52 Easy Guitar Songs for Beginners

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Nothing keeps you motivated to play the guitar quite like learning new songs, particularly when you’re first starting out. So, in this lesson I’ve compiled a list of 52 easy guitar songs for beginner players.

Oh, and just because these are beginner guitar songs, don’t get the wrong idea and think that these songs are boring. This list represents a good mix of uptempo and slower tempo rock ‘n roll guitar songs. They range from simple three-chord progressions to more complex seven- and eight-chord progressions and are fun to play whether you’re a beginner or advanced player.

There are 52 songs on this list, so you can mix these songs into your daily practice routine and learn a new song each week over the next year. If you find some too challenging, you can always come back to them when you’ve made progress on the easier songs.

(Click the song to jump to the chords for the song.)

1. “Nutshell” – Alice in Chains

Key: Em

Chords: Em7 – G – D – Cadd9

Let’s start the list with an easy acoustic guitar song from Alice in Chains’ EP Jar of Flies. “Nutshell” is a four chord song in the key of Em. The ring finger essentially acts as a pivot point between chord changes, making this a particularly easy chord progression to play.

Listen: “Nutshell” – Alice In Chains

2. “Learning to Fly” – Tom Petty

Key: C

Chords: F – C – Am – G

“Learning to Fly” is a Tom Petty song from Into the Great Wide Open. The F – C – Am – G chord progression is played on repeat throughout the song with only minor variations, making it one of the easiest songs to learn on guitar.

Listen: “Learning to Fly” – Tom Petty

3. “Dead Flowers” – The Rolling Stones

Key: D

Chords: D – A – G

A simple 3-chord progression, “Dead Flowers” by The Rolling Stones is about as easy as it gets. What I love about it is with three chords you get a verse, pre-chorus, and chorus that are all distinct from each other.

Listen: “Dead Flowers” – The Rolling Stones

4. “Rockin’ In the Free World” – Neil Young

Key: Em

Chords: Em – D – C – G – A

Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” is a great, hard rocking song played in the key of Em. It’s an easy guitar song to lear and one every beginner player should get under their belt.

Listen: “Rockin’ in the Free World” – Neil Young

5. “The Celestials” – The Smashing Pumpkins

Key: Em (F#m)

Chords: Em – G – D – C – Am

“The Celestials” by The Smashing Pumpkins is a great song to practice fundamental strumming patterns. This song is played with a capo on the 2nd fret, but the chords shown here are based on the open forms.

Listen: “The Celestials” – The Smashing Pumpkins

6. “Used to Love Her” – Guns N’ Roses

Key: D

Chords: D – A – G

Another easy acoustic guitar song. “Used to Love Her” by Guns N’ Roses is almost identical to “Dead Flowers” by The Rolling Stones. It uses the same three beginner guitar chords, only the chord progression varies just a bit. If you know one, you essentially know the other as well.

Listen: “Used to Love Her” – Guns N’ Roses

7. “One” – U2

Key: Am

Chords: Am – D – F – G – C

Probably my favorite U2 song, “One” is also an easy song to learn on guitar and a perfect song for a beginner.

Listen: “One” – U2

8. “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” – Creedence Clearwater Revival

Key: C

Chords: C – Am – G – F – C/B – Am/G

“Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” provides a good first look at slash chords, which are chords in which a note other than the root is in the bass position, noted by the slash in the chord name. The left side of the slash indicates the chord, while the right side of the slash indicates the bass note.

Listen: “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” – Creedence Clearwater Revival

9. “Ho Hey” – The Lumineers

Key: C

Chords: F – C – Am – G

When it comes to The Lumineers’ music, they get a lot of mileage out these 4 chords. “Ho Hey” is no exception. It’s a perfect song for a beginner guitar player. This song also provides opportunities to vary the fingering on the F and G chords, so feel free to play around with it.

Listen: “Ho Hey” – The Lumineers

10. “And It Stoned Me” – Van Morrison

Key: G

Chords: G – C – D – Am – Em

“And It Stoned Me” is from Van Morrison’s epic Moondance album. It’s a five-chord song in the key of G major. It consists of five open chords, making it a perfect guitar song for beginners.

Listen: “And It Stoned Me” – Van Morrison

11. “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” – Green Day

Key: G

Chords: G – C – D – Cadd9 – Em

“Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” comes from Green Day’s fifth album, Nimrod. While the chords are arpeggiated in the beginning of the song, they can just as easily be strummed.

Listen: “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” – Green Day

12. “Sweet Jane” – The Velvet Underground

Key: D

Chords: D – A – G – Bm – C#m – G# – E – B

Don’t let the number of chords fool you, The Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane” is not a complicated song. It does, however, provide a pretty cool strumming pattern that is loads of fun to play. Be warned, there are a lot of barre chords in this one, so it can get rather fatiguing.

Listen: “Sweet Jane” – The Velvet Underground

13. “I Remember You” – Skid Row

Key: G

Chords: G – Cadd9 – D – C – Em

“I Remember You” is a popular monster ballad from Skid Row. While the chords are mostly strummed, it does provide opportunities to incorporate some embellishments between the chords changes to spice things up a bit.

Listen: “I Remember You” – Skid Row

14. “Mother” – Pink Floyd

Key: G

Chords: G – C – D – F

“Mother” comes from Pink Floyd’s epic concept album The Wall. It’s a simple chord progression played in the key of G, but there’s an intricacy to the strumming pattern that can trip you up if you’re not careful.

Listen: “Mother” – Pink Floyd

15. “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” – Bob Dylan

Key: G

Chords: G – C – D – Am

“Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”, a classic song that’s perfect for beginner guitar players.

Listen: “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” – Bob Dylan

16. “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?” – R.E.M.

Key: A

Chords: D – A – G – Bm – E

This four-chord song from R.E.M. has a nice energy to it and is really fun to play. It’s easy, too.

Listen: “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?” – R.E.M.

17. “Sweet Home Alabama” – Lynyrd Skynyrd

Key: D

Chords: G – C – D – F

“Sweet Home Alabama” comes from Lynyrd Skynyrd’s second album, Second Helping. It’s a simple three-chord progression for most of the song and a suitable song for beginners. The C chord in the opening riff is played as a Cadd9, but if you’re just strumming along, the standard C major chord works as well.

Listen: “Sweet Home Alabama” – Lynyrd Skynyrd

18. “Wild Horses” – The Rolling Stones

Key: G

Chords: Am – G – C – D – Bm – F

One of my favorite songs by the The Rolling Stones, “Wild Horses” is from their 1971 album, Sticky Fingers. It’s a classic song every guitar player will want to learn.

Listen: “Wild Horses” – The Rolling Stones

19. “No Rain” – Blind Melon

Key: E

Chords: E – A – G – D – E7

Blind Melon’s “No Rain” came out during the surge of alternative and grunge music in the early ’90s. It’s primarily a four-chord song with an E7 brought in for a little embellishment.

Listen: “No Rain” – Blind Melon

20. “Summer of 69” – Bryan Adams

Key: D

Chords: D – A – G – Bm – F – B♭ – Dm

Break out the electric guitar and crank up the gain. “Summer of 69” is a rockin’ song by Bryan Adams that’s just loads of fun to play.

Listen: “Summer of 69” – Bryan Adams

21. “Cover Me” – Candlebox

Key: Em

Chords: Em – G – D – Cadd9

From their great debut album, Candlebox’s “Cover Me” is a fantastic acoustic song if you’re just starting out on the guitar. The strumming pattern is pretty basic and the tempo is ideal for practicing chord changes.

Listen: “Cover Me” – Candlebox

22. “Brown Eyed Girl” – Van Morrison

Key: G

Chords: G – C – D – Em – D7

The second song on the list from Van Morrison, “Brown Eyed” girl is another easy, uptempo acoustic guitar song that’s just fun to strum.

Listen: “Brown Eyed Girl” – Van Morrison

23. “Mr. Tambourine Man” – Bob Dylan

Key: G

Chords: G – A – D – Dsus2

Sticking to seconds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” is Bob Dylan’s second song on the list. This song is played with a capo on the 3rd fret. The chords are the open form shapes relative to the capo. Add this one to the list of easy acoustic songs to learn on guitar.

Listen: “Mr. Tambourine Man” – Bob Dylan

24. “Mr. Jones” – Counting Crows

Key: Am

Chords: Am – F – Dm – G – C

Form their debut album August and Everything After, “Mr. Jones” was the breakout song for Counting Crows. Great song for beginner guitar players to learn.

Listen: “Mr. Jones” – Counting Crows

25. “Tangerine” – Led Zeppelin

Key: Am

Chords: Am – G – C – D – Dsus2 – Dsus4 – Asus2 – Asus4

There aren’t many Led Zeppelin songs that will make a list of easy guitar songs for beginners, but “Tangerine” is one of them. And if you’re not already familiar, it’s a great introduction to sus2/sus4 chords.

Listen: “Tangerine” – Led Zeppelin

26. “Bad Moon Rising” – Creedence Clearwater Revival

Key: D

Chords: D – A – G

Three chords is all it takes for “Bad Moon Rising”. Again, Creedence Clearwater Revival shows that complicated chord progressions are not a requirement for a great song.

Listen: “Bad Moon Rising” – Creedence Clearwater Revival

27. “Into the Mystic” – Van Morrison

Key: E♭

Chords: C – G – Em – F

Another classic from Van Morrison’s Moondance album. A capo is used on the 3rd fret and the open chords are relative to the capo.

Listen: “Into the Mystic” – Van Morrison

28. “Wish You Were Here” – Pink Floyd

Key: G

Chords: Em7 – A7sus4 – G – D – C – Am

With chord names like A7sus4, “Wish You Were Here” may seem complicated. It isn’t. Don’t let the chord names throw you off, they’re all really easy to play.

Listen: “Wish You Were Here” – Pink Floyd

29. “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” – Tom Petty

Key: Am

Chords: Am – G – D – Em7 – A

Tom Petty’s “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” provides some cool dynamics on the chord strumming. Have fun with this one.

Listen: “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” – Tom Petty

30. “Wonderwall” – Oasis

Key: Em

Chords: Em – G – D – A – C

“Wonderwall” comes from Oasis’ second album, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?. This song provides some cool strumming techniques but you have to listen closely.

Listen: “Wonderwall” – Oasis

31. “The Times They are A-Changing” – Bob Dylan

Key: G

Chords: Em – G – D – C

You can fill an entire list of easy songs for beginners with Bob Dylan songs alone. This is another great song from one of the greatest song writers ever.

Listen: “The Times They Are A-Changin’” – Bob Dylan

32. “When I Come Around” – Green Day

Key: G

Chords: G – D – Em – C – A5 – C5

One of their biggest commercial hits, “When I Come Around” comes from Green Day’s debut album, Dookie.

Listen: “When I Come Around” – Green Day

33. “Buddy Holly” – Weezer

Key: F#m

Chords: G# – A – D – Dm – F#m – E – C#m

The song that put Weezer on the map, “Buddy Holly” is from their 1994 debut album, Weezer.

Listen: “Buddy Holly” – Weezer

34. “What’s Up?” – 4 Non Blondes

Key: A

Chords: A – Bm – D

Another easy three chord song. This one comes from 4 Non Blondes. “What’s Up?” is their hit song from their 1992 debut album, Bigger, Better, Faster, More!.

Listen: “What’s Up?” – 4 Non Blondes

35. “I Won’t Back Down” – Tom Petty

Key: G

Chords: Em – D – G – C

Released in 1989, Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” has become an American anthem. Like Bob Dylan, Tom Petty was a masterful song writer that got a lot of mileage out of simple chord progressions.

Listen: “I Won’t Back Down” – Tom Petty

36. “Small Town” – John Mellencamp

Key: G

Chords: G – D – C – Am

An uptempo classic from John Mellencamp, “Small Town” has long been one of my favorite tunes of his.

Listen: “Small Town” – John Mellencamp

37. “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” – Poison

Key: G

Chords: G – Cadd9 – D – C – Em

“Every Rose Has Its Thorn” is great 80s power ballad from Poison. Straightforward strumming pattern and open chords. Doesn’t get any easier.

Listen: “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” – Poison

38. “About a Girl” – Nirvana

Key: Em

Chords: Em – G – C# – C#/G3 – F# – A – C

Nirvana’s “About A Girl” is from their lesser known first album, Bleach. While the number of chords may look intimidating, it’s really not a complicated song at all.

Listen: “About A Girl” – Nirvana

39. “Disarm” – The Smashing Pumpkins

Key: Em

Chords: Em7 – Cadd9 – G – Dsus4/F# – D – Em

“Disarm” comes from The Smashing Pumpkins second album, Siamese Dream. The chords are pretty straightforward, but the progression can be a little tricky at first.

Listen: “Disarm” – The Smashing Pumpkins

40. “Two Steps Behind” – Def Leppard

Key: A

Chords: A – D – G – E – F#m

“Two Steps Behind” is an acoustic song by Def Leppard. Nothing fancy here, just a straightforward chord progression that’s easy to play.

Listen: “Two Steps Behind” – Def Leppard

41. “Run-Around” – Blues Traveler

Key: G

Chords: G – C – Am – D

“Run-Around” comes from Blues Traveler’s album, Four. It’s an easy, uptempo song that’s great for working on chord changes.

Listen: “Run-Around” – Blues Traveler

42. “Free Fallin’” – Tom Petty

Key: F (capo on 3rd fret)

Chords: D – A – Dsus4 – E

One of Tom Petty’s all-time greats, “Free Fallin’” is from his album, Full Moon Fever. Like a lot of Tom Petty’s songs, there’s nothing fancy here…just a simple chord progression that creates a great song that’s easy to play.

Listen: “Free Fallin’” – Tom Petty

43. “Comfortably Numb” – Pink Floyd

Key: Bm

Chords: Bm – A – G – Em – D – A – C

The second song on the list from Pink Floyd also comes from The Wall. Guitar solos aside, the slow tempo and heavy use of open chords makes “Comfortably Numb” a really easy song for beginner guitar players to learn.

Listen: “Comfortably Numb” – Pink Floyd

44. “Love Me Do” – The Beatles

Key: G

Chords: G – C – D

For beginner guitar players, it doesn’t get any easier than “Love Me Do” by The Beatles.

Listen: “Love Me Do” – The Beatles

45. “Seven Turns” – The Allman Brothers Band

Key: G

Chords: C – G – Em – D – C/B

There are a lot of songs from The Allman Brothers band that wouldn’t be appropriate for an easy guitar songs type of list, but “Seven Turns” isn’t one of them. This song is definitely in the realm of a beginner guitar player, so it’s a good idea to start learning from The Allman Brothers band as soon as you can.

Listen: “Seven Turns” – The Allman Brothers Band

46. “Rain King” – Counting Crows

Key: D

Chords: D – A – Bm – G – E

“Rain King” is another fantastic song from a truly great album, August and Everything After. It’s an uptempo song that’s great for practicing chords changes.

Listen: “Rain King” – Counting Crows

47. “Heart of Gold” – Neil Young

Key: Em

Chords: Em7 – D – Em – G – C

You can put Neil Young in the same category as Bob Dylan and Tom Petty for his ability to create timeless music with a simple chord progression.

Listen: “Heart of Gold” – Neil Young

48. “Polly” – Nirvana

Key: Em

Chords: Em – G – C – D – B♭

Straightforward acoustic song from Nirvana’s Nevermind.

Listen: “Polly” – Nirvana

49. “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” – The Proclaimers

Key: E

Chords: E – A – B

“I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers provides an opportunity to practice a staccato style strumming pattern.

Listen: “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” – The Proclaimers

50. “3am” – Matchbox Twenty

Key: G

Chords: G – Cadd9 – D – Em

From Yourself or Someone Like You, Matchbox Twenty’s “3am” is a catchy song using easy-to-play open chords.

Listen: “3am” – Matchbox Twenty

51. “Simple Man” – Lynyrd Skynyrd

Key: C

Chords: C – G – Am

“Simple Man”, another three-chord masterpiece from Lynyrd Skynyrd. While on the recording the chords are arpeggiated, you can just as easily strum them and it still sounds great.

Listen: “Simple Man” – Lynyrd Skynyrd

52. “Wild Thing” – The Troggs

Key: A

Chords: A – D – E – G

What easy guitar songs list would be complete without “Wild Thing” by The Troggs? For the most part it’s a simple 1-4-5 chord progression. Classic song.

Listen: “Wild Thing” – The Troggs

Wrap up

When first starting out, it’s important to start learning songs right away. That’s why we all picked up the instrument in the first place, right? This list provides a wide variety of songs that keeps the learning process fun and will help sustain your motivation to play.

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