Sundow Chords & Guitar Lesson by Gordon Lightfoot
Welcome to my Sundown guitar lessons with chords, video and strumming patterns. I had many students in my online guitar course request this one, and it’s a really cool song with some unique chords.
So let’s talk about the guitar chords first.
You will notice an E5 and a B7sus. This is what Gordon uses in the intro and verses, but you can absolutely use the E and B7. I personally do not like the sound of the pure B7. It’s a little harsh.
SUNDOWN GUITAR CHORDS:
SUNDOWN STRUMMING PATTERNS:
Inro Strum Option:
1 + 2 + 3 + 4+
B B DU DU
Verse Strum Option:
1 + 2 + 3 + 4+
B DU DU DU
Chorus Strum Option:
>
1 + 2 + 3 + 4+
B D DU DU
SUNDOWN CHORD CHART: By Gordon Lightfoot
We do not distribute printable chord and lyrics charts. These charts are here only to support online learning. We highly recommend buying music from Hal Leonard or a reputable online sheet music store.
This song has a VERY simple chord structure as you can see below. The strumming patterns above would be played once for each chord. The intro section does have some improvisation which I discuss in the video lesson above.
Intro Chord Progression:
E5 X8
Verse Chord Progression:
E5 E5 B7sus4 E5
Chorus Chord Progression:
E A D E
E A D E
There are also a number of interludes throughout the song the sit on an E chord that have some lead guitar over the top. Below are two different ideas or themes you an play with to improvise over these sections.
Improvisation Ideas:
The key to these motifs or themes is focusing on the 12th and 14th frets. The biggest note is the 14 fret on the D string. That is an E note. If you end all of your lines and phrases on that note, you will sound good because all of the interludes in this song hang out over an E chord.
Lead guitar Lick #1:
Lead Guitar Lick #2:
Improvisation Ideas:
The key to these motifs or themes is focusing on the 12th and 14th frets. The biggest note is the 14 fret on the D string. That is an E note. If you end all of your lines and phrases on that note, you will sound good because all of the interludes in this song hang out over an E chord.
Lead guitar Lick #1:
Lead Guitar Lick #2:
This file is the author’s own work and represents his interpretation of this song. It’s intended solely for private study, scholarship or research.