Last Updated on May 3, 2021 by Klaus Crow
If you are a beginner guitar player and you want to learn some easy guitar songs you’ve come to the right place.
I’ve put together a list of simple songs to play on guitar that are great to strum along with and a lot of fun to play.
Make sure you practice the guitar chords and switching between chords for each song thoroughly. It will benefit your playing.
Each song titles contains a YouTube link so you can listen to the song and there’s a “Chords” link next to it that will take you to the chords & lyrics of the song.
Some of the songs in the list below are played with a Capo.
The capo is commonly used to raise the pitch and change the key of a song while still using the same open chord fingerings, but a capo makes it also possible to play a different set of chords for a song which makes the song easier to play while still remaining in the original key of the song. This is a common thing in guitar playing and guitar players do it all the time, not just beginners.
Professional singer songwriters use the capo frequently so they can sing in a particular key but still use the beautiful sounds and possibilities of open chord fingerings.
Life is too short not to use a capo.
That being said you still want to improve your guitar playing once you can play these songs because the more you improve, the better it gets! The world of guitar playing is full of infinite discoveries that will make your life more awesome each time you get to the next level.
Enjoy the songs!
Easy Guitar Songs for Beginners
Horse with no name – America – Chords
Stay with me – Sam Smith – Chords
Love me do – The Beatles – Chords
Lazy song – Bruno Mars – Chords
Mull of kintyre – Paul McCartney/Wings – Chords
Easy Guitar Songs of the 60’s
Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond – Chords
Stand by me – Ben E King- Chords
As tears go by – Rolling Stones – Chords
San Francisco – Scott McKenzie – Chords
Brown eyed girl – Van Morrison – Chords
Easy Guitar Songs of the 70’s
Knockin’ on heavens door – Bob Dylan – Chords
Working Class Hero – John Lennon – Chords
Hotel California – The Eagles – Chords
Have you ever seen the rain – CCR – Chords
Teach your children – CSNY – Chords
Easy Guitar Songs of the 80’s
The River – Bruce Springsteen – Chords
Wicked game – Chris Isaak – Chords
Sweet dreams – Eurythmics – Chords
The one I love – REM – Chords
Patience – Guns ‘n Roses – Chords
Easy Guitar Songs of the 90’s
What’s up – For non blondes – Chords
Losing my religion – REM – Chords
Zombie – The Cranberries – Chords
Runaway train – Soul Asylum – Chords
1979 – Smashing Pumpkins – Chords
Easy Guitar Pop Songs of the Last Decade
Perfect – Ed Sheeraan – Chords
Love on the weekend – John Mayer – Chords
Watermelon sugar – Harry Styles – Chords
Memories – Maroon 5 – Chords
I took a pill in ibiza – Mike Posner – Chords
Easy Guitar Fingerpicking Songs
Everybody hurts – REM – Video lesson – Tabs
Ain’t no sunshine – Bill Withers – Video lesson – Tabs
Hallelujah – Jeff Buckley / Leonard Cohen – Video lesson
We’re going to be friends – White Stripes – Tabs
Are you with me – Eastin Corbin – Tabs
Easy Guitar Rock Songs
Seven Nation Army – White Stripes – Chords
Sunshine of your love – The Cream – Chords
Otherside – RHCP – Chords
Creep – Radiohead – Chords
Black – Pearl Jam – Chords
Easy Blues Guitar Songs
Kindhearted Woman Blues – Robert Johnson – Chords
Alberta – Eric Clapton – Chords – More Tabs
Little Red Rooster – Howlin’ Wolf – Tabs
Before you accuse me – Bo Didley – Chords
The thrill is gone – BB King – Tabs
Hi Klaus sir,
I’m a beginner.These songs help me to learn new things.Thanks for sharing.
Hi Prasana,
My pleasure, enjoy the songs!
none of these songs are of this century!!!!!!!!!!
Absolutly Gracias!!
Hi, Kathleen
You can play ”Wonderwall” of Oasis and ”Bouleward of Broken Dreams of Green Day” they’re really easy but brilliant singalong, playlong songs, masterpieces of awesome bands :):)
Hey I want to say Just One thing You work is really good and helpful
Also Riptide by Vance Joy is pretty easy, it’s just the same 3 chords over and over again until the end
I love these songs they are amazing and very easy. Thank u very much!
Thanks very helpful – grade 4 guitarist but stuck on holidays with no capo, these songs are enjoyable and easy to play
very helpful
Live Love Guitar has the latest hits tabbed! Most of my tabs are easily playable for beginners, but you must have a capo for sure to get rid of those nasty barre chords, lol! I take tab requests as well :)
http://www.liveloveguitar.com/
Knockin’ on heavens door – Bob Dylan Chords – More Chords ok
thanks for the info. This information is very useful for a beginner like me.
Knocking on heaven door is very simple
This is a great list, I wish I had found it when I was struggling to find easy beginner songs to play! I have just made my own, shorter list, which includes many of these, plus a couple more. I look forward to reading more here, it looks like a great resource! Happy New Year to you!
I personally like to play Proud mary . It’s very beautiful!
Looks like the tabsrus website is offline. Hope this is a temporary outage.
Why not move these to a site such as guitar tabs, if you don’t mind that suggestion?
Thanks
Sashi
I like play Horse with no name – America Chords :)
Great songs.
What strumming patters do you use for Knocking on Heaven’s Door?
That is very useful.
Concerning me ,almost 70 th , I do like country as Johny Cash,Willie Nelson,Don Williams,Merle haggard,Alan jacsom,Kris Kristoferson,Dan Seals and similar artists.
Thanks and best from Croatia ,Zagreb!
My dad tougher me other songs because of how good I was
i just love what you give me klaus…….its more than music
This, is, really, wonderful!!! No more comments for this sharing. Thank you – the guy who shares this for me!! Best wishes and a great day for you.
Yes, it’s good idea to make a list with easy songs. Thank you.
What about for what it’s worth by buffalo Springfield
this is just the best web out there!!!!!!
OMG this is amazing I think my favourite song to play is……. ain’t no sunshine!!!!
I definitely recommend this website! Thanks for the help some wonderful songs in that list, I’ll definitely spread the word!
Great post!!! I read it yesterday but I had some thoughts about it and today I wanted to read it again because it is very well written.
I really love the quality writing.
tHis vry goud!!!!!!! i like yes!
I was expecting Hurt – Johnny Cash to be here because it’s the song that I am thinking of beginning to play
The very first song I learnt is Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here
Learning Albert King’s Born Under a Bad Sign and Guns N Roses’ Patience right now
These are easy songs to strum
hey. I’m trying to sign up. but it keeps saying I’m a bot. haha Maybe abit supper human but still human lol. can you sign me in.
thank you.
I’ve been taking lessons for a couple of months now, but needed some extra help with pinky exercises and then found this list of songs. It absolutely made my day to play Leaving on a Jet Plane for the first time. I grew up on John Denver, being born in 1961.
I’m a beginner.These songs help me to learn new things.Thanks for sharing , good article
Nice list, now to dust off my guitar
This is too awesome article for readers.
Thank You so Much for Share with Us.
i just bookmark this site
same chords for Knockin’ on heavens door by eric clapton? and GNR?
Very good
I would add “Sea of Love” by Cat Power.
Epic song, and so easy to play and sing to.
Also, we can try Riptide Chords with simple easy chords.
Thanks sir, I am getting better. 👍
thanks this helps a lot