord. It’s also easier to play than B… which is why it’s used in so many country & folk songs.
This one has multiple key changes! Key of E (E-A-B7), then Key of A (A-D-E), then Key of D (D-G-A)… and then it works backwards to end where it began, in the Key of E. This, combined with the same relative walking bass line used in each key, makes for quite a fun song to learn.
Likewise, this one starts in Key of E but then moves up to the keys of F, F#, and G. All while using the 1-4-5 chords in each key.
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