London Bridge Is Falling Down Guitar Chords
Key of G 4/4 108 BPM 2 chords: G D Beginner
The 2 chords of London Bridge Is Falling Down
London Bridge Is Falling Down needs just two chords, G and D, which makes it one of the very first songs to play for children on guitar. The pattern is always the same: G for the first line, D for "falling down", back to G, and D to G on "my fair lady". This chord sheet has four traditional verses, from iron bars to silver and gold, with each chord over its word. Strum four down strokes per bar at a steady walking tempo, and play the game: two children make a bridge with their arms and catch whoever is passing under on "my fair lady".
Strings from the low E (left) to the high E (right), numbers are fingers. Tap a chord for every other way to play it.
London Bridge Is Falling Down chords and lyrics
Each chord sits over the word where it changes. Keep strumming the same chord until the next one. Song credits: Traditional English nursery rhyme.
How to strum London Bridge Is Falling Down
The song is in 4/4: 4 beats in every bar. Count them aloud, and strum down on the numbers and up on the "and".
Easy
Full
Four down strums per bar, steady like walking feet.
Tips for London Bridge Is Falling Down on guitar
The chords
G and D only. D comes twice in each verse, for one bar each time.
The tricky part
The change from G to D and back. Keep the ring finger as a guide: it moves from the high E string fret 3 in G to the B string fret 3 in D.
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 London Bridge Is Falling Down
London Bridge Is Falling Down is an English nursery rhyme known since at least the 17th century. Its many verses try one material after another to rebuild the bridge: wood and clay, iron bars, silver and gold.
The old London Bridge, lined with houses, stood for over six hundred years before it was replaced in the 1830s.
Source: Traditional English nursery rhyme, public domain; chords in G by GOONS Studio.
Frequently asked
What are the chords to London Bridge on guitar?
Only G and D: G, G, D, G, then G, G, D, G for "my fair lady".
Is London Bridge a good first song for kids?
Yes: two chords, a tune every child knows and a game to go with it.
How old is London Bridge Is Falling Down?
It has been sung in England since at least the 17th century, with many different verses.
Record your own London Bridge Is Falling Down
The guitar on this page is free, with no account. GOONS Studio adds the rest of the band in the browser - drum machines, a bass, a sampled piano and a sequencer - to record your own version of the song, with a 7-day free trial, no card required.