Figure out chords 1
In many of my guitar lessons I have students figure out chords to songs.
We start with basic 2 chord songs and move on from there
The first song that we usually work on is
Björnen sover/Gubben Noak in the key of D Major.
It uses the two basic guitar chords D and A7

The 1 chord

In D Major the D chord is the 1 (one) chord (home or tonic chord)
When we get back to the D chord from the A7 chord it often (or always)
feels like we have arrived home.

The 5 chord

In D Major the A7 chord is the 5 (five) chord (or dominant chord)

Why is A7 called the 5 chord? Because A is the 5th step of the D Major scale.
The steps of the D Major scale are 1:D, 2:E, 3:F#, 4:G, 5:A, 6:B, 7:C#.

Now here's a step-by-step exercise where you will figure out the chords,
or at least see how I work with this in my lessons.

  1. Listen to the tune. Played twice here.

    Notice the 4 countin clicks in the beginning. That is one bar consisting of 4 beats.
    Notice how the chords are played on the 1st and 3rd beat of every following bar.

  2. This is a pdf with cells for writing chords.

    Björnen sover is 12 bars long so to the left there are 4x3 cells.
    Either print it out or copy the 4x3 cells on a piece of paper.
    This is a sample how the chords to another tune are written.
    Notice how in cell 4 in the first line there are two chords. The 5 chord is played on beat 1 and the 1 chord on beat 3.
    When there is just one chord in a cell the same chord is played on both beat 1 and beat 2.

  3. Play the chords in the sample above to hear the sounds of D and A7.


  4. Here is just the countin and bar 1 played 4 times

    The same chord is played on both beat 1 and 3. Play along and try both the 1 chord and the 5 chord.
    Which one sounds right? Write the number of that chord in the first cell.

  5. Here bar 2 is added

    The same chord is played on both beat 1 and 3 in bar 2. Play along and try both the 1 chord and the 5 chord in bar 2.
    Which one sounds right? Write the number of that chord in the second cell.

  6. Here bar 3 is added

    In bar 3 there are different chords on beat 1 and 3. A little bit trickier.
    Play along and hear which chord sounds right on which beat.
    Write the two numbers in the right order in the third cell.

  7. And... you guessed it... here bar 4 is added

    Are there different chords on beat 1 and 3 in bar 4?
    Write in the correct number(s) in the fourth cell.

  8. Countin and bars 5 - 8 played 4 times

    First listen to the chords. There is a little bit of a clash on 1st beat in bar 8
    between the melody and the chords. Play along and find the right chords.
    Write in the correct numbers in the second line (bars 5 - 8).

  9. Congratulations!!

    You have figured out the chords to Björnen Sover!
    Bars 9 - 12 are the same as bars 1 - 4!

  10. Here are the chords to Björnen Sover