Three Little Birds

How to play Three Little Birds by Bob Marley on guitar

These are the sounding chords. With a capo on fret 2 you play G, C, D, Em, B, the shapes the player above shows.

Three Little Birds is a great song to learn because it stays relaxed and upbeat, and it gives you a steady groove to lock into. You get a feel-good rhythm part that sits nicely at a moderate tempo, so it is satisfying without being rushed.

The chart uses mostly open shapes, so A, D, and E should feel friendly under your fingers. The harder moves are F#m and C#, which need barre shapes, so pay extra attention when the song shifts away from the open chords. The opening progression A - D - A - D is a good place to start, since that change sets the feel right away.

First, practice the opening progression slowly until the shape changes feel smooth. Then add the barre chords one at a time and make sure each note rings clearly before speeding up. Once the switches feel reliable, play through the whole song in short sections and gradually bring it up to tempo.

Use the play-along above to follow each chord change in time with the music, or learn the shapes first with the chord diagrams below.