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Johnny Preston - Running Bear Chords

ChordsA, D, B7, E7
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.

  • Guitar A chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-2-0Guitar A chord diagram
  • Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram
  • Guitar B7 chord diagram Fingering: x-2-1-2-0-2Guitar B7 chord diagram
  • Guitar E7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-1-0-0Guitar E7 chord diagram


[A]Humba humba, humba humba, humba humba, humba


On the [A]bank, of the river, stood Running [D]Bear, young Indian [A]brave
On the other, bank of the river, stood his [B7]lovely, Indian [E7]maid
Little [A]White Dove, was a her name, such a [D]lovely, sight to [A]see


But their tribes, fought with each other, so their [E7]love could never [A]be.
Running [D]Bear, loved Little [A]White Dove, with a [E7]love, big as the [A]sky
Running [D]Bear, loved Little [A]White Dove, with a [E7]love that couldn’t [A]die


He couldn’t [A]swim, the raging river, cause the [D]river, was too [A]wide
He couldn’t reach, Little White Dove, waiting [B7]on the other [E7]side
In the [A]moonlight, he could see her, throwing [D]kisses, cross the [A]waves


Her little heart, was beating faster, waiting [E7]there for her brave.
Running [D]Bear, loved Little [A]White Dove, with a [E7]love, big as the [A]sky
Running [D]Bear, loved Little [A]White Dove, with a [E7]love that couldn’t [A]die


Running [A]Bear, jumped in the river, Little [D]White Dove did the [A]same
And they swam, to each other, cross the [B7]swirling, stream they [E7]came
As their hands, touched and their lips met, the raging [D]river, pulled them [A]


Now they’ll always, be together, in that [E7]happy hunting [A]ground
Running [D]Bear, loved Little [A]White Dove, with a [E7]love, big as the [A]sky
Running [D]Bear, loved Little [A]White Dove, with a [E7]love that couldn’t [A]die


Running [D]Bear, loved Little [A]White Dove, with a [E7]love, big as the [A]sky
Running [D]Bear, loved Little [A]White Dove, with a [E7]love that couldn’t [A]die

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AlbumSleeve of Running Bear
GenresPop
Year1960
KeyA

How to play Running Bear on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Johnny Preston - Running Bear on guitar requires 4 chords and 5 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.

Running Bear uses these transitions most often: D → A (14), A → D (12), and E7 → A (12). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with A - D chord transition.

1. A → D chord transition

To move from A to D;

  1. Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger on B string from fret 2 to fret 3.
A to D

2. A → B7 chord transition

To move from A to B7;

  1. Slide your index finger on D string from fret 2 to fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
  4. Place pinky on E string fret 2.
A to B7

3. B7 → E7 chord transition

To move from B7 to E7;

  1. While playing B7, first lift your ring finger and pinky.
  2. Lift your index finger from D string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 1.
  3. Keep middle finger on A string fret 2.
B7 to E7

4. E7 → A chord transition

To move from E7 to A;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on D string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on B string fret 2.
E7 to A

5. E7 → D chord transition

To move from E7 to D;

  1. Slide your index finger on G string from fret 1 to fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on B string fret 3.

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Running Bear.

  • Running Bear includes 57 chord transitions, 5 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Running Bear contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Running Bear connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After A, the most likely next chords across Chordier are D (29%), G (13%), and E (12%).
    • A → D: 29%
    • A → E7: 4%
    After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
    • D → A: 17%