Guitar With Rene
Easy guitar song

Three Little Birds easy guitar chords for beginners

Only three open chords, with a bright groove that works well at a slow tempo.

ADEsongs with these chords
Practice this in the song library Learn the chords first

Quick answer

Three Little Birds can be practiced as a beginner guitar song with A, D, E. Start with one slow strum per chord, then add the Easy down-up rhythm after the chord changes are steady.

  • Chords: A, D, E
  • Progression: A - D - A - E - A
  • Practice goal: build up toward about 74 BPM
ArtistBob Marley
Beginner chordsA, D, E
ProgressionA - D - A - E - A
Strum ideaEasy down-up
Practice tempo74 BPM

Before you play it

Three Little Birds works best as a beginner song when you treat the chord loop as the lesson. Mute the strings, count the progression once, then play one slow downstroke per chord before adding the full strum.

Do not use speed as the test. The test is whether the next chord lands without stopping your strumming hand.

How to practice Three Little Birds on guitar

1. Say the chords first

Read the progression out loud before you play. The goal is to know what comes next before your hand has to move.

2. Use one slow strum

Play one downstroke per beat until every chord rings clearly. Speed is the last thing to add.

3. Add the rhythm

Once the changes feel steady, try the strum pattern and keep the hand moving through each switch.

Chord shapes used in this song

A guitar chord

e|---0---
B|---2---
G|---2---
D|---2---
A|---0---
E|---x---

D guitar chord

e|---2---
B|---3---
G|---2---
D|---0---
A|---x---
E|---x---

E guitar chord

e|---0---
B|---0---
G|---1---
D|---2---
A|---2---
E|---0---

More songs with the same chords

Sweet CarolineA, D, E

Related beginner songs

Bad Moon RisingD, A, GBoulevard of Broken DreamsEm, G, D, AAchy Breaky HeartA, E

Common questions

Is Three Little Birds easy on guitar?

Three Little Birds is beginner-friendly if you already know A, D, E and slow the rhythm down before playing at song speed.

What chords do I need for Three Little Birds?

Use these beginner chord shapes: A, D, E.

Keep going

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