25 Easy Guitar Songs for Beginners, Grouped by the Chords You Know

Learning songs is the reason most people pick up a guitar in the first place, and it is also the best way to stay motivated. Scales and drills have their place, but nothing beats the moment a familiar song comes out of your own hands.

The secret is choosing the right songs. Many "easy" lists include tunes with fast changes, tricky strumming or barre chords that stop beginners cold. This list is organized by the number of chords each song uses, so you can start with two-chord songs and move up as your skills grow.

We list the chords each song is commonly played with. We do not reprint lyrics, so pull those up on a licensed site or simply play along with the recording. If any chord here is new to you, our guide to guitar chords for beginners shows each shape with a chart.

Before you start: three things that make songs easier

1. Tune first, every time. Even a slightly out-of-tune guitar makes a song sound wrong when you play along with the recording. Our free online guitar tuner takes about a minute.
2. Learn the changes before the song. If a song uses G, C and D, spend a few minutes doing one-minute changes between G and C, then C and D, before you try the song itself.
3. Start with downstrokes only. Strum four steady downstrokes per chord. Once the chord changes are smooth, add a fancier strumming pattern.

Two-chord songs: your first real music

These songs only ask you to switch between two shapes. That makes them perfect for your first or second week, when every chord change still takes concentration.

Why start here? With only one change to master, you can focus on keeping a steady strum. Steady rhythm matters more than anything else in making a song sound right, and two-chord songs are where you build it.

Three-chord songs: the G, C, D classics

G, C and D are the most common three chords in American popular music. Once you know them, a whole catalog of folk, country and rock songs opens up.

What you'll learn: The G to C change and the C to D change. These two changes alone appear in thousands of songs, so every minute you spend on them pays off for years.

Three-chord songs: the A, D, E rock and blues set

The second classic trio is A, D and E. These chords drive blues, rockabilly and early rock and roll. If you prefer an edgier sound, start here instead of G, C, D.

A note on the 12-bar blues: Many songs in this style follow the same pattern of A, D and E across twelve bars. Learn it once and you can jam with almost anyone. Play four bars of A, two of D, two of A, one of E, one of D, one of A and one of E, then repeat.

Four-chord songs: the pop progression

Four-chord songs are your graduation step. Many modern pop hits use the same four chords in a loop, usually C, G, Am and F or G, D, Em and C. Learn the loop and you can play dozens of songs.

About Wonderwall: It shows up on every beginner list, and for good reason. The shapes keep your ring and pinky fingers planted on the top two strings the whole time, which makes the changes easier than they look. The strumming is busier than most songs here, so save it until you are comfortable with down-up patterns.

How to learn any song, step by step

Whichever song you choose, use the same process. It works for absolute beginners and for players with years of experience.

1. Listen first

Play the recording two or three times without your guitar. Tap your foot to find the beat. Notice where the chords seem to change. Most songs change chords on the first beat of a bar.

2. List the chords and practice the hard change

Write down the chords in order. Find the change that feels slowest for you and run a one-minute change drill on it before you try the whole song.

3. Play one section at a time

Learn the verse on its own, then the chorus on its own. Songs repeat, so once you know each section once, you know the whole song.

4. Keep the strum going

The most important rule: do not stop. If a chord is not ready, strum open strings and catch up. Stopping and restarting trains you to stop and restart. Keeping going trains you to play songs.

5. Add the strumming pattern last

Once the changes are smooth with downstrokes, add a pattern. "Down, down-up, up-down-up" fits a huge number of the songs on this list.

Which song should you learn first?

If you are in your first two weeks, choose a two-chord song. Pick the one you like the most, because enjoying the music is what keeps you practicing.

If you already know G, C and D, choose "Love Me Do" or "Leaving on a Jet Plane." They are slow enough to manage, and they use the most valuable chord changes in popular music.

If you know four or more chords and can strum a basic down-up pattern, choose "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" or "Wagon Wheel." Both are campfire favorites and both sound great with a simple strum.

Three strumming patterns that fit almost every song here

You do not need a different strumming pattern for every song. These three cover nearly everything on this list. Count "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and" out loud, and keep your strumming hand moving down and up the whole time, even when it skips the strings.

Pattern 1: Four downstrokes

Down on 1, 2, 3 and 4. It is the simplest pattern and the right place to start any new song. It works well for "Ring of Fire," "Bad Moon Rising" and "Wild Thing."

Pattern 2: Down, down-up, down, down-up

Down on 1, down on 2, up on "and," down on 3, down on 4, up on "and." It adds a gentle bounce and suits "Love Me Do," "Three Little Birds" and "Leaving on a Jet Plane."

Pattern 3: Down, down-up, up-down-up

Down on 1, down on 2, up on "and," skip beat 3, up on "and," down on 4, up on "and." This is the famous campfire pattern. It brings "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," "Wagon Wheel" and "Riptide" to life. If it feels awkward, slow down: the skipped beat is the hard part, and your hand should still swing past the strings without touching them.

Whatever pattern you use, change chords on beat 1. If you need more time, let the last upstroke before the change land on open strings while your fretting hand moves. Listeners will barely notice, and the rhythm will stay steady.

Common mistakes when learning songs

• Picking songs that are too hard. If a song needs barre chords or very fast changes, put it on a "later" list. You will get there.
• Practicing only the parts you like. Everyone plays the chorus over and over. Make sure you practice the transitions between sections too.
• Playing too fast too soon. Slow and steady beats fast and sloppy. Speed comes naturally once the changes are automatic.
• Never playing along with the recording. Playing along teaches timing in a way solo practice cannot. Do it at least once in every session.
• Skipping tuning. We will keep saying it. Tune first.

Keep going: build a song list that grows with you

Keep a simple list with three columns: "can play," "learning now" and "next." Move songs across as you learn them. After a couple of months, the "can play" column becomes proof of how far you have come, and that is a powerful reason to keep practicing on the days you do not feel like it.

If you would rather not build that plan yourself, Fretwork's free stages do it for you. Each day you get a short lesson, a drill for the change you are learning, and a check that tells you when you are ready for the next step. You can start without a card and stay on the free stages as long as you like.

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