These piece of cake Motown songs on guitar will get your fingers moving & your toes tapping – let's dive in!
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In this free lesson you will learn…
nine easy Motown songs
Tips for playing each song effectively
How to master tough chord shapes
How to explore new strumming patterns
Add Some Spice To Your Songbook With These Like shooting fish in a barrel Motown Songs On Guitar!
If you lot want to build up your repertoire with songs that are universal, beautiful, fun to sing, and fairly piece of cake to play, ane of your first stops should be the Motown catalog.
It's not an overstatement to say that the Motown tape label, based in Detroit and founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. in 1959 as Tamla Records, transformed both pop music and the entire culture of the 1960s.
To get you familiar with this style, we've got x easy motown songs on guitar for y'all to play along with below.
Like shooting fish in a barrel Motown Songs On Guitar ane: Smokey Robinson – "I 2d That Emotion"
We just had to kick it off with some Smokey Robinson.
At 79 years former, Smokey is notwithstanding out at that place performing his amazing collection of enormous worldwide hits. He wrote "I 2d That Emotion" in 1967.
Knowing a timeless song when he hears 1, folk musician and Grateful Dead leader Jerry Garcia frequently covered this song, ensuring its permanent popularity with the jam band crowd and cementing it in many guitarist's lists of piece of cake Motown songs on guitar.
The best part? It'south got only iii chords!
D (xx0232)
(If you lot don't understand the in a higher place image please read our article "How To Read Guitar Chordboxes In 60 Seconds". It volition make everything clear!)
G (320003)
A (x02220)
This is the beginning of your easy Motown songs on guitar because apart from the tricky niggling rhythm in the intro, which repeats throughout the song, yous'll be camping ground out on the D chord nigh 75 percent of the time.
The intro to "I Second That Emotion" just has the A and G chords in it, but the rhythm is syncopated, meaning that you lot're strumming the guitar in between the beats.
Follow the rhythm of the recording, and don't be afraid of those up strums!
They'll be appearing over and over here, because of the understated but funky guitar parts of the session musicians playing on most of the hits of Motown.
The chord progression of the verse is easy. Endeavor to hear information technology in the recording!
D D D D
D D |G A| D
For the chorus, "In that case I don't desire no function," you'll be playing this progression twice.
Chiliad D G D
D |A G| G D
Many of these easy Motown songs on guitar accept fancy licks to acquire.
At that place's a little lick that comes in between the lines of the verse, and you don't even have to leave the D chord to do it!
Hither's a chord and lyric chart to "I 2nd That Emotion."
Like shooting fish in a barrel Motown Songs On Guitar 2: The Undisputed Truth – "Smiling Faces Sometimes"
State music is sometimes described as three chords and the truth. In "Smiling Faces Sometimes," The Undisputed Truth does it with just two chords.
There are a lot of easy Motown songs on guitar that have a I-two chord progression.
That means that the chords just shift back and forth between the chord of the key the song is in and the pocket-size chord one whole stride (2 frets) up the neck.
Am (x02210)
Bm (xx4430)
To play along with the recording, use your capo on the second fret. This chord nautical chart is in a different primal, just it contains all the lyrics. Tin can you dig it?
Pro-Tip: Learn from the recording! Emulating rhythms in the recording past listening and playing along to easy Motown songs on guitar does wonders not only for your strumming ability, but also your skill at playing with different grooves and feels.
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Easy Motown Songs On Guitar three: The Temptations – "The Manner You Do the Things You Practice"
Well, you could accept been anything you wanted to, and I can tell past the fashion you play these easy Motown songs on guitar! Here'south "The Manner You Practice the Things You Do" by The Temptations.
This was also written past Smokey Robinson, and the recording contains a primal modify, but nosotros're going to play the whole thing in the key of D, and so you only need these three chords.
D (xx0232)
Chiliad (320003)
A (x02220)
The D chord lasts through the unabridged verse. There's a simple little guitar riff that you tin do for the introduction and to impale time on that D chord in the poesy:
Here are the chords for the refrain, "Well, you could have been anything…".
A One thousand A M
Then return to the D. This song maintains an easy quarter-note strum pattern throughout.
Use this chord chart for the lyrics.
Like shooting fish in a barrel Motown Songs On Guitar 4: Four Tops – "Can't Help Myself"
Also known as "Carbohydrate Pie, Dearest Bunch," the next in your easy Motown songs on guitar is "Tin can't Aid Myself" by the Four Tops.
It was written by the primary Motown songwriting force known as Holland-Dozier-Holland in 1965, an admitted rehash of the chord progression they used for the Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Become."
This fun little call-and-response number uses only iv chords and a repeating pattern.
C (x32010)
Dm (xx0231)
F (xx3211)
or (xx3210)
G (320003)
The progression is simple and like shooting fish in a barrel to memorize, and the lyrics are besides!
C C G G
Dm Dm F Grand
In that location's a intermission in the middle that hangs on the C chord. You may want to use the intro riff there:
Here'southward the chord chart.
You might endeavor the calypso strum for this vocal:
You won't get very far looking for like shooting fish in a barrel Motown songs on guitar before y'all come across Stevie Wonder!
His "Uptight, Everything'due south Alright" is ane of a small handful of tunes he wrote with only two chords.
Berry Gordy signed Stevie Wonder to Tamla Records when Stevie was 11 years old.
"Uptight, Everything's Alright" was one of his first hits the mid-1960s. Become run into him in concert if you can.
As with an awful lot of Stevie Wonder'southward hits, "Uptight, Everything's Alright" was written on the piano, and so it's a half-step downwards from being comfortable to play on the guitar.
We won't let that stop us, this is still one of our favourite easy Motown songs on guitar!
Hither are the chords you need:
D (xx0232)
C/D (xxx010)
The progression is very piece of cake; throughout the whole song, yous'll but alternating between the D and C/D chords every measure.
If you'd similar a complete chord and lyric chart, click hither.
When easy Motown songs on guitar have very uncomplicated chord progressions, sometimes it'south best to spice things up with your strumming blueprint.
That keeps the vocal from dragging down and losing its smashing feel.
For "Uptight, Everything'southward Alright, give this strumming pattern a try:
Downwards, down, down-up, -upward
If you're feeling super funky, try this design over two measures:
Easy Motown Songs On Guitar half-dozen: The Marvelettes – "Please Mr. Postman"
One of the easy Motown songs on guitar that's gained permanent worldwide fame is "Please Mr. Postman" past the Marvelettes.
That'southward a Marvelettes song? I thought it was by The Beatles! Or the Carpenters!
The Marvelettes' and Carpenters' versions were number one hits. This is one of the few Beatles songs that underperformed other versions.
"Please Mr. Postman" is a classic case of ice foam changes. You can play this song in any fundamental you like; cull your I chord and then use the musical alphabet to find the half-dozen chord (minor), 4 chord (major) and V chord (major).
The Beatles and Carpenters use the fundamental of A major, only we'll play information technology in D major with these chords:
D (xx0232)
Bm (xx4432)
or (xxx432)
G (320003)
A (x02220)
Here are the changes in the cardinal of D major, two measures each. Use this chord chart.
D Bm G A
Pro-Tip: Chord numbering can be confusing, merely it's such a handy shortcut to knowing how songs work that we'd love information technology if you checked out this lesson on music theory for beginners.
Easy Motown Songs On Guitar 7: The Temptations – "Ain't Also Proud to Beg"
It only isn't a set of easy Motown songs on guitar without this classic! "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" by The Temptations is a 1966 number ane hit.
This song about didn't make information technology out of the production studio.
Berry Gordy thought the song needed more story, and producer Norman Whitfield changed the key so that information technology was only a bit as well high for lead singer David Ruffin.
The resulting strain on Ruffin'due south voice gave the vocal the power it needed.
Y'all can choose whichever key you like, but we'll play it hither in the central of C major, using these chords.
C (x32010)
F (xx3211)
or (xx3210)
G (320003)
The verse tin be played entirely with the C chord, or you lot can punch the F chord in at the end of the lines like the keyboard does in the recording.
The chorus alternates every 2 beats betwixt the C and F chords, with a One thousand chord punched in at the cease. Simple and fun!
You'll observe in the recording that at that place's adjacent to no rhythm happening autonomously from the drums. To move the song along on guitar, try this pattern over two measures in the verse:
Down, -, down, -, down, -, down-up, down-up
For the chorus, "Ain't too proud to beg," yous tin use this one.
Down, downwardly, down-upward, down-up
Here'southward a complete chord and lyric chart for "Ain't Too Proud to Beg." Feel free to play the major chord in identify of the suggested 7th chords!
Download our atomic number 82 guitar crook-sheet to make things easier
It tin can be disorientating for guitarists to sympathize which scales piece of work with which keys.
With this in mind, we created a cheat-sheet; a key and scale-finder that y'all can utilise again and again.
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Like shooting fish in a barrel Motown Songs On Guitar 8: Smokey Robinson – "Tracks Of My Tears"
Hither'south a tune with a lot of story and feeling! As sad as it is, yous'll find "Tracks of My Tears" to exist a fun addition to your collection of piece of cake Motown songs on guitar.
Listen to Linda Ronstadt break your centre with this version. She'south backed by Glenn Frey and Don Henley, which is how the Eagles made it onto a listing of Motown songs.
There are four chords you lot'll need for "Tracks of My Tears":
Chiliad (320003)
C (x32010)
D (xx0232)
Em (022000)
The chord progression for the verse is below. Play information technology twice.
|Thou C|C D|G C|C G|
The chorus progression isn't much different:
|Yard C|C D|G C|C D|
|G C|C D|G C|C G|
|C G|C M|
The span goes like this:
|C Grand|C G|C G|C G|
|C Grand|C Chiliad|C G|C G|
Em Em D D
With all those split measures, the chord changes are syncopated in the middle, which means that you jump into the second chord a half trounce early on, similar this:
One and two and three and four and
If you practice with the calypso strum, yous'll be able to modify chords on the first up strum.
Easy Motown Songs On Guitar 9: Martha & the Vandellas – "Oestrus Wave"
As proof positive that learning easy Motown songs on guitar will make everyone around you happy, hither's "Heat Moving ridge" by Martha and the Vandellas.
It's another gem in the Holland-Dozier-Kingdom of the netherlands crown of hits, and some other song that Linda Ronstadt absolutely slayed with this smashing rendition.
In the cardinal of C, you'll need these chords. There are a lot, but they're not unfamiliar!
C (x32010)
Csus4 (x3301x)
Dm (xx0231)
Em (022000)
F (xx3211)
or (xx3210)
G (320003)
Am (x02210)
If you listen to the intro, you'll hear the commencement chord chug back and forth. To emulate that audio, a definite staple of the Motown groove, yous can become back and forth every beat betwixt C and F.
As well fast? The Csus4 chord in a higher place is like a cross between a C and F chord, then you can just add your pinky every other trounce and yet become that chugging sound.
If whatsoever of these easy Motown songs on guitar are too quick, simply slow your footstep to master the chords beginning!
Like some of the other easy Motown songs on guitar from this listing, at that place'south just one verse progression throughout.
Y'all won't take too much trouble memorizing "Estrus Wave" and you lot tin concentrate on belting out those amazing vocals!
F G Am Am
F Thousand Am Am
Dm Em F G
C C C C
C C C C
There's a variant of the calypso strum (down, -upward, -upwards, downwardly-upward) that works for this song if y'all tin play that fast enough.
Every time you land on the C chord, you can practice the C-to-F chug to dress up your arrangement.
This song is so much fun to sing and play! Use this chord chart.
More Soul Music for the Guitar!
Of class, Motown isn't the merely tape label that's produced tons of piece of cake Motown songs on guitar.
Nosotros hope these like shooting fish in a barrel Motown songs on guitar get y'all started. Check out "100 Soul, Funk, and R&B Grooves for Guitar" to finesse your rhythm, and build upwardly that repertoire!
Recommended Resources
If y'all enjoyed this lesson on easy Motown songs on guitar, we've got so much more than for yous! Bank check out these next steps on your path:
Easy Songs On Guitar
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