Learning the guitar is a great hobby that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. There are tons of different styles and levels, so it’s never too late or too early to get started. Some songs are more difficult than others, but there are some easy guitar songs for beginners that any level guitarist can learn quickly and with relative ease!
Easy, Medium, & Hard Songs
The list of songs is broken down into five different categories: Easy, Medium, Hard and Songs with More Difficult Chords.
Easy Guitar Songs are great for beginners who have mastered the most basic chords. The easier chord progressions will help you learn how to play a song from start to finish without feeling discouraged or overwhelmed by more difficult guitar playing techniques like barre chords or fingerpicking.
As an example, “House Of The Rising Sun” is in the easy category because it only uses four simple open chords that can be moved around on the neck while strumming. Furthermore, this song has two verses and chorus which give you plenty of opportunities to practice singing along as well!
Easy Guitar Songs for the Beginner
“Hotel California” by The Eagles: This song is actually a pretty easy one to learn, and it has some of the most memorable guitar licks. It also only uses three chords! Some players might not be familiar with this oldie. It’s a classic so if you don’t recognize the title be sure to listen to the guitar cords, then give it a try
“My Girl” by The Temptations: You can use this as an opportunity to learn a catchy tune. Some players might not be familiar with this oldie. It’s a classic so if you don’t recognize the title be sure to listen to the guitar cords, then give it a try.
“I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” by Whitney Houston: One more upbeat number for beginner guitarist that will have you dancing in no time at all! This should feel comfortable even if you’re still new to playing.
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana – Another song that became a hit and was constantly played on the radio. This one uses a lot of power chords and is a good song for anyone who is ready to learn their first rock song.
“Hey There Delilah” by Plain White T’s is an easy song to play on acoustic guitar with just three chords. It may not seem like much, but this simple little tune will be enough for you to feel accomplished and the songs popularity guarantees that it can be played at any party or social event without hesitation.
“Big Machine” – This beginner-friendly melody was originally written in 2003 by John Rzeznik of The Goo Goo Dolls fame as a love song about his wife from high school who he had reconnected with after many years apart, hence the lyrics “you’re so vain / I’m telling you now.” Although initially only reaching #37 on Billboard Hot 100 Chart when first released, it was a favorite for many guitar players.
“Letters From The Wasteland” was originally recorded on Rzeznik’s first solo album. The song was re-released in 2007 as a duet with Sarah McLachlan. This time it became an international hit reaching number one in many countries and charted at #48 for U.S. sales after its release date of July 26th, 2006.”
“Pennyroyal Tea” by Nirvana is another easy guitar song that will have you playing your favorite grunge hits quickly enough to impress those around you who might not know any better! Written by frontman Kurt Cobain about his ex Tracy Marander (his then wife) this acoustic power ballad tells the story of how they met.
Medium Guitar Songs
Medium Guitar Songs are songs that use a little more difficult chords, but still provide you with plenty of opportunity to learn new skills like soloing. For example “Brown Eyed Girl” uses the same four basic open chords as House Of The Rising Sun but also has some barre chord progressions in it which may be challenging for someone who is just starting out on guitar.
“Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison – One of the most famous songs to include barre chords. This song is perfect for those who are looking to learn how to play with more difficult chord progressions, but still enjoy a basic melody line.
“House Of The Rising Sun” by Animals – Another popular classic that is known for its four basic open major chords and haunting melody line. You wouldn’t believe it’s only one finger pattern either! Great first guitar song if you’re just starting out on acoustic guitar or electric too!
“Them Bones” by Alice In Chains – A blast from the past but still popular today among rock bands who want something a little more challenging to cover live. Lots of power chords here as well as some tricky lead guitar parts for you to master if your goal is advanced level playing!
Hard Guitar Songs For Players
Hard Guitar Songs contain many complex and tricky rhythms and melodies such as those found in heavy metal or punk rock music. This difficulty level will test your ability to stay sane when playing this type of song! However, if you manage to play these well, know that there is nothing stopping you from earning yourself a spot at next year’s Summer Camp Music Festival.
Song List By Difficulty Level
If you’re looking for a song that wasn’t included in the above check out our mosh pit below. In no particular order we have included some of our favorite songs and rated them based on how difficult we feel they are to play.
01. House of the Rising Sun The Animals Intermediate
02. Brown Eyed Girl Van Morrison Beginner
03. Blackbird The Beatles Easy
04. Wagon Wheel Old Crow Medicine Show Beginner
05. Love Is A Losing Game Amy Winehouse Advanced
06. Eleanor Rigby The Beatles Harder (Barre Chords)
07. I Am A Rock Simon & Garfunkel Expert
08. Wish You Were Here Pink Floyd Advanced
09. Hey There Delilah Plain White T’s Easy “You’re So Vain” Carly Simon Expert *guitar soloing*
10. I Will Survive Gloria Gaynor Medium/Hard
11. “Johnny B Goode” Chuck Berry Harder
12. “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” Traditional Easy
13. “Good Morning, Good Morning” The Beatles Hardier
14. La Vie En Rose Edith Piaf Medium/Hard
15. Heartbreak Hotel Elvis Presley Advanced
16. An American Trilogy Elvis Presley Expert