ChordPocket

Kumbaya chords

African American spiritual, first recorded in 1926

Collected from Gullah singers in coastal Georgia and later spread by folk revivalists. A classic campfire song with three chords.

Chords
3
Level
Easy
Time
4/4

Chords

C×321
F××321
G213

Chart

Verse

  1. C
  2. F
  3. C
  4. /
  5. C
  6. F
  7. G
  8. /
  9. C
  10. F
  11. C
  12. /
  13. F
  14. C
  15. G
  16. C

How to play it

You need 3 chords: C, F and G. The change you'll make most is C to F, so practice switching between those two slowly before playing along.

Each box is one bar of 4/4 time. Strum the chord on the beat, and change when the next box starts. A slash means keep playing the same chord.

Questions

What chords are in Kumbaya?

This arrangement uses C, F and G.

Is Kumbaya easy to play on guitar?

Fairly. None of the 3 chords needs a full barre, though there are a few more shapes to learn.

Can I play Kumbaya with easier chords?

Yes. Put a capo on fret 3 and play A, D and E. It sounds exactly the same.