When people find out that you play guitar, the first question out of their mouths is inevitably, “What songs do you play?”. That’s why I created this list of guitar songs for beginners, so you can have a reply ready. When I first started to play guitar I learned a lot of exercises, maybe a few single note children’s melodies and the like.
If someone asked me back then what songs I could play, I’d be stuck, sarcastically thinking to myself,
“Well, I play a mean version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star … “
All the more embarrassing because I didn’t take up the guitar until I was 26 years old!
Top 5 Guitar Songs for Beginners
With that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of guitar songs for beginners to strum along with while sounding a little more hip than, say, “Jingle Bells.”
1. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan
This classic song has been covered many times by many different artists. It contains just 4 chords, G, D, Am and C and follows the same 4 bar pattern throughout the song. The challenge is to add passion and feeling to the song so that it doesn’t come across as a boring repetition of chords. Be sure to vary the dynamics of the song to maintain the listener’s interest.
You can find the chord progression here:
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/g/guns_n_roses/knocking_on_heavens_door_ver2_crd.htm
and hear the song here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0Fij8cucLM
2. Time of your Life ( Good Riddance ) by Green Day
One of Green Day’s biggest hits is another 4 chord song, just another one of the easy guitar songs for beginners. The one chord you might not be familiar with is the Cadd9 chord. To play this chord, play the G chord that comes before it and as to move to Cadd9, simply move your first and second fingers up one string each so that your first finger is playing the C on the fifth string and your second finger is playing the E on string 4.
When you’re used to the chord progression, you can try the single note arpeggios on each chord. While holding the chord position with your left hand, pick the root note followed by a single note on the first, second and third string in time with the song. Then move to the next chord and repeat.
The chord progression is here
http://www.chordie.com/chord.pere/www.guitartabs.cc/fetchfile.php?fileid=8480322
and here’s a live video of the song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otXzaqbhZY4
3. Free Fallin’ by Tom Petty
This great Tom Petty song is one of the easiest hit songs you’ll find. The song simply repeats the D, Dsus4 and Asus4 chords. The focus of the song is the story being told by the vocals. Again, adding dynamic variation to the song is the key to keeping things interesting.
Chords and lyrics here
http://azchords.com/p/pettytom-tabs-5458/freefallin-tabs-112674.html
hear it here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lWJXDG2i0A
4. Everybody Hurts by R.E.M
This song is one of my all time favourites. The chord progression is fairly simple. You can either play the arpeggiated notes of each chord or simply strum the full chord. The only difficult part comes in the bridge, with the F# and Bm barre chords, but at least the transition between those two chords is simple. From the F# chord, move your second third and fourth fingers up one string and presto, you have a B minor chord.
Lyrics and chords are here
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/r/rem/everybody_hurts_crd.htm
and you can hear the song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pudOFG5X6uA
5. House of the Rising Sun by The Animals
This song is a bit tougher, but not too bad. Again, you can simply strum the chords if you like, rather than playing the arpeggios. It follows the same chord pattern throughout the song. It’s written in A minor, which gives it that sombre, desolate feel.
The chords are here
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/a/animals/house_of_the_rising_sun_crd.htm
and you can listen to the song here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C86oH5RwyJg
So there you have it, 5 songs to get you started and have you sounding like a rock star in no time. Your friends will be impressed. Especially since you won’t have to play Twinkle twinkle little star … head on back to the guide on how to play guitar for some more lessons and advice.