Learning guitar can feel like climbing a mountain, but what if I told you there’s a secret shortcut? Many popular songs, the ones you hear on the radio every day, rely on a simple set of easy guitar chords. In fact, with just four basic chords, you can unlock a vast library of music and start playing your favorite tunes right away. This guide will show you how to play tons of amazing songs using the same four easy guitar chords, in the same order! Get ready to impress yourself and your friends with these simple guitar songs.
The 4 Magic Chords: Your Gateway to Guitar Greatness
This incredible chord progression, often called the “Don’t Stop Believin'” progression because of its popularity, is your secret weapon. It’s made up of four fundamental chords: G major, D major, e minor, and C major. Learning these chords is your first step to playing countless songs.
Think of these four chords as building blocks. Once you master them, you’ll be amazed at how many songs you can play. Let’s take a closer look at each of these easy guitar chords:
- G Major: A bright and uplifting chord, G major is a cornerstone of countless songs.
- D Major: Another happy and resonant chord, D major complements G major beautifully.
- E Minor: Adding a touch of melancholy and depth, e minor provides a contrast to the major chords.
- C Major: A warm and familiar chord, C major resolves the progression and brings a sense of completion.
Visualizing these chords is crucial for learning. Below are diagrams showing you how to finger each of these easy guitar chords on your guitar.
G Major Chord Diagram
G Major easy guitar chord diagram for beginners.
E Minor Chord Diagram
E Minor easy guitar chord diagram for beginner guitarists.
D Major Chord Diagram
D Major chord diagram, a simple guitar chord for beginners.
C Major Chord Diagram
C Major chord diagram, one of the fundamental easy guitar chords.
The standard progression is: G – D – Em – C. Practice transitioning smoothly between these chords. Once you have this sequence down, you’re ready to play a ton of songs! To make things even easier, many of these songs use a capo to change the key. Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with a capo yet; it’s a simple tool that clamps onto your guitar neck and effectively shortens the strings, raising the pitch. The capo positions are provided for each song below to make playing in the correct key effortless.
12 Popular Songs Using These Easy Guitar Chords
Here are 12 popular songs that all use the G – D – em – C chord progression. Just put your capo in the indicated position, play the chord progression, and you’ll be playing along in no time! Click the links for chord charts to help you learn the specific song structure.
1) “Don’t Stop Believin” – Journey
- Capo: 9th fret (E Major)
- Chord chart: Don’t Stop Believin’ Chords
2) “With or Without You” – U2
- Capo: 7th fret (D Major)
- Chord chart: With or Without You Chords
3) “Soul Sister” – Train
- Capo: 9th fret (E Major)
- Chord Chart: Hey Soul Sister Chords
- Note: The chorus uses a slight variation: C D G G.
4) “Let it Be” – The Beatles
- Capo: 5th fret (C Major)
- Chord Chart: Let it Be Chords
- Note: The chorus also has a variation: e- D C G.
5) “Already Gone” – Kelly Clarkson
- Capo: 2nd fret (A Major)
- Chord Chart: Already Gone Chords
6) “I’m Yours” – Jason Mraz
- Capo: 4th fret (B Major)
- Chord Chart: I’m Yours Chords
- Note: Occasionally includes an A major chord.
7) “Take Me Home Country Roads” – John Denver
- Capo: 2nd fret (A Major)
- Chord Chart: Take Me Home Country Roads Chords
- Note: Sometimes uses a D7 chord instead of D major.
8) “Cruise” – Florida Georgia Line
- Capo: 3rd fret (Bb Major)
- Chord Chart: Cruise Chords
9) “Save Tonight” Eagle Eye Cherry
- Capo: 5th fret (C Major)
- Chord Chart: Save Tonight Chords
- Note: Starts the progression differently: e- C G D.
10) “Hey Oh (Snow)” – Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Capo: 4th fret (B Major)
- Chord Chart: Snow (Hey Oh) Chords
- Note: Starts the progression differently: e- C G D.
11) “Apologize” – OneRepublic Ft. Timbaland
- Capo: 8th fret (Eb Major)
- Chord Chart: Apologize Chords
- Note: Starts the progression differently: e- C G D.
12) “Love the Way You Lie” – Eminem ft. Rihanna
- Capo: 3rd fret (Bb major)
- Chord Chart: Love The Way You Lie Chords
- Note: Starts the progression differently: e- C G D.
Start Playing Guitar Today!
Learning guitar doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By focusing on these four easy guitar chords and this simple progression, you can quickly learn to play dozens of popular songs. So grab your guitar, put on your favorite song from the list, and start strumming! You’ll be surprised at how quickly you progress and how much fun you have playing these easy guitar chord songs. Happy playing!
