As a beginner musician, learning easy songs for whichever instrument you are playing is one of the best exercises. Not only do you get to practice your chops but you also get to learn exactly how a particular song is played.
However, as a new guitar player, you may be looking for a list of easy songs to learn. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of the 50+ best easy guitar songs. These are songs are also great to sing along to! So if you’d like to improve your singing skills, check out our list of the best online singing lessons.
Furthermore, if you find your guitar-playing abilities are stuck, don’t worry! We have an amazing list of online guitar lessons for all skill levels.
Have fun and happy guitar playing.
What Are The Best Easy Guitar Songs?
Here is my list of the top 50+ all-time best easy guitar songs. From chord-based tunes to more picking and riff-based songs, this easy guitar playlist has a little something for everyone.
1. “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” By Jet
There’s something about this song that just makes you want to get up and dance. The catchy beat, the powerful vocals, the cool guitar riff… it all comes together to create a truly awesome tune that has been learned by thousands of beginner guitarists.
The basic chords in this song are all really easy to learn and the guitar riff isn’t anything too complex either. That’s exactly what makes this song my number one pick as an easy guitar song. It’s simple, catchy, and extremely fun to rock out to.
2. “Sweet Home Alabama” By Lynyrd Skynyrd
This easy guitar song uses a combination of picking and chord strumming to make it one of the most popular beginner guitar songs of all time.
It’s in the key of G, doesn’t make use of a capo, and only requires you to know 5 chords in total. Although the chord Cadd9 might sound intimidating it’s really quite simple. All you need to do is place your fingers in the G chord position and then move your index and middle fingers down one string each. Easy peasy!
This is one of those songs that’s instantly recognizable and can get people of all ages singing along. If you’re looking for an easy guitar song to learn that’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser, Sweet Home Alabama is a great choice.
3. “Brown Eyed Girl” By Van Morrison
“Brown Eyed Girl” is a 1967 song by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison.
The intro to this song is fun to play but is a little on the fast side so if you’re a beginner guitarist you might want to slow down the tempo when first starting out with this one.
The chord progression however is pretty simple as most of the song can be played by switching from chords G to C and G to D.
4. “Cocaine” By Eric Clapton
In 1977, Eric Clapton released a song called “Cocaine” (originally written by J. J. Cale). It’s one of those easy guitar songs that everyone knows, and it’s a great example of Clapton’s songwriting ability.
The guitar chords for the verse and chorus of this song are relatively easy. All you need to know are chords E – D – C and B.
Although the B chord can be a bit of a struggle if you aren’t too familiar with barre chords yet, you can always substitute it for the power chord version instead.
Additionally, if you want even more of a challenge try playing the tabbed version or the solo.
5. “Folsom Prison Blues” By Johnny Cash
This song is a great beginner guitar song if you’re into country music. It’s easy to learn since it really only uses three chords. The G7 and D7 are only slight variations of their major chord counterparts.
What’s more, is that you can try your hand at the solo of this song as it isn’t too intimidating.
The key to playing Folsom Prison Blues is having the right tempo and rhythm. This song is what I would call “boppy” so pay attention to your strumming technique and you’ll be able to cover this song much more accurately.
6. “Waiting On the World to Change” By John Mayer
A lot of John Mayer’s songs are more intermediate/advanced but this one is a great electric guitar beginner song that also features a few relatively easy minor chords.
Although there are more chords than many of the other songs in this list, it’s still one of John Mayer’s relatively easy tunes. If you love Mayer’s songs as I do, give this one a shot.
Read Next: 20 Easy Guitar Pop Songs (From Classic to Modern Hits)
7. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” By Nirvana
Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is one of the most iconic songs of the 1990s. If you’re looking for a great easy guitar song that will get everyone’s head banging, this is the one.
With only 4 easy major chords to learn, this song is perfect for beginner guitarists.
The key to playing this song is to get the strumming pattern down as well as the muted strumming in between chords.
Once you’ve got that, the rest will fall into place. The tab that I’ve linked for this song also places the capo on the first fret. If you’re experienced with power chords you can choose to lose the capo and try the power chord version instead.
8. “Wish You Were Here” By Pink Floyd
The acoustic guitar licks of “Wish You Were Here” are relatively easy to play and can be figured out with the help of guitar tabs like these.
The intro licks feature the use of slides, bends, and pull-offs so if you’re up for a bit of a challenge, take this one on.
Some of the chords in this song are also a bit more advanced as the song makes use of sus chords and inversions.
9. “Start Me Up” By The Rolling Stones
This song was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and it became one of the band’s most iconic songs.
It’s an easy guitar song that is simple to play but gets everyone’s feet moving. Use a capo positioned on the 3rd fret and jam out with these three easy chords: D – G – A.
10. “Thinking Out Loud” By Ed Sheeran
If you’re a beginner guitarist looking for an easy song to learn, “Thinking Out Loud” is a great choice.
The song only uses a few basic guitar chords, and the chord progression and strumming pattern are relatively straightforward.
Some of the guitar chord changes are admittedly a little fast so you may need to practice your finger transitions a bit to get this one down.
11. “Smoke on the Water” By Deep Purple
What kind of easy guitar song list would be complete without Smoke on the Water? This song is essentially a right of passage at this point for any beginner guitarist to learn.
Possibly one of the most famous beginner guitar songs ever created, Smoke on the Water is perfect for those who are just starting to learn how to play the instrument.
The tabs I’ve linked make use of a capo on the 1st fret allowing you to play the song using major chords. Although you could also play the power chord version without a capo.
The best, and most memorable, part of this song is, of course, the progression:
E – G – A
E – G – B – A
E – G – A
G – E
12. “Whole Lotta Love” By Led Zeppelin
Whole Lotta Love is one of the most iconic rock songs of all time. Led Zeppelin wrote the song and released it on their second album, Led Zeppelin II, in 1969. The song quickly became a fan favorite, thanks to its driving guitar riff and Robert Plant’s powerful vocals.
If you’re a guitar player, you’ve probably wanted to learn how to play Whole Lotta Love at some point. The good news is, that it’s not too difficult to learn and uses 3 easy guitar chords: D – E – A.
13. “House of the Rising Sun” By Animals
The chords in this song aren’t strummed but rather make use of a picking pattern that although might sound fast and daunting, really isn’t too hard once you get the hang of it.
The chords do change relatively quickly however and there are a few more chords involved than other songs in this list.
Read Next: Guitar Fingerstyle Picking – Learning the Basics (With Examples)
14. “Walk This Way” By Aerosmith
Today, “Walk This Way” is making this list of easy guitar songs due to the incredibly catchy yet simple intro hook.
You’ll need to check out the guitar tabs for this song to learn how to play the intro but it’s definitely worth it and you’ll have tons of fun with this one.
As for the rest of the song, there are a few tricky chords and it isn’t super beginner friendly. But that intro hook is extremely fun to play and is probably the only part of the song that most beginner guitarists actually know.
15. “You Shook Me All Night Long” By AC/DC
This easy guitar song is perfect for beginners.
The whole song basically uses a combination of chords G, C, and D. The chorus also makes use of a simple picking pattern over the chorus but overall isn’t difficult to learn.
With this tune, you can practice not only your chord strumming but also some of your picking thanks to the chorus section.
16. “Seven Nation Army” By The White Stripes
Seven Nation Army is one of the most popular songs by American rock duo The White Stripes.
The song’s distinctive riff is played on an electric guitar with a heavy amount of distortion.
The reason I love this song for beginners is due to the fact that the intro is played simply note by note. There aren’t really any chords involved. However, as the song progresses you get to pump up the distortion and play each note as a power chord.
17. “Do I Wanna Know?” By Arctic Monkeys
The Eb chord in this song can be a little challenging for beginners, but once you get the hang of it, it’s not too difficult.
If you’ve ever heard of the CAGED system, this chord uses the D shape.
There are also two barre chords in this song: Gm and Cm. Both of these chords are minor and start at the third fret so you won’t need to do too much moving around to switch from one to the other.
18. “Taking Care of Business” By BTO
Taking Care of Business is a classic rock song that has inspired many people to work hard and achieve their goals while also being an easy guitar song for beginners to learn.
What I like about this song is that you get to add a bit of embellishment to the power chords you use. Essentially you’ll be using your pinky finger to move up and down two frets to re-create the iconic sound of the verses.
19. “Sunshine Of Your Love” By Cream
Sunshine of Your Love is a song by the British rock band Cream. The guitar riff that begins the song is one of the most recognizable riffs in rock music.
With the help of the song’s guitar tabs, you’ll be able to learn this song in no time.
The lick of this sound actually reminds me quite a bit of Seven Nation Army. Perhaps it’s the down-stepping of notes that each song uses. So if you like Seven Nation Army, consider learning this one next!
20. “Where Are You Going” By Dave Matthews Band
This song goes heavy on the sus chords while also using a few minor and major chords. If you need to practice your chord changes, this is a good song to get you started.
21. “Hair of the Dog” By Nazareth
The song has been covered by a few artists, including Guns N’ Roses, who released a version on their album “The Spaghetti Incident?” in 1993.
The chords in this song are really really simple and only take one to two fingers to play: E5 – G6 – A5 – D5.
But what I really like about this song is the hook at the beginning. That’s the reason why most guitarist learn this one and what’s awesome is that if you can get the hook down then you should have no problem with the rest of it.
22. “Sharp Dressed Man” By ZZ Top
Sharp Dressed Man is an up-tempo song with a catchy guitar riff and lyrics that extol the virtues of dressing well.
There are quite a few chord changes in this one so if that’s still something that you’re not overly keen on I’d recommend coming back to this one once you’ve got a little more practice under your belt.
Read Next: Top 75 GREATEST Acoustic Guitar Songs That Ever Existed
23. “Slow Ride” By Foghat
“Slow Ride” is an uptempo blues-rock song with a hard-driving guitar riff. A lot of guitar players back in the early 2010s probably wanted to learn this song after they played it a few times on Guitar Hero.
This a couple of inversions, and an F#m chord, this song overall isn’t hard to learn. Once you break down each piece of the song, as it does in the tab, you’ll be able to learn this one in no time.
24. “Back In Black” By AC/DC
Back in Black is considered one of AC/DC’s greatest songs and is one of the most popular rock songs of all time.
The song also has a strong and memorable melody that beginner guitarists can easily learn. Additionally, the song’s tempo is slow and steady, making it easy to keep up with.
With chords, E – D – and A making up most of the song beginners shouldn’t have too much trouble with the chords. It’s the little licks and bridge that might take a bit more practice is they involve both speed and bends.
25. “Here It Goes Again” By OK Go
Again, this song includes a few more chords than some of the more basic songs on this list but nevertheless, it’s still fairly straightforward.
Most of the chords are majors with a few being flats. This song is a great option if you need help with practicing your chord changes and is super fun to play.
Admittedly the verses are easier to play than the chorus as the chord changes really pick up in the chorus.
26. “T.N.T” By AC/DC
So many of AC/DCs songs are great for beginner guitarists as they’re catchy and relatively simple.
T.N.T is no exception. With only 3 basic chords: E – G – A you can start playing this song in no time. The chorus and verses both use the same chords, just in a different pattern.
27. “Bad Moon Rising” By CCR
Another three chord song?! Yep, “Bad Moon Rising” is a song by the American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival. It’s one of those songs with a memorable chord progression and a great one for practicing your strumming pattern skills.
This is another example that just goes to show that you don’t need to use a ton of chords to create a great song. With the use of 3 simple chords: D, A, and G, you can create something that not only sounds great but is easy to play.
28. “Have You Ever Seen The Rain?” By CCR
Bad Moon Rising is a bit easier to play compared to this other CCR classic “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?”
This one features a few basic major chords as well as a couple of wild cards for new players including F/C, C/B, and Am/G.
29. “Let It Be” By The Beatles
Let It Be was originally performed on the piano and if you’re looking to learn how to play the piano with in-person or online piano lessons, this is a great song to learn.
However, it’s also a fun one to play on guitar and can be transposed to different keys to make it easier to sing along to.
30. “Free Fallin” By Tom Petty
“Free Fallin” is one of Tom Petty’s most well-known songs, and for good reason. The lyrics are simple but resonant, and the melody is catchy and memorable making it a great addition to our beginner songs list.
I remember learning this one when I first started playing guitar. It doesn’t require you to stray too far down the fretboard which is perfect when you’re just getting a few songs under your belt.
31. “Stuck In The Middle With You” By Stealers Wheel
“Stuck In The Middle With You” is a great song for beginner guitarists as the chords are simple and everyone knows it.
If you’re looking for an easy song that will get everyone’s feet tapping at the next party, this is a good choice.
Although this is no 3-chord song the slight variations of the D chord aren’t too daunting. Once you start learning the song you’ll quickly begin to realize that it isn’t very hard to play.
32. “Love Me Do” By The Beatles
Featuring only 4 chords, you can get started playing Love Me Do in no time!
The Beatles, like AC/DC, have a pretty large repertoire of songs that are simple to play but yet sound great.
Although these two bands have very different styles each one does a great job of writing catchy songs with easy-to-follow chord progressions.
33. “Good Riddance, Time Of Your Life” By Green Day
Who doesn’t love a bit of Green Day?
This 5 chord song is not only fun to learn how to play on guitar but is also a great song to learn how to sing along with if you’re the singing type.
Using chords: G – Cadd9 – D – Em – C you’ll need to combine your strumming and just a touch of picking skills to pull this one off.
34. “Ring Of Fire” By Johnny Cash
Creating a guitar playlist without including a Johnny Cash tune or two is hard to do. Ring of Fire is one of these easy guitar songs that almost any player can learn in an afternoon.
The chords for Ring of Fire (G, C, and D) are easy to play, but the trick is getting the strumming pattern down. The pattern is fairly simple, but it’s not necessarily intuitive.
The best way to get it down is to listen to the recording and try to mimic Cash’s strumming. Once you have the pattern down, the song will come together quickly.
35. “Ho Hey” By The Lumineers
This song is in the key of C major with a moderate tempo of 80 beats per minute. “Ho Hey” is an uplifting, positive song with just a few simple chords to learn.
Perhaps the most tricky part of this one is the quick transition from F to C at the end of every line in the verses.
36. “Summer of 69” By Bryan Adams
The verses of Summer of 69 are a breeze to play through. All you basically need to do is change between the D and A chords ensuring that you let each chord ring out.
It’s the chorus that gets a little tricky. Most beginners will likely have some level of trouble with the Bm barre chord and then transitioning to the next chord. In this case, I would recommend solely practicing the transition between Bm and A until you’re comfortably able to move between both.
37. “Hey, Soul Sister” By Train
Yet another four chord song to add to the list, “Hey Soul Sister” consists of chords C – G – Am – F. All of these chords are pretty easy to play and you can substitute the F barre chord for the easier version which only requires you to use three fingers:
38. “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” By Queen
This song is super fun to play and I still play it quite often.
It’s fast-paced, includes a bit of fingerpicking, and isn’t too hard to master. All of the chords are major except for the Dsus4 and the Bb although those shouldn’t cause you much trouble.
Perhaps, the hardest part of this song is the speed at which it’s played which is 77BPM.
39. “I’m Yours” By Jason Mraz
You’ve probably heard Jason Mraz’s smash hit “I’m Yours” at some point in the last decade. The song was released in 2008 and quickly became a mainstay on radio stations around the world.
It’s a simple song that’s built upon a total of six chords.
40. “Little Talks” By Of Monsters And Men
You’ve likely noticed at this point that SO many songs feature the chords Am, C, G, and F. This one is no exception.
Consisting of a total of 5 chords you’ll be able to play this classic tune in no time at all if you already know the basics of playing guitar.
Read Next: 25 Guitar Love Songs Guys Learn to Impress Girls
41. “Born In The U.S.A.” By Bruce Springsteen
It’s not often you see a full song made up of only two chords. If there’s someone who can pull it off though it has to be the boss.
Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” uses the least number of required than any other song on this list.
It just goes to show, with a great melody on top of some simple chords, you can make something great.
42. “Walk Of Life” By Dire Straits
Dire Straits isn’t exactly known for their easy-to-play guitar parts.
Their song “Sultans of Swing” is a guitar masterpiece and if you’re a complete beginner then you’ll be spending quite a while learning that one.
That being said, “Walk Of Life” is a fairly simple song in terms of chords. It’s a song that consists of 5 chords in total and is great for complete beginners to learn.
Read Next: The 23 Best Songs About Money Ever Written
43. “Cecilia” By Simon & Garfunkel
“Cecilia” is a song by Simon & Garfunkel that was released in 1970.
With one more chord than “Born In The U.S.A.” this song features chords G – C – D.
Pretty simple stuff here and it’s one that’s great to sing along to.
44. “Yellow” By Coldplay
This mellow tune is fun to play on acoustic guitar.
It’s one of those songs that everyone knows and if you have a good falsetto you’ll have no problem singing along to it.
As for the difficulty, none of the chords really stand out as hard to play. This song is in the key of G and you will need to place a capo on the 4th fret if you’re going to use the tabs above.
45. “No Rain” By Blind Melon
In 1992, the American rock band Blind Melon released their debut album, which included the hit single “No Rain.”
The song features an attention-grabbing guitar lick at the beginning and the chord progression throughout is simple yet easy and fun to play.
Whether you want to learn how to play the chords, the lick, or both, I’d recommend checking out the tabs I’ve linked to get you started.
46. “Closing Time” By Semisonic
This one features a few barre chords so you’ll need to be comfortable with those before attempting to learn this one.
That being said it’s a fun one to learn/play and will be worth the time you invest.
47. “All Right Now” By Free
The distorted guitars, piercing vocals, and driving drums make “All Right Now” a perfect song for any easy guitar playlist.
If you’re in a band and want a good rock song to learn then “All Right Now” is a good one.
48. “Times Like These” By Foo Fighters
What’s more fun than learning a good Foo Fighters song? “Times Like These” is a great beginner song to play in a garage band or just to jam out to on your own.
With just five easy chords to learn, this tune is pretty simple. What’s more is that you’ll only need to use 3 fingers max for any of these chords.
49. “3AM” By Matchbox Twenty
The chord progression in this song is easy to follow and features some fun-to-play strumming patterns that you should definitely try out.
3AM also makes use of a capo on the first fret so if you don’t have a capo yet, I’d recommend getting the G7th capo. It’s the best one I’ve used and it’s super reliable and convenient. Check out my full review of the G7th capo.
50. “Run-Around” By Blues Traveler
John Popper’s harmonica playing is prominently featured throughout this song. The chorus of “Run-Around” is both catchy and easy to play making it a great song for beginner guitarists to learn.
51. “Mr. Jones” By Counting Crows
If you want to learn a groovy one that’s pretty straightforward forward consider “Mr Jones”. With 6 chords in total and a consistent strumming pattern this song is both simple and fun.
52. “She Moves In Her Own Way” By The Kooks
Lastly, on our list “She Moves In Her Own Way” is another six-chord song that features one barre chord, two minor chords, and three majors.
It’s in the key of G and doesn’t require the use of a capo.
If you haven’t heard this one yet, take a listen, you won’t be disappointed.
50+ Easy Guitar Songs [Infographic]
Easy Guitar Songs – In Summary
Hopefully, this list of easy guitar songs has given you some ideas as to where to start in learning some of the best easy guitar songs I know of.
You really only need to learn a handful of chords (4-6) to be able to play most of the songs on this list.
So get those basic chords under your belt and have fun learning a ton of new songs!
Awesome resource, man, really appreciate it
No problem! Thanks for checking it out 🙂
So glad to see blind melon make the list! no rain is one of my fav easy songs and it never makes these lists! 🙂
Great sitesite, great list of easy to learn songs, this should keep me practicing for a while. Thanks!
No problem Karl! Glad you enjoyed the list.
Awesome list. I’m building songs to play at open mic nights. Appreciate the info. Great job dude
No worries man! Glad I could help.
Can any one Help me with Death Bed Chords