10 Easy Guitar Songs for Beginners

10 Easy Guitar Songs for Beginners Sign up successful “Mama Tried” Merle Haggard Another popular tune from the 1960s, Mama Tried is a three-chord song: D and G are the primary chords, while A7 (a slight variation of the A chord) is also used. When you feel like youve got the rhythm down, consider learning the intro and guitar solo, as well! “Sweet Home Alabama” Lynyrd Skynyrd With an intro that is instantly recognizable to Southern rock fans everywhere, Sweet Home Alabama is a popular song to learn. The picking pattern may sound intimidating at first, but it  is really just a few notes played on the D, Cadd9, and G chord progression. Try working on the strumming pattern before moving on to the individual notes so you can get a feel for the rhythm of the song. “Come As You Are” Nirvana Considered by many grunge fans to be one of the signature songs of the early 90s, Come As You Are is a must-learn song for any player. The chords used are barre chords, so a true beginner might find them difficult, but the intro riff is surprisingly easy to learn and is sure to be a hit when played for friends and fans of Nirvana and grunge music in general. Check out the intro tab here. “Check Yes or No” George Strait One of George Straits most popular songs, Check Yes or No is played using only three major chords and one minor chord. The catchy intro is a D, A, G progression, and each chord is played twice before starting the pattern over again. “Ring of Fire” Johnny Cash If Elvis was the King of rock roll, Johnny Cash was undoubtedly the King of three-chord songs. After you get the basic strumming pattern down, try to master the intro: its guaranteed to stay in your head for days. “Strong Enough” Sheryl Crow Strong Enough is one of Sheryl Crows most popular songs, and its a great beginner song to learn on the acoustic guitar. Although the picking pattern might be a little tricky at first for a true beginner, the chords can be strummed while filler notes are added in to give the song a fuller sound. “Long Time Gone” Dixie Chicks If youre a fan of contemporary country music, Long Time Gone is an excellent, catchy song to add to your ever-expanding repertoire. It is another example of a song that uses only three chords for the majority of the piece, with an E added to the end of the bridge for variation. “Paparazzi” Lady Gaga Sure to be a crowd-pleaser, the huge hit Paparazzi uses only a couple of minor chords along with G, C, and D. These 10 tunes are just a taste of the easy guitar songs you can learn as a beginner! Want to learn even more? Check out this resource: Learn to Play 20 Songs Using 5 Easy Guitar Chords. Photo by John Pastorello Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher