Beginner Guitar Songs by Chord Groups
Welcome to my list of easy beginner guitar songs!
When I was first learning to play guitar, I didn't know what songs were good for those just starting on guitar. I really needed a list of easy beginner guitar songs I could reference.
Instead, I would get frustrated when I would see a song and then learn I didn’t have the skills needed to actually play the song. So I created this list of good beginner guitar songs to help you have fun with your guitar faster.
The first set of beginner guitar songs focus on music that uses only my Four Easiest Guitar Chords: Em, G, C and D. Check out the easier two fingered versions I teach at the above link.
These four chords alone can help you get through a lot of songs.
IMPORTANT:
If you see a chord that says Em7, play Em. Cadd9, play C. Dsus4, play D. G7, play G. You can substitute Em, C, D and G for any chord that starts with Em, C, D, and G.
After that will be a subset of beginner guitar songs that use easy open chords. You will find no songs on this list that uses barre chords (I have easy beginner song fixes for F and F#m) as I find those to be more intermediate type songs. You can find more intermediate songs at my full Guitar Chord Charts List.
BEGINNER STRUMMING TIP:
Keep it simple. Sticking with all down strums is the best in the beginning.
1 2 3 4
D D D D
If you need more time to change between chords don't do all four. Try 1, 2 or 3 strums.
1 2 3 4
D D D -
Easy Beginner Guitar Songs - Two Chords!
America - Horse With No Name (Video & Play Along)
Beatles, The - Eleanor Rigby (Video & Play Along)
Springsteen, Bruce - Born In The USA
Ready to make your lifelong dream of playing guitar a reality?
Sign-up for access to my FREE Guitar Crash Course.
Beginner Guitar Songs using Em, G, C & D only:
Cash, Johnny - The Ring Of Fire
Chapman, Tracy - Talking About A Revolution (Video)
Clapton, Eric - Wonderful Tonight (Video)
Cranberries, The - Zombie (Video)
Denver, John - Leaving on a Jetplane (Video)
Green Day - Time Of Your Life (Video)
Kesha - Praying
King, Ben E. - Stand By Me Key of G
Lynard Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama (Video)
Marshall Tucker Band - Can't You See (Video & Play Along)
Nicks, Stevie - Edge Of Seventeen
Osborne, Joan - What If God Was One Of Us (Video & Play Along)
Pink - A Million Dream (Mostly G, Em, D, C except for Bridge)
Poison - Every Rose Has It’s Thorn
Pearl Jam - Last Kiss (Video & Play Along)
Rucker, Darius - Wagon Wheel (Video & Play Along)
Sheeran, Ed - Perfect (Video)
Silent Night (Video)
Steve Miller Band - The Joker (Video)
Swift, Taylor - Today Was A Fairytale
U2 - All I Want Is You (Video)
Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl (Video)
Young, Neil - Heart Of Gold (Video & Play Along)
Young, Neil - Rockin In The Free World (95% G, Em, C, D)
Beginner guitar Songs Using A, D, E & F#m only:
NOTE: If you can play an A chord, you can play the easy F#m chord below. It plays like an A chord on the bottom three strings.
Band, The - Up On Cripple Creek
Beach Boys, The - Surfin USA
Beatles, The - Get Back (Video & Play Along)
Beatles, The - Ob La Di Ob La Da
Beatles, The - Yellow Submarine
Buffalo Springfield - For What It’s Worth (95% A, D, E)
Cash, Johnny - Folsom Prison Blues (Video)
Cash, Johnny - Walk The Line (Video)
Clapton, Eric - Lay Down Sally
Denver, John - Leaving On A Jetplane (Video)
Domino, Fats - Kansas City (Video)
Gin Blossoms - Hey Jealousy (Video)
Holly, Buddy - Peggy Sue (95% A, D E)
Holly, Buddy - That’ll Be The Day (Video) (95% A,D & E)
King, Ben E - Stand By Me (Video & Play Along)
Marley, Bob - Stir It Up
Marley, Bob - Three Little Birds (Video)
Presley, Elvis - That’s Alright Mama
Raitt, Bonnie - Angel From Montgomery (Video)
Simon, Paul - Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard
Troggs, The - Wile Thing (Video)
Beginner Guitar Songs Using Only Open Chords:
A, Am, C, D, Dm, E, Em, F (easy), F#m (easy), G
NOTE: If you can play a C chord your can use an easy version of an F chord below.
Adele - Rolling In The Deep (Video)
Animals, The - House Of The Rising Sun (if strummed with 6 down strums - Video)
Beatles, The - Hey Jude (Video)
Beatles, The - Let It Be (Video & Play Along)
Beatles, The - Norwegian Wood (Video)
Beatles, The - I Saw Her Standing There
Buffet, Jimmy - Margaritaville (Video)
Byrds, The - Mr Tambourine Man (Video)
Coldplay - Clocks (Video)
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bad Moon Rising (Video & Play Along)
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son (Video)
Crosby, Stills & Nash - Southern Cross
Crow, Sheryl - If It Makes You Happy
Denver, John - Colorado Rocky Mountain High
Denver, John - Take Me Home, Country Roads (Video)
Dylan, Bob - Knockin On Heavens Door (Video)
Eagles, The - Take It Easy (Video)
Eagle Eye Cherry - Save Tonight
Journey - Don’t Stop Believin’ (Video)
Kansas - Dust In The wind (Easy Video Lesson)
King, BB - Sweet Little Angel
Lennon, John - Imagine (Video)
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Simple Man (Video)
Marley, Bob - Redemption Song
Mongomery, John Michael - I Swear
Parton, Dolly - Jolene (Video)
Petty, Tom - Won't Back Down (Video)
Pierpoint, James - Jingle Bells (Video)
Presley, Elvis - Blue Christmas (Video)
Presley, Elvis - Hound Dog (Video)
Semisonic - Closing Time (Video)
Sheeran, Ed - A Team
Steppenwolf - Born To Be Wild (Video)
Temptations, The - My Girl (Video)
Winehouse, Amy - Valerie
Withers, Bill - Ain’t No Sunshine
Withers, Bill - Lean On Me (Video)
This is a very short list of good beginner guitar songs that you can play along with easily and do not require a lot of skill to play. You can play these songs on either the electric of the acoustic guitar.