Guitar Tabs & Songs - the Honest Way
We publish original chord-and-structure guides for public-domain and traditional songs only. No tabs, chord charts or lyrics copied from tab sites or songbooks, and no chords-over-lyrics for copyrighted songs - those belong to their writers and licensed publishers. For modern songs we show you which chords to learn and point you to licensed sources for the real tabs.
How to use this section
1) Learn a public-domain song below start-to-finish today. 2) Steal the progressions underneath them - progressions are musical building blocks, free for everyone. 3) For copyrighted favourites, use our chord-count guides and licensed links.
House of the Rising Sun
Intermediate beginner - arpeggios and an F chord - Key: A minor
Scarborough Fair
Intermediate beginner - 3/4, minor key - Key: D minor (Dorian colour)
Easy Songs by Chord Count
2, 3 and 4-chord songs - PD songs in full, famous songs by name + chord count only.
Why we skipped a song everyone expects
You Are My Sunshine: Not public domain: first published and copyrighted 30 Jan 1940 (Jimmie Davis / Charles Mitchell; renewed 1967; publisher Peer/Peermusic). Under the 95-year US term it is expected to enter the US public domain in 2035. Including chords-over-structure for it would risk publishing a copyrighted song guide, so it is skipped until that status changes.
Public-domain basis for every song here is recorded on its page. A song being public domain does not make modern recordings or arrangements of it free to copy - we never copy them.