10 Easy Guitar Songs for Beginners

Intro

This article is for those of you who are looking for some easy guitar songs for beginners to get started with. Learning songs early on is one of the best ways to stay motivated, because you can actually hear your progress and enjoy making real music right from the start.

You do not need lots of advanced chords or flashy techniques to begin playing songs that sound good. In fact, with just a few basic chords and a simple strumming pattern, you can already begin building your confidence and having great fun on the guitar.

Below are 10 easy guitar songs for beginners that are well worth learning. Some only use 2 or 3 chords, while others use 4. If one feels a little awkward at first, do not worry. That is completely normal. Just keep coming back to it and enjoy the journey.

1. Horse with No Name - America

This is a brilliant song to start with because it only uses 2 chords for most of the song.

That is fantastic for beginners, because it gives you the chance to focus more on your strumming and rhythm, without having to think about too many chord shapes at once. Songs like this can help you to feel musical very quickly.

Take your time with it. Even if you keep the rhythm very simple to begin with, you will still be developing valuable skills.

2. Eleanor Rigby - The Beatles

This is another very accessible song for beginners. The chord changes are manageable and the rhythm can be kept nice and simple to start with.

If you are still getting used to moving from one chord to another, then this is a great song to slow right down and work through carefully. There is no need to rush. It is much better to play it slowly and accurately than quickly and with lots of tension.

Even if you only strum once or twice per bar to begin with, that is absolutely fine.

3. Knockin' on Heaven's Door - Bob Dylan / Guns N' Roses

This is one of the classic beginner guitar songs, and for very good reason. It uses a short repeating chord sequence that comes around again and again.

That repetition is excellent for helping your fingers begin to remember where they need to go. It also helps you to become more comfortable with the overall structure of a song.

If you are working on your basic guitar chords, then this is a very useful one to add to your practice.

4. Three Little Birds - Bob Marley

A lovely upbeat song that is ideal for beginners. It is repetitive, musical and very enjoyable to play.

This kind of song is great for helping you to develop consistency in your strumming hand. Try to keep your hand moving in time, even if you miss a strum here and there. That is often a much better approach than stopping and starting.

The more relaxed you can stay while playing it, the better. Tension is never your friend on the guitar!

5. Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd

This is a very popular beginner-friendly song when simplified. It is great for getting used to a repeating progression and keeping the rhythm flowing.

Do not worry about making it sound exactly like the original recording straight away. First, get comfortable with the chord order and the general feel of the song. Once that begins to feel easier, you can then gradually make your rhythm more detailed.

It is always best to build things up one little step at a time.

6. Achy Breaky Heart - Billy Ray Cyrus

This song is fantastic for absolute beginners because it can be played with very basic chords and a very straightforward rhythm.

If strumming patterns still feel a little new to you, then try using all down-strokes first. This will make it easier for you to focus on changing chords at the correct time.

Once that feels comfortable, you can of course build the rhythm up afterwards.

7. Leaving on a Jet Plane - John Denver

This is a great beginner song that uses common open chords and has a comfortable pace.

Songs like this are excellent because they give you enough time to think about your next move without feeling rushed. That can make such a difference when you are first learning.

If you enjoy singing as well, then this is a lovely one to sing along with. Even just quietly humming along can help you to remember the structure more easily.

8. Love Me Do - The Beatles

A very simple and enjoyable song that is perfect for early chord practice.

It has a nice clear structure and gives you the chance to work on playing in time. Good timing is one of the main things that makes your playing sound musical, even if the song itself is very simple.

Focus on changing chords at the correct moment rather than worrying too much about fancy strumming.

9. Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival

This is a really useful beginner song because it uses common open chords and keeps you moving steadily through the progression.

It is also a good one for building a little more strength and endurance in your fretting hand. If your hand starts to tense up, pause for a moment, shake it out and then begin again. There is no harm at all in taking short breaks.

In fact, that is often the better thing to do.

10. Stand By Me - Ben E. King

This is one of the most useful songs a beginner can learn because the chord sequence is so well known and appears in many other songs too.

So, in a way, you are not only learning one song here. You are also becoming familiar with a progression that will help you elsewhere in your playing.

Once you can play through this comfortably, lots of other songs may begin to feel more familiar as well. That is always a great feeling.

A Few Important Points

Choose songs that you actually like. This is so important. If you enjoy the song, you are much more likely to keep picking up the guitar and practising it. One of the best ways to make progress is to learn music that you genuinely want to play.

Start with simple strumming. You do not need a complex strumming pattern to begin with. Even one down-strum per chord can be enough to get started. Once the chord sequence feels more comfortable, you can gradually add more strums and rhythm.

Do not try to perfect too many songs at once. It is much better to learn 2 or 3 songs well than to jump between lots of songs and feel overwhelmed. Pick one or two that really motivate you and stick with them for a while.

Expect chord changes to feel awkward at first. This is completely normal. Nearly everybody struggles with chord changing when they begin. With regular practice, your fingers will gradually begin to remember where they need to go.

Outro

Feel free to get in touch if you would like help learning any of these songs. My private one-one lessons are completely tailored to suit you, and I can simplify songs to match your current level so that you can start enjoying playing your favourite music as quickly and easily as possible.

Contact me to book a lesson, or take a look at some of the other topics we'll cover. You may also find these lessons helpful: How to Play Easy Guitar Chords, Getting Started with Strumming Patterns and How To Read Basic Guitar Tablature.

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