Simple songs with just dim or aug?

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 7 Apr 2010 9:39 am

Looking for songs that use just 1-4-5 plus an augmented, and 1-4-5 plus diminished, for teaching needs. Or something very close to that. Medium to slow tempo preferred.

Thanks, all.

I wish there were an iTunes search function for chords!

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 7 Apr 2010 12:54 pm

How about "Blue Drag" or "Chinatown"? I could send you the fake book sheets for either of those songs.

Skip Edwards · Post by **Skip Edwards** » 7 Apr 2010 3:49 pm

John...
Check out an old Ray Charles tune called "No Use Cryin".

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 8 Apr 2010 2:26 am

Thanks so far.

Kind of looking for simple, recognizable country songs with just a bit of dim or aug spice. George Jones' "I always get lucky with you" has a #4°, for example.

Jerome Hawkes · Post by **Jerome Hawkes** » 8 Apr 2010 5:56 am

many, many, many waltzes have these and they are slow - as a benefit, you can play many without the dim/aug and then add them to show how they lead into the next chord and add interest

Larry Rafferty · Post by **Larry Rafferty** » 8 Apr 2010 10:43 am

I think a lot of the slow Willie Nelson songs have the occasional augmented and diminished....like "Angel Flying to Close to the Ground."

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 8 Apr 2010 11:53 am

Crazy has both the augmented and demented chords.

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 8 Apr 2010 11:59 am

Johny Pez Buddy Holly's True Love Ways,Haggard's every Fool Has A Rainbow.I worked them out with a little help from my neighbor banging on the wall,Like a drum machine with bad time.

Marc Friedland · Post by **Marc Friedland** » 8 Apr 2010 12:33 pm

Hey John,

This sounded like an easy enough task at first, but it turns out it’s not.
Most songs I can think of immediately that use a diminished or augmented chord are found in songs that use more than just 1, 4, 5.

Here’s one that’s sort of close - a George Strait song, “it just comes naturally” (or something like that)
This is a relatively simple song at medium tempo with pretty sounding country steel, but it’s based primarily around the 6/relative minor.
The only chords used in this song in Bb are:
Gm Bb Eb F F#0

Another simple one I thought of that uses a diminished chord is Friends in Low Places, but then I remembered it also goes to 2 & 4 minor chords.

I’ll get in touch if I can think of any that actually fit your description.

Good luck.

Marc

www.PedalSteelGuitarMusic.com

Ron Epperson · Post by **Ron Epperson** » 8 Apr 2010 2:42 pm

hey john try the haggard song I FORGET YOU EVERYDAY OR MEMORIES THEY R THE SAME SONG

Bill Cunningham · Post by **Bill Cunningham** » 8 Apr 2010 4:23 pm

Herby Wallace plays a country standard ballad whose name escapes me at this moment on all his shows that has several nice 4#o changes. I played the chart on bass with him in Lakeland a few weeks ago.

Age 51 and the senior moments are licking in.......

Anybody remember this one?

BC

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 12 Apr 2010 1:31 am

More, please!...

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 12 Apr 2010 6:02 am

Chuck Berry's No Particular Place To Go starts with an augmented chord.
Billy Swan's I Can Help also, but only in the intros. $:\$
You dont know me by Ray Charles also.

John Steele (deceased) · Post by **John Steele (deceased)** » 13 Apr 2010 7:30 am

"I Love You So Much It Hurts", although it goes beyond your 3 chord requirements, but it does have both diminished and augmented chords in it.

- John

Chuck Thompson · Post by **Chuck Thompson** » 14 Apr 2010 9:37 am

Garth Brooks - Friends in Low Places...4 simple chords if i remember correctly. A A#dim Bmin E or I #Io ii V - the ii and V can be 7th chords

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 15 Apr 2010 4:47 am

Randy Newman's "Rider In the Rain". Slow and clippety-cloppy with an F#dim.

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 15 Apr 2010 7:35 am

I appreciate all the great song ideas, players, thanks, and more are always welcome.

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 15 Apr 2010 11:11 am

John,

Try this link. It's my 1st time using Pico, so I'm not sure if it's gonna work. They gave me what they call a 'short' URL.

Here it is: http://picosong.com/Fwj

OK, I just checked it out, and it works well. F#dim comes in after Fmaj. Song is in C.

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 15 Apr 2010 6:39 pm

Chip's song reco is "Rider in the Rain" by Randy Newman (Eagles doing gorgeous harmonies, btw). Thanks, Chip, great exampel!

I also love that 1-4-#4-1/5 bass line.

Rick Barnhart · Post by **Rick Barnhart** » 15 Apr 2010 8:58 pm

It's not country, but the Beatles "Michele" is a beautiful, familiar melody with diminished chord structures. This tune lends itself very well to steel. Maybe not as simple as you're looking for, though.

Another fine example is Willie's Crazy, but I think it's already been mentioned.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 15 Apr 2010 9:54 pm

"Happy Trails" has a diminished chord.

"Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" has an augmented.

Bill Bassett · Post by **Bill Bassett** » 16 Apr 2010 4:43 am

How about Tumblin' Tumbleweeds? Nice passing chords.

BD

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 18 Apr 2010 5:42 pm

Most excellent suggestions, all you smart steelers! Thanks. Still collecting ideas, the thread ain't closed.

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 23 Apr 2010 7:23 am

John,

Here's another with a great 'diminish' chord change.

The song may look complicated, but it's actually fairly simple.

Nanci Griffith's rendition of "He Was A Friend Of Mine".

The song is in 'B'. So for ease of playing on a 6-string, I capo at the 4th fret and finger in 'G'.

INTRO: C - G - B7 - Em - Gdim - G - D(7) - G

VERSE: D - G - D - G - G7 - C - G - B7 - Em - Gdim - G - D(7) - G

http://picosong.com/Fe2

Stephen Gregory · Post by **Stephen Gregory** » 24 Apr 2010 2:34 pm

A definitive example would be: Its A Sin To Tell A Lie

Words & Music by Billy Mayhew, 1933
Recorded by The Ink Spots, 1956

D7 D+5 Am7 G D+ Cdim G6 6
Be sure it's true when you say I love you

D7 G B7 Cdim C E7 Am7
It's a sin to tell a lie

D7 Am7 D7 F#7 G
Millions of hearts have been bro - ken

A7 Em7 A7 Em7 Am7 Cdim D7
Just because these words were spo - ken

D+ G D+ Cdim G6 G
I love you, yes I do, I love you

D7 G B7 Cdim C E7 Am7
If you break my heart I'll die

D7 C C/B Am7 Cm G Bm7-5 E7
So be sure it's true when you say I love you

Cdim A7 Cdim D7 Cdim G
It's a sin to tell a lie.

The Quebe Sisters did this on the Marty Stuart Show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShIR-639GnY

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Simple songs with just dim or aug?

Simple songs with just dim or aug?

dim or aug chords

Dim and Aug