ChordPocket

Michael, Row the Boat Ashore chords

African American spiritual, first noted in the 1860s

First written down on the Sea Islands of South Carolina during the Civil War. Each line ends with a sung "Hallelujah".

Chords
5
Level
Easy
Time
4/4

Chords

C×321
F××321
Em12
Dm××231
G7321

Chart

Verse

  1. C
  2. F
  3. C
  4. /
  5. Em
  6. Dm
  7. C
  8. G7
  9. C
  10. F
  11. C
  12. /
  13. Em
  14. Dm
  15. G7
  16. C

How to play it

You need 5 chords: C, F, Em, Dm and G7. 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 Michael, Row the Boat Ashore?

This arrangement uses C, F, Em, Dm and G7.

Is Michael, Row the Boat Ashore easy to play on guitar?

Fairly. None of the 5 chords needs a full barre, though there are a few more shapes to learn.