Starting your guitar journey can be incredibly exciting, and learning simple songs is the perfect way to build your skills and stay motivated. If you’re looking for easy guitar songs to learn, you’ve come to the right place. This guide features 27 fantastic songs that are perfect for beginners, using basic chords and rhythms to get you playing your favorite tunes in no time. Dive in and discover how quickly you can start making music with these Simple Songs On The Guitar!
1. “Paranoid” by Black Sabbath
Get ready to rock! “Paranoid” is a metal anthem that’s surprisingly easy to learn on guitar, making it a great choice for beginners who want to play something heavy.
You’ll start with just two strums of an E power chord on the 7th fret. This powerful sound is followed by a cool hammer-on riff in the same position and then moves into E, A, and D power chords, all played with steady downstrokes. Listen closely to the original track to catch the rhythm, and you’ll be headbanging to this iconic 70s song in no time. It’s a fantastic introduction to power chords and a confidence booster for new guitar players.
2. “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi
Capo on the 1st fret required.
For a more soulful and contemporary option, “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi is an excellent choice. This hit song uses a simple chord progression of C, G, Am, and F chords, making it perfect for strumming and singing.
Beginners can start with a slow, consistent strumming pattern to match the song’s emotional depth. For those looking to develop fingerpicking skills, this song also sounds beautiful when you pluck individual strings, adding a melodic texture. While there are slight chord variations later in the song, like Am7 and Dm7 in the bridge, these are just minor adjustments from the basic open chords and still very beginner-friendly.
3. “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Instantly recognizable and undeniably fun, the riff from “Sweet Home Alabama” is a classic that’s easier to play than you might think. This song revolves around D, C, and G open chord shapes, making it accessible if you’ve already practiced these fundamental chords.
The riff itself isn’t overly complex, and with repetition, you’ll find yourself playing it faster and with that signature Southern rock ‘twang’. A helpful tip is to keep your pinky finger on the 3rd fret of the B string as a guide; your other fingers will naturally fall into place for the C and G chord shapes. The key to mastering this riff is playing along with the original recording, focusing on matching the beat and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s picking style. Because the riff loops back to the beginning, it’s incredibly satisfying to play repeatedly and a great way to build dexterity and speed.
4. “Free Fallin'” by Tom Petty
Capo on the 3rd fret required.
“Free Fallin'” by Tom Petty is a timeless classic that’s been covered by many artists, including John Mayer. This song features a simple, memorable chord progression that’s perfect for beginner guitarists to quickly learn and sing along to.
With a capo on the 3rd fret, you’ll be playing open D, A, and E chords, with a Dsus4 chord adding a touch of variation. Don’t let Dsus4 intimidate you – it’s simply a D chord with your pinky on the 3rd fret instead of the 2nd. Whether you prefer acoustic or electric guitar (try adding a bit of overdrive for a classic rock sound), “Free Fallin'” is a fantastic song to learn and will have you feeling like a rock star in no time.
5. “My Generation” by The Who
Want to learn a song that’s both easy and iconic? “My Generation” by The Who is your answer. This high-energy track is incredibly simple to play, consisting of just two chords: G and F.
To get that powerful rock sound, play these chords as power chords. The song’s famous bass solo sections are perfect moments to unleash your vocals and add some improvisational guitar fills inspired by Pete Townshend’s energetic style. “My Generation” is not only a blast to play but also a great song for developing your improvisational and soloing skills since the rhythm and chord structure are straightforward, allowing you to focus on your lead playing.
6. “House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals
“House Of The Rising Sun” is a classic folk-rock song with a haunting melody and surprisingly accessible guitar part for beginners. The song revolves around Am, C, D, E, and F chords.
Instead of strumming, this song is often played by picking each note of the chord individually, creating the song’s signature bluesy and somber tone. This arpeggiated style is a great way to develop fingerstyle technique. Later in the song, you’ll encounter a C/E chord, which is a C chord with an E note in the bass. This is a simple variation that’s easy to grasp. You’ll also find E7 and F7 chords, which introduce 7th notes from the scale, adding a touch of musical complexity without being difficult to play. These chord variations appear sparingly to create tension and interest in the song.
7. “Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus
If you’re in the mood for some country fun, “Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus is a ridiculously catchy song that’s incredibly easy to play on guitar. This country jam uses only two chords: A and E.
This simplicity provides a fantastic foundation for exploring country-style guitar licks and techniques. You can experiment with scales in the key of A and E to improvise solos over the basic chords. For those wanting to dive deeper into country guitar, try incorporating “chicken pickin'” techniques to really nail that authentic country sound. Despite its simplicity, “Achy Breaky Heart” is a fun and engaging song for beginner guitarists to learn.
8. “American Idiot” by Green Day
“American Idiot” by Green Day was a massive hit in the 2000s and remains an energetic and fun song to play on guitar, especially for beginners interested in punk rock.
The main riff consists of three simple power chords: C#, G#, and F#. You’ll quickly switch between these power chord positions. At the end of the riff, there’s a short, sharp hit of the open strings, which acts as an energetic cue for the vocals to begin. Even the guitar solo in “American Idiot” is relatively simple to learn, featuring octave shapes played in quick succession and an easy lick higher up the fretboard. This makes it a great song to practice power chords, rhythm changes, and basic soloing in a rock context.
9. “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley
“Don’t worry about a thing,” because learning “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley on guitar is incredibly easy and uplifting! This reggae classic is built around just three chords – A, D, and E – played with a reggae rhythm.
The reggae strumming pattern can be a bit tricky for absolute beginners, so it’s perfectly fine to start with a regular strumming pattern until you get comfortable with the chords. Once you’re confident with the chord changes, you can then focus on learning the authentic reggae strum. There are many online resources, including video lessons, that can help you master both a simple strum and the more complex reggae beat for this song.
10. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana is practically a rite of passage for guitar players, especially those drawn to grunge and alternative rock. This groundbreaking song features just four power chords.
These power chords are located at the 1st fret of the E string, 1st fret of the A string, 4th fret of the E string, and 4th fret of the A string. The rhythm is straightforward, allowing you to play with plenty of grunge attitude. To nail the rhythm, hit the chords a couple of times and then fill the spaces between chords with muted strums of the strings. For the verses, you can actually play along by just holding down the 1st fret of the high E and B strings and plucking them, simplifying the song even further while still capturing its essence.
11. “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison
It’s nearly impossible to be in a bad mood while playing “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison! This song is inherently singable and upbeat, thanks to its cheerful G major key.
Featuring easy-strumming open G, C, D, and Em chords, “Brown Eyed Girl” is a fantastic crowd-pleaser and a great song to practice your singing while playing guitar. Once you’ve got the chords and rhythm down, challenge yourself to learn the fun, riff-based intro. This song is perfect for developing your strumming hand, chord transitions, and vocal coordination.
12. “Wonderwall” by Oasis
Capo on the 2nd fret required.
“Wonderwall” by Oasis might be a song that some people jokingly groan at, but it’s undeniably one of those essential songs that every guitarist should have in their repertoire, especially beginners.
It’s built upon basic G, C, D, and Em chords, but with a signature “Wonderwall” twist. To get that iconic treble-heavy sound, hold down the 3rd fret of the B and high E strings on all of these chords. Later in the song, you’ll encounter a G transition chord. This simply involves moving your finger from the 3rd fret to the 2nd fret on the low E string while keeping the 3rd fret pressed on the B and high E strings and playing the rest of the strings open. This G transition chord is used just once to smoothly lead into the Em chord. This chord movement is common in many songs, so learning it early on is a valuable skill.
13. “Zombie” by The Cranberries
“Zombie” by The Cranberries is a soulful and powerful song, emblematic of the 90s, and surprisingly simple to learn on guitar with just four chords: Em, Cmaj7, G, and D.
The Cmaj7 chord might sound complicated, but it’s actually very similar to a regular open C chord – you simply don’t press down the 1st fret on the B string. There’s a unique satisfaction in belting out “What’s in your heaaaad” while playing through this comfortable and emotionally resonant chord progression. “Zombie” is a great song for practicing smooth chord changes and dynamic strumming.
14. “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” by Bob Dylan/Guns N’ Roses
Originally written by Bob Dylan, the legendary musical poet, and famously covered by Guns N’ Roses, “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” is a fantastic song to play and easy to sing along to, making it perfect for beginners.
The verse sections use the chord progression G, D, Am, G, D, C, alternating between Am and C as the last chord in the sequence. In the chorus, the progression simplifies to G, D, and C. Once you return to the verse, you go back to alternating between Am and C at the end. This song’s repetitive and straightforward structure makes it excellent for practicing chord transitions and rhythm, while its iconic melody and lyrics make it rewarding to learn.
15. “The Joker” by Steve Miller Band
“The Joker” by Steve Miller Band is a real earworm – you might instantly recognize the melody even if you don’t know the song title. Luckily, it’s also a breeze to play on guitar.
“The Joker” consists of just three chords: G, Cadd9, and D. These are all very common and simple chords, played in a steady and relaxed strumming pattern. As you become more comfortable playing the chords and transitioning between them, you can start to pick individual notes to mimic the song’s bass line and even add small guitar licks of your own. This song is excellent for building confidence with basic chords and exploring simple embellishments.
16. “Buck Rogers” by Feeder
“Buck Rogers” by Feeder is a 2000s anthem that still sounds fantastic today. It’s a great choice for beginners who like upbeat rock music.
The song has a very simple arrangement, primarily using an open Em chord and power chords at the 7th and 9th frets of the low E string. This forms the basic rhythmic structure of the song. The chorus adds another power chord at the 5th fret of the low E string. All chords are strummed with a consistent beat that’s easy to follow. “Buck Rogers” is a fun, energetic song that helps beginners practice power chords and rhythmic strumming.
17. “All The Small Things” by Blink 182
“All The Small Things” by Blink 182 is pop-punk at its finest – a smash hit crowd-pleaser guaranteed to get people singing along. It’s also surprisingly easy to play on guitar.
The song revolves around a C power chord on the 3rd fret of the A string, a G power chord on the 3rd fret of the low E string, and a power chord in the F position. It’s very straightforward to sing along to while playing. The strumming pattern is quick to learn as it’s mostly steady down-picking. Listen for the palm mutes (where you lightly rest your palm on the strings to dampen them while strumming) in the intro and other slight pauses to accurately replicate the song’s iconic sound.
18. “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol
“Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol is a soulful, catchy, and remarkably easy song to play on guitar. It’s a refreshing change of pace from chord-heavy songs, featuring a cool melodic riff that’s picked throughout much of the song.
Instead of strumming, “Chasing Cars” requires you to pick the notes within power chord shapes. There’s a slight stretch involved when picking between the 5th fret of the A string and the 9th fret of the G string, which is excellent for building hand strength and dexterity. Towards the end of the song, there’s a sequence of chords – A, E/G#, D, Dsus2, Dmaj7 – played with a steady, down-picked rhythm to match the vocals. These chords, while slightly more varied, are still manageable for beginners and add a beautiful harmonic progression to the song.
19. “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King
“Stand By Me” by Ben E. King is a timeless classic featuring open chords, a memorable intro, and universally loved lyrics. It’s one of those songs that’s almost impossible not to sing along with.
The C, Am, F, G chord progression is simple and repetitive, allowing you to focus on your vocals while playing. The intro riff is all about timing, so listen closely to the original recording to get the rhythm and feel just right. For the strumming pattern, aim to keep it in time with the beat to capture the song’s tempo and soulful vibe. “Stand By Me” is a perfect song for practicing chord progressions, rhythm, and vocal coordination simultaneously.
20. “Love Me Do” by The Beatles
“Love Me Do” by The Beatles is super simple and undeniably classic. Consisting of G, C, G7, and D chords, it’s incredibly quick to learn and strum along with.
The G7 chord is a very minor variation of a G chord, simply moving your finger from the 3rd fret to the 1st fret on the high E string. Even better, the strumming pattern is steady and not too complex, making it ideal for beginner guitarists to get to grips with early Beatles tunes. “Love Me Do” is a fantastic song to learn basic chords and rhythms, and it’s a gateway to exploring more of The Beatles’ extensive catalog.
21. “A Horse With No Name” by America
“A Horse With No Name” by America might have a slightly different strumming pattern than you’re used to, but it doesn’t contain any difficult chords, making it very beginner-friendly.
The chord progression is Em, D6/9, Em9, and Dmaj9, and each of these chords is relatively easy to play. D6/9 is just a slight variation involving one fret, Em9 requires you to hold the 2nd fret of the high E string instead of the A string, and Dmaj9 is a minor adjustment of a regular D chord. Despite the slightly more complex chord names, the actual fingerings are simple, and the song’s hypnotic rhythm is great for practicing different strumming styles.
22. “Blitzkrieg Bop” by The Ramones
“Blitzkrieg Bop” by The Ramones is a quintessential punk rock anthem and a super simple song to learn on guitar. It’s made up of just three power chords.
These power chords are located at the 5th fret of the low E string, the 5th fret of the A string, and the 7th fret of the A string – a very straightforward progression to learn and memorize. The key to “Blitzkrieg Bop” is to play it fast and loud! This song is perfect for practicing fast power chord changes and embodying the raw energy of punk rock.
23. “What’s Up?” by 4 Non Blondes
“What’s Up?” by 4 Non Blondes is a 90s classic with powerful vocals and a surprisingly simple guitar part. You only need three chords to master this song: G, Am, and C.
The strumming pattern in “What’s Up?” goes from slow to fast within each bar, creating its distinctive rhythmic feel. It’s quick to get into the rhythm of the entire song once you understand this pattern. “What’s Up?” is a great song for practicing dynamic strumming and smooth transitions between basic open chords.
24. “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” by Green Day
“Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” by Green Day is a mellow and catchy acoustic song, perfect for guitarists who love acoustic sounds.
The song uses G, Cadd9, D, Em, and C chords, creating a simple and memorable progression that’s quick to learn. The trick to mastering the intro is to avoid full strums initially. Instead, focus on playing the bass strings while sequentially picking the high E and B strings. Soon after the intro, the song transitions to standard strumming patterns. “Good Riddance” is excellent for developing fingerpicking basics and transitioning between fingerpicking and strumming.
25. “Circles” by Post Malone
“Circles” by Post Malone is a modern hit that’s really fun to strum and sing along with on guitar. The strumming pattern is very simple, and the chords, while they might look a bit complex at first glance, are manageable for beginners.
The chords in “Circles” are Cmaj7, Fmaj7, Fm, C, F, C/B, and Cmaj7/B. While some of these chord names might seem intimidating, they are mostly slight variations of common open chords. If you find barre chords like F challenging, you can simplify it by playing it as a power chord or an open F chord to get started. “Circles” is a great song for expanding your chord vocabulary while playing a popular contemporary song.
26. “Otherside” by Red Hot Chili Peppers
“Otherside” by Red Hot Chili Peppers features a fun, distinctive riff and simple chords, making it a great choice for beginner guitarists who enjoy alternative rock.
Typically, “Otherside” doesn’t have strummed chords in the verses in the original recording, but strumming the chords works perfectly well for learning and playing along. The chords are Am, F, C, G, Em, and A, all relatively simple to get started with. As you improve, you can challenge yourself to learn the song’s iconic riff and play the melody over a backing track, adding layers to your performance.
27. “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran
Capo on the 2nd fret required.
“Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran is a beautiful, slow song with a selection of easy chords, perfect for practicing timing and chord transitions.
The chords you’ll need to play the entire song are C, C/E, F, G, Dm, and Am. The key to mastering “Thinking Out Loud” is listening closely to the song to nail the timing of the chord changes. The line “maybe we found love right where we are” is a good example, with a chord change for each word. This might be tricky initially, but with practice, you’ll get the hang of it! “Thinking Out Loud” is a wonderful song for developing your timing, chord changes, and playing more contemporary pop music on the guitar.
