Learning guitar is an exciting journey, and one of the most rewarding parts is playing your favorite songs. But where do you start? If you’re a beginner guitarist, navigating the vast world of music can feel overwhelming. The good news is, countless fantastic songs are perfect for those just starting out. This guide will walk you through 27 of the best and easiest guitar songs for beginners to learn, helping you build your skills and enjoy making music right away.
From classic rock anthems to soulful ballads and catchy pop tunes, this curated list features songs that are not only fun to play but also utilize simple chord progressions and strumming patterns. Mastering these Beginner Guitar Songs will provide a solid foundation, boost your confidence, and keep you motivated on your guitar playing journey. Let’s dive in and get you strumming!
1. “Paranoid” by Black Sabbath
Want to feel like a rock legend instantly? “Paranoid” by Black Sabbath is your ticket. This iconic metal anthem kicks off with two powerful strums of an E power chord on the 7th fret, immediately giving you that classic rock vibe. The song then progresses with a cool hammer-on riff in the same position followed by E, A, and D power chords, all played with a steady down-picking style.
Listen closely to the original recording to grasp the rhythm, and you’ll quickly find yourself rocking out to one of the most recognizable songs from the 70s. “Paranoid” is fantastic for beginners because it primarily uses power chords and straightforward rhythms, making it easier to learn and play while still sounding impressive.
2. “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi
For a soulful and emotionally resonant song, look no further than Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved.” You’ll need to place a capo on the 1st fret to play along in the original key. This beautiful ballad is built around a simple yet effective chord progression of C, G, Am, and F chords.
You can start by strumming these chords slowly and repeatedly to capture the song’s melancholic mood. If you’re looking to add a more intricate touch, try fingerpicking the individual strings to bring out the melody. As you progress through the song, you’ll encounter variations like Am7 and Dm7 in the bridge. Don’t be intimidated; these are just slight adjustments from the basic open chords, making them accessible for beginner guitarists to learn and expand their chord vocabulary.
3. “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Instantly transport yourself to the American South with the fun and iconic riff of “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. This classic Southern rock anthem revolves around D, C, and G open chord shapes. If you’ve been practicing these fundamental chords, you’ll be able to pick up this riff quickly.
The riff itself isn’t overly complex, and the more you practice it, the faster and more authentically “twangy” your playing will become. A helpful tip is to keep your pinky finger anchored on the 3rd fret of the B string; this will naturally position your other fingers to easily transition between the C and G chord shapes within the riff. The key to mastering “Sweet Home Alabama” is playing along with the original song, paying close attention to the beat and picking style characteristic of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s sound. Because the riff loops back to the beginning, it’s incredibly satisfying to play repeatedly and perfect.
4. “Free Fallin'” by Tom Petty
“Free Fallin'” by Tom Petty, a song covered by numerous artists including John Mayer, is a timeless classic with a simple chord progression perfect for beginner guitarists. Place a capo on the 3rd fret to play along in the original key. You’ll be using open D, A, and E chords for the main progression.
To add a touch of variation, the song incorporates a Dsus4 chord. Don’t worry, Dsus4 is easily achieved by simply placing your pinky finger on the 3rd fret of the high E string while playing a standard D chord. “Free Fallin'” works beautifully on both acoustic and electric guitars. For an electric guitar, try adding a touch of overdrive or “crunch” to your tone to capture that classic rock sound. This song is fantastic for practicing smooth chord changes and developing a feel for classic rock rhythms.
5. “My Generation” by The Who
“My Generation” by The Who is not only incredibly easy to play but also a blast to rock out to. This iconic 60s hit is built on just two chords: G and F. To capture the song’s raw energy, play these as power chords for a full, meaty rock sound. Don’t be afraid to channel your inner rock star and belt out the vocals during the instrumental breaks!
While “My Generation” is famously known for its groundbreaking bass solo, Pete Townshend’s guitar fills provide excellent cues for you to start adding your own improvisations. This song is an excellent choice for developing your lead guitar skills because the simple chord structure and rhythm allow you to focus on experimenting with soloing and fills without being overwhelmed.
6. “House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals
“House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals is a bluesy and somber classic that relies on a progression of Am, C, D, E, and F chords. Instead of strumming, this song is typically played by fingerpicking or arpeggiating each note of the chord. This technique, picking each note in sequence, creates the song’s distinctive melancholic and blues-infused tone.
Later in the song, you’ll encounter a C/E chord. This is simply a C chord with an E note as the bass note, a subtle variation that adds depth to the harmony. It’s easily played with a slight adjustment to the standard open C chord shape. The song also includes E7 and F7 chords, which introduce 7th notes from the scale, adding harmonic tension and color. These 7th chords are simple variations of the open chords and appear sparingly in the song, making them manageable for beginners while adding a touch of sophistication to your playing.
7. “Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus
If you’re in the mood for some country fun and maybe a little line dancing, “Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus is the perfect choice. This undeniably catchy country jam is built on just two chords: A and E. The sheer simplicity of the chord progression provides a fantastic canvas for you to explore country-style guitar techniques.
With only two chords to worry about, you have plenty of room to experiment with country licks using the notes within the A and E major scales. Delve into scales in the key of A to start improvising simple solos over the chord progression. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even try incorporating “chicken pickin'” techniques for that authentic country guitar twang.
8. “American Idiot” by Green Day
“American Idiot” by Green Day stormed the pop charts in 2003 and remains an energetic and fun song to play on guitar today. The main riff is based on three simple power chords: C#, G#, and F#. The riff involves quickly switching between these three power chord positions.
At the end of the main riff, there’s a short, sharp, and impactful hit of the open strings. This open string hit acts as a musical punctuation mark and signals the start of the vocal verses. Even the guitar solo in “American Idiot” is relatively accessible for beginner guitarists. It features octave shapes played in quick succession, followed by a straightforward lick higher up the fretboard.
9. “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley
“Don’t worry about a thing, ’cause every little thing gonna be alright!” Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” is as uplifting as it is easy to learn on guitar. This reggae classic is made up of just three chords: A, D, and E, played with a characteristic reggae rhythm.
The reggae strumming pattern can be a bit tricky to master when you’re new to the genre. If you find the reggae strumming challenging at first, start with a regular, consistent rhythm as you get comfortable with the chord changes. Once you’re confident with the chords and basic rhythm, you can then gradually incorporate the more syncopated and complex reggae strumming patterns.
10. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana is practically a rite of passage for anyone learning guitar. This groundbreaking grunge anthem features just four power chords. These power chords are played in positions relative to 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 but impactful, allowing you to play with plenty of grunge attitude.
To nail the rhythm accurately, hit each chord a couple of times and then fill the spaces between chords with muted strums across the strings. For the verses, you can achieve the iconic verse melody by simply holding down the 1st fret of the high E and B strings and plucking those two strings. This simple technique captures the recognizable melodic hook of the verse.
11. “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison
“Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison is undeniably singable and guaranteed to lift your spirits whenever you play it. The song’s cheerful mood comes from its bright G major key. Featuring easy-strumming open G, C, D, and Em chords, it’s a fantastic song for practicing your vocal skills while playing guitar.
Once you’ve mastered the chords and rhythm, why not try tackling the fun and catchy intro riff? The intro riff adds a signature touch to the song and is a great next step to challenge yourself once you’re comfortable with the basic chords and strumming.
12. “Wonderwall” by Oasis
“Wonderwall” by Oasis. Yes, we know, it might elicit a groan from some, but it’s undeniably one of those seminal songs that every guitarist should have in their repertoire. Place a capo on the 2nd fret to play along with the original recording. The song is built around basic G, C, D, and Em chords, but with a subtle twist that gives it its signature sound.
The “Wonderwall” sound comes from holding down the 3rd fret of the B and high E strings on all of these chords. This creates a distinctive treble-rich tone that is key to the song’s identity. Later in the song, you’ll encounter a G transition chord. This chord is used to smoothly transition from a G chord into an Em chord. To play it, simply move your finger from the 3rd fret of the low E string down to the 2nd fret, keeping the 3rd frets pressed on the B and high E strings, and strum the rest of the strings open. This G transition chord is a common musical device you’ll see in many songs, making it a valuable technique to learn early on.
13. “Zombie” by The Cranberries
“Zombie” by The Cranberries is a soulful, somber, and iconic song of the 90s that’s surprisingly simple to learn on guitar. It’s based on just four chords: Em, Cmaj7, G, and D. The Cmaj7 chord might sound complex, but it’s essentially the same shape as a regular open C chord, just without pressing down the 1st fret on the B string.
There’s a unique satisfaction in belting out “What’s in your heaaaad” as you play through the comfortable and emotionally charged chord progression of “Zombie.” The song’s straightforward structure and memorable melody make it a rewarding choice for beginner guitarists looking to play a song with depth and feeling.
14. “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” by Bob Dylan/Guns N’ Roses
Originally written by the legendary Bob Dylan and famously covered by Guns N’ Roses, “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” is a timeless classic that’s both fun to play and easy to sing along to. The verse progression is G, D, Am/G, D, C. The Am/G is a slight variation, but you can simplify it to Am if needed when starting out. The verse alternates between Am and C as the final chord in the sequence.
For the chorus, the chord progression simplifies to just G, D, and C. The song structure is repetitive and easy to follow, making it a great choice for beginners to practice chord transitions and rhythm while enjoying a well-known and emotionally resonant song.
15. “The Joker” by Steve Miller Band
“The Joker” by the Steve Miller Band is a real earworm – you might not immediately recognize the title, but you’ll definitely recognize the tune once you start playing it. It’s also remarkably easy to play on guitar, consisting of just G, Cadd9, and D chords. These are all very common and simple chords, played in a steady, repeating pattern.
As you become more confident in playing these chords and smoothly transitioning between them, you can start to explore picking individual notes to mimic the song’s bass line. You can also start adding in your own little guitar licks and fills to embellish the song once you’re comfortable with the basic chord progression.
16. “Buck Rogers” by Feeder
“Buck Rogers” by Feeder is a standout song from the 2000s and remains a high-energy and fun track to play today. It has a very straightforward guitar arrangement. The basic rhythm guitar part is built around an open Em chord and power chords played at the 7th and 9th frets of the low E string. This simple combination forms the foundation of the song’s rhythm.
The chorus adds an additional power chord at the 5th fret of the low E string. All chords throughout the song are strummed in a steady, consistent beat, making it easy to pick up and play along with.
17. “All The Small Things” by Blink-182
“All The Small Things” by Blink-182 is pop-punk perfection and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that’s sure to get everyone singing along. The guitar part revolves around a C power chord (typically played 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 (5th fret of the A string).
The strumming pattern for “All The Small Things” is also easy to learn as it’s primarily based on steady down-picking. Pay attention to the palm mutes (where you rest the edge of your palm lightly on the strings near the bridge to dampen the sound) in the intro and other subtle pauses throughout the song to accurately capture the song’s dynamics and rhythm.
18. “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol
“Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol is soulful, catchy, and surprisingly easy to play on guitar. It features a cool, melodic riff that is picked throughout most of the song, offering a refreshing change from chord-heavy songs. Instead of strumming, “Chasing Cars” requires you to pick the notes within power chord shapes.
There is a slight stretch involved in the riff, where you pick the 5th fret of the A string and then the 9th fret of the G string. This stretch is excellent for building hand strength and finger dexterity. Towards the end of the song, there is a sequence of chords – A, E/G#, D, Dsus2, Dmaj7. These chords are played in a steady, down-picked fashion to match the vocal melody and build the song’s emotional climax.
19. “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King
“Stand By Me” by Ben E. King is built on open chords, features a fun and recognizable intro, and has timelessly comforting lyrics. It’s one of those songs that you simply can’t resist singing along to, and that’s perfect because the C, Am, F, G chord progression makes it easy to focus on your vocals while you play.
The intro riff is driven by its rhythmic timing, so listen closely to the original recording to accurately capture its feel. For the strumming patterns throughout the song, aim to keep your rhythm consistent with the beat to match the tempo and overall feel of “Stand By Me”.
20. “Love Me Do” by The Beatles
“Love Me Do” by The Beatles is super simple and super classic – a winning combination for beginner guitarists. Consisting of G, C, G7, and D chords, it’s very quick to learn and strum along with. The G7 chord is only a slight variation from a regular G chord, simply moving one finger from the 3rd fret to the 1st fret of the high E string.
Even better for beginners, the strumming pattern in “Love Me Do” is steady and not overly complex, making it easy to get into the groove and play along.
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 feature any difficult chords, making it ideal for beginners. The chord progression is made up of Em, D6/9, Em9, and Dmaj9. While these chord names might look a bit unusual, they are all quite easy to play.
D6/9 involves adding just one finger to a standard D shape, Em9 only requires holding the 2nd fret of the high E string instead of the A string in a standard Em, and Dmaj9 is a simple variation of the normal D major chord.
22. “Blitzkrieg Bop” by The Ramones
“Blitzkrieg Bop” by The Ramones is a punk rock classic and a super simple song built on just three power chords. These power chords are positioned at the 5th fret of the low E string, the 5th fret of the A string, and the 7th fret of the A string, creating a simple and driving progression.
The key to capturing the energy of “Blitzkrieg Bop” is to play it fast and loud! The song’s raw energy and simple structure make it perfect for practicing fast chord changes and developing a punk rock playing style.
23. “What’s Up?” by 4 Non Blondes
“What’s Up?” by 4 Non Blondes features only three chords, a simple strumming pattern, and soulful, powerful vocals, making it a fantastic beginner guitar song. The entire song is based around G, Am, and C chords.
The strumming pattern has a distinct dynamic, going from slow to fast within each bar. This rhythmic pattern is easy to get into once you understand the basic structure of the strumming, adding a unique groove to the song.
24. “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” by Green Day
“Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” by Green Day is mellow, catchy, and a perfect choice for acoustic guitar lovers. The chord progression is built from G, Cadd9, D, Em, and C chords, creating a simple and pleasing harmonic foundation that’s quick to learn.
The intro features a fingerpicking style that’s different from the strumming in the rest of the song. In the intro, avoid full strums and instead focus on picking the lower strings while sequentially plucking the high E and B strings. Soon after the intro, the song transitions to standard strumming patterns for the verses and choruses.
25. “Circles” by Post Malone
“Circles” by Post Malone is a really fun tune to strum and sing along with on guitar. The strumming pattern is very straightforward, and while the chord names might look a bit complex at first glance, they are actually manageable for beginners. The chords are: Cmaj7, Fmaj7, Fm, C, F, C/B, and Cmaj7/B.
Many of these chords are just slight variations of common open chords. If you find barre chords like F challenging at this stage, you can simplify it by playing it as either an F power chord or an open F chord (if you can reach the stretch comfortably).
26. “Otherside” by Red Hot Chili Peppers
“Otherside” by Red Hot Chili Peppers features a memorable riff and simple underlying chords. While the original recording doesn’t typically feature strummed chords in the verses, strumming the chords works just as well for a beginner version. The song uses Am, F, C, G, Em, and A chords.
As you progress and become more comfortable with the song, you can challenge yourself to learn the iconic guitar riff and the main melody, playing them over a backing track to emulate the original arrangement.
27. “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran
“Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran is a beautiful and slow song with a relatively easy selection of chords. You’ll need to use a capo on the 2nd fret to play along in the original key. The chords you’ll need are C, C/E, F, G, Dm, and Am. These chords cover the entire song, but the key to mastering “Thinking Out Loud” lies in paying close attention to the timing and rhythm of the chord changes.
One particularly tricky section for beginners is the line “maybe we found love right where we are,” where there’s a chord change for almost every word. This section might require practice and patience at first, but with repetition, you’ll soon master it.
Learning these beginner guitar songs is a fantastic way to start your musical journey. Not only will you be playing recognizable tunes quickly, but you’ll also be building essential guitar skills that will set you up for continued progress and enjoyment. So grab your guitar, pick a song from this list, and start strumming your way to guitar mastery!
