10 Easy Songs Every Beginner Guitarist Should Learn First
Jan 9th 2025
10 Easy Songs Every Beginner Guitarist Should Learn First
So you’ve started learning how to play the guitar? Congratulations! You’re joining a great club. We know people don’t just want to learn chords and notes, though — they want to play the songs they love. Speaking from experience, practicing a specific song makes it a lot more fun to learn the chords and techniques required to play that song. Furthermore, once you learn that first song or two, the rest get way easier.
Once you’ve chosen a guitar and some guitar strings, the next question is what songs to learn. They should be songs that you enjoy, are fun to play and maybe a little challenging — but not so challenging that you get discouraged. We’ve come up with a list of 10 easy beginner guitar songs to kickstart the process. With a mix of classic and current songs in many genres, we’re confident you’ll find at least one you want in your repertoire. You might even discover a new favorite, too.
Tips for Learning New Guitar Songs
Before getting into specific tunes, we want to offer some tips for how to learn songs on a guitar. Having been through it all ourselves, we know a few tricks to help you play songs to perfection. You can apply these tips to the songs below or any other song you want to learn.
1. Divide the song into smaller pieces and focus on one at a time. This makes a large composition easier to digest. Most songs have at least an intro, verse, chorus/refrain and outro. Other sections may include a pre-chorus, bridge, instrumental and/or solo.
2. Listen to the song over and over to commit the strumming and picking patterns to memory. You might keep a recording on your phone or in the car so you always have access.
3. Look at sheet music or guitar tablature (aka tabs) so you have a visual of the chords, notes and changes. This is especially important if you have trouble picking things up by ear.
4. If printed-out music is too cumbersome or you don’t want to start at a computer monitor (or small phone screen), make some notes on an index card to use as a “cheat sheet.” These will easily fit in a guitar case and are useful for traveling.
6. Start at a tempo considerably slower than the record and pick things up as you get comfortable. Consider playing along with a metronome to confirm you’re keeping pace.
6. Emphasize smooth chord changes so you don’t fall behind the beat.
7. Sing or hum along with the song to help you match up to the musical structure.
8. Record yourself playing the song using your smartphone or an audio recorder, then listen back later. You might notice things about your playing that you didn’t hear at the time.
Now it’s time to talk about songs! Let’s get to our list of 10 songs for beginner guitarists.
Top 10 Easy Guitar Songs
“Bad Moon Rising”, Creedence Clearwater Revival
About the Song: One of CCR’s biggest hits ever, “Bad Moon Rising” reached the top 10 in 11 different countries when it was released in 1969, including #1 in the U.K. and New Zealand. Based on a scene in “The Devil and Daniel Webster”, writer John Fogerty uses metaphors of poor weather to imply a far more menacing presence. The song is so synonymous with the band that two different compilation albums were named after it.
How to Play It: With only three chords and two basic progressions, “Bad Moon Rising” is a fantastic starter song. The intro and verse go D-A-G-D-D while the chorus goes G-D-A-G-D. The solo section simply repeats the verse and chorus in order. For a small added touch, use your pinky to hammer a Dsus4 near the end of each progression.
“What’s Up”, 4 Non Blondes
About the Song: As the textbook example of a one-hit wonder that endures, “What’s Up” is heard all over the radio and streaming more than 30 years after its release. When it came out in 1993, the song reached #14 in the U.S. and was even bigger overseas, hitting #1 or #2 in nine different countries. The band recently announced a reunion for the BottleRock Napa Valley festival in May, so learning this song is even more timely.
How to Play It: You don’t need to split this song into sections — the chord progression is the same the whole way through, going A-Bm-D-Asus2. To play an Asus2, take a normal A chord and play the B-string open. Remember to attack the chords as you’re wailing, “Heeeey yeah yeah he-hey, heeeey yeah yeah…”
“Wagon Wheel”, Old Crow Medicine Show
About the Song: When Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor took the chorus from an unfinished Bob Dylan demo and wrote new verse lyrics about hitchhiking to see his sweetheart, the result was “Wagon Wheel”, an irresistible country-rock-folk tune released in 2003. Along with being a signature hit for OCMS, it’s been covered numerous times, most notably by Darius Rucker. His 2013 version has sold more than 11 million copies in the U.S. alone.
How to Play It: This is a quintessential guitar song using G, D, Em and C (the 1-5-6-4 on a root scale) with a capo on the second fret and the same chord pattern in each section. The progression alternates between G-D-Em-C and G-D-C with optional flourishes. Listen for when to hold back and when to drive the beat forward.
“Me and Bobby McGee”, Kris Kristofferson
About the Song: When Roger Miller first performed “Me and Bobby McGee” in 1969, it was a modest country hit. Then a few days before she died in 1970, Janis Joplin recorded a new version of this song about two people hitchhiking across the U.S. — and it posthumously became her only #1 single. It’s now a mainstay of classic rock radio and has been recorded by everyone from Jerry Lee Lewis to Kristofferson himself.
How to Play It: At its core, this is a three-chord song, with the first verse and chorus on the Joplin version using G, C and D (with some G7 and D7 if you’re comfortable). The trick is that after the first chorus, the song does a majestic modulation, moving up a whole step to A, D, E, A7 and E7. In addition, the song goes to double-time after the second chorus, making it a great way to practice key and tempo changes.
“All the Small Things”, Blink 182
About the Song: After several years of success on the punk rock scene, Blink-182 made a huge splash in 1999 with this radio-friendly song about Tom DeLonge’s future wife. Accompanied by an award-winning music video parodying boy bands and girl pop, the song remains the band’s only top-10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching #6 while topping the U.S. Alternative charts. It’s now considered the song that paved the way for a new wave of pop-punk bands like Sum 41, Avril Lavigne, Yellowcard and New Found Glory.
How to Play It: The band admits “All the Small Things” was intended to be catchy and basic. True to form, it only uses three chords. The intro and instrumental sections go C-F-G, the verses go C-G-F-G, and the chorus goes C-G-F. Play them fast, add some Ramones-inspired na-na-na’s and you have a crowd-pleaser.
“You Belong With Me”, Taylor Swift
About the Song: On her way to becoming the biggest pop star of the 21st century, people may have forgotten that Taylor Swift began her career as a singer-songwriter. Coming from the Fearless album that put her on track to being an international phenomenon, “You Belong with Me” reached #2 on the Billboard charts in 2009 with its story of unreturned love that blends country, rock and pop. It’s still played at nearly all of Swift’s live shows.
How to Play It: After a quick intro on D, nearly all this song consists of four chords with two progressions. The verse/chorus/solo/outro go D-A-Em-G while the pre-chorus/bridge goes Em-G-D-A. At the end of the pre-chorus, skip the D and go straight to the A chord.
“Something to Talk About”, Bonnie Raitt
About the Song: Bonnie Raitt toiled on the blues-rock scene for nearly 20 years before suddenly breaking through. Two years after the unexpected success of 1989’s Nick of Time album, “Something to Talk About” — a tribute to secret love and small-town gossip — became her only top-five single. Ironically, country-pop singer Anne Murray intended to record the Shirley Eikhard-penned song in 1985 but was vetoed by producers who didn’t believe it was hit material.
How to Play It: While some slide guitar will bring this song to the next level, you don’t need it to get started. The verse goes A-D-A with a chorus that’s primarily A and E. The pre-chorus and end of the chorus involve some “chord walks” for character, and the final chorus has a key change to C and G. Note Raitt’s studio recording is tuned down a half-step.
“Honky Tonk Women”, The Rolling Stones
About the Song: There are plenty of great Rolling Stones songs to choose from, but this tune offers one of the best combinations of playability and good times. Inspired by a trip to Brazil, “Honky Tonk Women” came out in 1969 when the band was at the peak of its power. It hit #1 in four different countries, and today, it’s almost impossible to find a classic rock cover band that doesn’t have a version on their setlist.
How to Play It: There are four chords in this song and only two progressions outside the G intro. The verses and solo are a variation on the 16-bar blues which normally goes G-C-G-D-G-C-G-D-G; the variation is adding an A after the second G chord. In this chorus, all you need are G and D to sing about those hoooooooooooon-ky tonk women.
“Wonderwall”, Oasis
About the Song: Few artists have gone from zero to warp speed like Oasis. After their debut album made Oasis the biggest band in the U.K., “Wonderwall” became the band’s only U.S. top-40 hit at #8, helping catapult their second album to worldwide success. The meaning of this haunting song has been debated, but its lasting impact is undeniable. (Cool tidbit: the song title is a tribute to George Harrison’s Wonderwall Music album.)
How to Play It: “Wonderwall” is best described as a four-chord song with a twist. Using a capo on the second fret, the verse chords are Em-G-D-A7sus4, the pre-chorus is C-D-Em with a chord walk at the end, and the chorus is C-Em-G. Here’s the twist — to achieve the iconic trebly tone, leave your pinky on the third fret of the high-E string and your ring finger on the third fret of the B-string for the entire song.
“Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”, Bob Dylan
About the Song: It isn’t an official requirement to include a Bob Dylan song on a guitar song list, but it might as well be. “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” was originally recorded in 1973 for the “Patt Garrett & Billy the Kid” soundtrack — part of the same sessions that eventually led to “Wagon Wheel” — and became an instant hit, reaching #12 in the U.S. Since then, it’s become one of Dylan’s most-covered songs with Arthur Louis, Eric Clapton, Guns N’ Roses and others releasing versions.
How to Play It: The song’s simplicity is likely part of why it’s covered so often. The verses and solo of this ballad alternate between G-D-Am and G-D-C. The chorus is even easier, going G-D-C the whole way. Once you’ve gotten the hang of it, you can play this song in almost any style, including rock, country, blues and even reggae.