Guitar Chords to Accompany the Native American Flute

Native American flute and guitar make a great combination. Just a few basic chords are usually enough to get a great improv jam going. This pages suggests chords that work well with various keys of flutes ... "Three chords and the truth".

For a more basic introduction to playing guitar with Native American flutes, see Simple Guitar Accompaniment for Native American Flute.

These tables list chords that work with a capo on different fret positions. I've highlighted in red what I consider the simplest chords to play on the guitar.

Mode 1 is the common pentatonic minor tuning on Native American flutes. On 6-hole mode 1/4 flutes, you typically play these notes by keeping the third hole from the top closed.

Mode 2 is a scale that sounds major on most Native American flutes with pentatonic minor tuning. Play the same as mode 1, but begin on the second note of the scale (bottom hole open).

Mode 4 is easy to play on 6-hole mode 1/4 pentatonic minor Native American flutes. You typically play mode 4 notes by keeping the fourth hole from the top closed.

Of course, you can switch between modes and the guitarist can try out the chords for all the modes.