Wildwood Flower – Easy Guitar Lesson with Chords & Strumming
Learn how to play “Wildwood Flower” on guitar with easy chords and strumming. This 3-chord song is perfect for beginners!
How to Play “Wildwood Flower” on Guitar
Want to hear how it sounds? Watch my YouTube lesson, where I break down the chords, strumming, and melody note-for-note to help you learn “Wildwood Flower” step by step.
“Wildwood Flower” is a classic folk and bluegrass tune, originally made famous by The Carter Family. This song is an essential piece for anyone learning traditional guitar picking and is a great introduction to melody playing and chord transitions.
Chords Used: E, A, B7
This version of the song is played using just three simple chords:
These basic open chords make it accessible for beginners while still allowing room for more advanced players to experiment with picking techniques.
Strumming Pattern:
“Wildwood Flower” is often played using Carter-style picking, where the bass notes (R) carry the melody while the chords are strummed.
This simple version gives you a “root” (R) strum on beat 1, where you aim for the thicker strings, to get that “boom-chuck” sound).
Chord Progression Practice:
Just want to see the chords & lyrics? Scroll down a bit more — BUT I encourage you to do this first – it’ll improve your success rate:
Use downstrokes while counting the beats!
This ensures accurate timing and smooth chord changes – then simply add the strumming pattern, and you’re all set!
d = downstroke
E E B7 E E
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d
E E B7 E E
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d
E E A E
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d
E E B7 E E
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d dTo summarize:
- Learn the chords
- Practice them with downstrokes only & count through the song
- Learn the strumming pattern
- Play the song!
Lyrics and Chords
E E B7 E E
I will twine and will mingle my raven black hair
E E B7 E E
With the roses so red and the lilies so fair
E E A E
And the myrtle so green of an emerald hue
E E B7 E E
And the pale emanita and islip so blue
E E B7 E E
Oh he promised to love me, he promised to love
E E B7 E E
And cherish me always all others above
E E A E
I woke from my dream and my idol was clay
E E B7 E E
My passion for loving had vanished away
E E B7 E E
Oh he taught me to love him, he called me his flower
E E B7 E E
A blossom to cheer him through life's weary hour
E E A E
But now he has gone and left me alone
E E B7 E E
The wild flowers to weep and the wild birds to moan
E E B7 E E
I'll dance and I'll sing and my life will be gay
E E B7 E E
I'll banish this weeping, drive troubles away
E E A E
I'll live yet to see him regret this dark hour
E E B7 E E
When he won and neglected this frail wildwood flower.
Final Tips for Playing “Wildwood Flower”
✔ Start slow and focus on clean chord transitions.
✔ Experiment with Carter-style picking for a traditional folk feel.
✔ Play along with a recording or metronome to stay on beat.
Ready to give it a try? Grab your guitar, follow the lesson, and enjoy playing this folk music classic!
