Category Archives: Uncategorized

Jambalaya (1952)Hank Williams Sr.Country, USA Euroclassical function names:   tonic   dominant Tagg: tonic   counterpoise Riemann: T D or D7 scale degrees: I V or V7 chord names: C G or G7   C    G         C|:////|////|////|////:| mode: C major/ionian — C D E F G A B Cmelody: drmsltd’form: ABA’B’meter: duplesuggestedContinue reading “Jambalaya”

Hell (1996)Squirrel Nut ZippersJazz (Early Swing) key: D minor Euroclassical function names:   tonic   dominant Tagg: tonic   counterpoise Riemann: t D or D7 scale degrees: i V or V7 chord names: Dm A or A7  Dm             A7|////|////|////|////| A7             Dm|////|////|////|////| mode: D minorContinue reading “Hell”

Clementine (1884)Percy Montrose Andy Z Found a Peanut (1940s)folk, USA key: F major Euroclassical function names:   tonic   dominant Tagg: tonic   counterpoise Riemann: T D or D7 scale degrees: I V or V7 chord names: F C or C7  F           C|///|///|///|///| C   F   C   F|///|///|///|///| mode:Continue reading “Clementine/Found a Peanut”

Joshua Fought the Battle at Jericho (1800s)African-American Spiritual, USA Moonshine Music Co. Euroclassical function names:   tonic   dominant Tagg: tonic   counterpoise Riemann: T D or D7 scale degrees: I V or V7 chord names: F C or C7 chorus: Dm|/ / / / |/ / / / | A        Dm  A|/ /Continue reading “Joshua Fought the Battle at Jericho”

Skip to My Lou Skip to My Lou (1800s)folk, USA Leadbelly key: F major Euroclassical function names:  tonic   dominant   Tagg: tonic   counterpoise   Riemann: T D or D7 scale degrees: I V or V7 chord names: F C or C7  F         C|/ / |/ / |/ / |/Continue reading “Skip to My Lou”

This all started out as trying to find easy songs — rhythmically and melodically — for my students to learn to play their instruments. I taught a middle-school, instrument-based music class at an international school in Germany. The job was pitched to me as a traditional American style band program, but when I got there,Continue reading “about — long”

I decided that two-chord songs would be good for a) learning to improvise, b) learning to compose, and c) learning to play ukulele. It became more of a rabbit hole than I ever expected and I spend probably too much time hunting down two-chord songs. I hope you, too, will find this useful. Who isContinue reading “about —short”