Tyler Childers is one of my favorite modern country stars. His blend of country, bluegrass and folk comes across as authentic and sincere.
Childers hails from Kentucky. Having spent a lot of time in the Bluegrass State myself, I can tell that the region greatly influenced his music and lyrics.
Childers’ first album, “Bottles and Bibles,” debuted in 2011. He first gained my attention with his breakout album, “Purgatory,” in 2017. Since then, I’ve spent hours learning to play his library of great songs.
Since you’re reading this article, I can only assume you wish to do the same. Here are some of the easiest Tyler Childers songs to play on guitar, to help you get started.
12 Easy Tyler Childers Songs on Guitar
In this section, we’ll delve into a selection of Tyler Childers’ guitar songs that are perfect for beginners, allowing you to embrace his soulful style while honing your guitar skills.
1. Honky Tonk Flame
| Guitar Chords | Official Audio |
“Honky Tonk Flame,” is played in the key of E in standard tuning. It has a simple strumming pattern but is augmented with hammer-ons and short, easy-to-play licks.
The chords are E, B7, A and D, though Childers sometimes plays an E7 by removing his finger from the fourth string and then hammering-on this note to play a full E major chord again.
This song is easy to play but sounds impressive if you get it just right.
2. Feathered Indians
| Guitar Chords | Official Audio |
“Feathered Indians,” is played in the key of G with a capo on the fifth fret. The simple chord progression is enhanced with hammer-ons and pull-offs.
This tune was the second track on Childers’ album, “Purgatory.” This song had a resurgence in 2020 after going viral in social-media clips.
The strumming pattern is fairly simple and the tempo isn’t too fast for this one. It has an easy-going, laid-back feel.
3. Lady May
| Guitar Chords | Official Audio |
“Lady May,” was the final track on Childers’ “Purgatory,” album. This slow, love ballad is easy to play but will still impress your family, friends or special someone.
The song is played in standard tuning with a capo on the third fret. It combines an easy chord progression with a cool melodic riff.
This song can be played with all of the flourishes, or you can simplify it by only strumming the main chords.
4. Nose on the Grindstone
| Guitar Chords | Vinyl Video Session |
“Nose on the Grindstone,” is played in standard tuning with a capo on the third fret. The song is in the key of C. It makes use of the Dm, F, C and G chord shapes, which are all pretty easy to handle, with the possible exception of the F chord.
It can be difficult to hold down the full barre chord for beginners, but you can always just hold and play the 3rd, 4th and 5th strings.
5. Peace of Mind
| Tyler Childers Chords | Official Audio |
“Peace of Mind,” comes from Tyler Childers’ second album, “Country Squire.” This song is played in standard tuning with a capo on the first fret. It’s in the key of F.
The chord strumming pattern has a quick and upbeat tempo, but it’s not fast enough to be difficult. This is a simple three-chord tune with a waltz style rhythm. The chords used here are A, E and B7 or Bm7.
6. Follow You to Virgie
| Guitar Chords | Live Video Session |
This one is in standard tuning with a capo on the third fret. The song is in the key of Gm. The G, C, D and D7 chord shapes are basic and should be easy for beginners.
As usual, Childers uses a combination of simple strumming, hammer-ons and picking of individual notes to make things more interesting.
This song was written by Childers in honor of his friend Cody’s grandmother.
7. Bus Route
| Guitar Chords | Official Audio |
This song has a simple setup with standard tuning and no capo. It’s also in the key of E and only has three chords, E, A and B7. The tempo here is a bit faster than some of the previous songs on our list.
The chord changes come faster, and chords are often connected with short licks. This makes the song a bit more difficult, but it’s still quite manageable.
8. Her and the Banks
| Guitar Chords | Youtube Video |
“Her and the Banks,” is one of Tyler Childers’ many unreleased songs. He’s been playing it for years, but it’s still not on a studio album. many of these songs have different versions.
This one is played in standard tuning, in the key of Dm with a capo in the 5th fret. The chords are G, D, Am and C These are all chord shapes that are easy to play.
9. White House Road
| Guitar Chords | Music Video |
“White House Road,” is from Tyler Childers’ second studio album, “Purgatory.” This song requires the use of a capo on the fifth fret. It’s also played in drop D tuning, which means you tune the sixth-string E to a D.
The first string E can also be tuned to a D, but this is optional. There are a few different ways to play the D, C and G chord shapes, so choose the way that’s easiest for you.
10. Jersey Giant
| Guitar Chords | Lyrics Video |
Jersey Giant is played in standard tuning with no capo. This song is in the key of G. While most of the chord charts list G, D, Am and C, there’s actually a fifth chord that can be used to spice things up. That optional chord is a C/B.
Jersey Giant was unreleased and only played live for years. The most famous version was a collaboration with Elle King.
11. Banded Clovis
| Guitar Chords | Live Session Video |
“Banded Clovis,” deals with some dark subject matter, including drug addiction, greed and murder. It is played in standard E, A, D, G, B, E tuning with a capo on the third fret.
You only need to know the easy chord shapes of E, A and B7 to get through this song. The complexity and difficulty comes from the opening riff and some interesting licks and slides, though none are too difficult.
12. Creeker
| Guitar Chords | Music Video |
“Creeker,” shares some of the nuances of “Banded Clovis,” with short licks to connect the chords. Tyler plays this one differently live with little flourishes and runs here and there.
He makes good use of hammer-ons and pull-offs, which are staple techniques to learn if you want to play Tyler Childers’ songs. Still, the song only uses four chords and is played in standard tuning with no capo.
Recommended To Read:
- Easy Zach Bryan Songs On Guitar
- Easy Country Songs On Guitar
- Mastering Pentatonic Hammer On Pull Off Trick
About the Author
Thomas M., the founder of Guitar Top Review, boasts 15+ years of guitar experience and was a church band member in L.A. Transitioning from piano to acoustic guitar, his first love remains his Taylor GS Mini. Alongside like-minded hobbyist friends, he launched the site, driven by a deep love for music that transcends professional boundaries.