Down in the Valley Guitar Chords
Key of G 3/4 104 BPM 2 chords: G D7 Beginner
The 2 chords of Down in the Valley
Down in the Valley may be the best first song on guitar: it uses only two chords, G and D7, and each one lasts several bars. Every verse is the same sixteen-bar loop - G, D7, back to G - so you can focus entirely on strumming in three beats and on singing at the same time. This chord sheet has three traditional verses with the chord changes over the words, and the progression is laid out bar by bar under the guitar. When the change from G to D7 is smooth, you have the foundation of hundreds of folk and country songs.
Strings from the low E (left) to the high E (right), numbers are fingers. Tap a chord for every other way to play it.
Down in the Valley chords and lyrics
Each chord sits over the word where it changes. Keep strumming the same chord until the next one. Song credits: Traditional American folk song (Kentucky).
Verse 1
Down in the Gvalley, the valley so D7low
Hang your head over, hear the wind Gblow
Hear the wind Gblow, dear, hear the wind D7blow
Hang your head over, hear the wind Gblow
How to strum Down in the Valley
The song is in 3/4: 3 beats in every bar. Count them aloud, and strum down on the numbers and up on the "and".
Easy
Full
Three beats per bar: down on 1, down-up on 2 and 3. Or the country waltz: bass note on 1, strum on 2 and 3.
Tips for Down in the Valley on guitar
The chords
G and D7, nothing else. D7 uses three fingers on the top four strings; leave the low E and A strings silent.
The tricky part
Not much. Prepare the D7 during the bar before "low", and come back to G on "blow".
Change the key
To sing higher, keep the same shapes and put a capo on fret 2, which raises the song a whole step, or on fret 4 for two whole steps. The chords on this page and the guitar above stay the same; only the pitch changes.
The story of Down in the Valley
Down in the Valley is a folk song from the mountains of Kentucky, sung in the 19th century and collected by folk song hunters in the early 20th. Its verses change from singer to singer; some versions are set in Birmingham jail, waiting for a letter.
Its slow waltz and its two chords made it a favourite of country singers and of guitar teachers alike.
Source: Traditional American folk song (Kentucky, 19th century), public domain; chords in G by GOONS Studio.
Frequently asked
What are the chords to Down in the Valley?
Only G and D7, in the key of G: two bars of G, four of D7, two of G, and the same again.
Is Down in the Valley a good first song on guitar?
Yes. Two chords that change slowly, a regular waltz rhythm, and a tune most people can sing straight away.
Where does Down in the Valley come from?
It is a traditional folk song from Kentucky, sung in the 19th century. Like many folk songs, its verses vary from one singer to another.
Record your own Down in the Valley
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