This uplifting guitar song is among the easiest to play. All it requires are three chords–G, C and D–to get going.
Strumming is easy, while learning chord progressions will get your friends dancing! For beginners, learning these chords will make transitioning to more advanced music much simpler.
1. Walk of Life by Dire Straits
Walk of Life is an accessible classic rock song featuring straightforward chord progressions – making it ideal for beginning guitarists to learn on. Additionally, this track provides an ideal opportunity to practice strumming.
This soothing tune is one of the most beloved on this list and makes an enjoyable acoustic guitar tune to play, featuring an impressive opening guitar riff that is easy to learn.
This song’s lyrics are highly emotive, making it an excellent song to learn when beginning guitar playing. While its intro may present some difficulty due to use of chord Cadd9, switching it out for regular C major will work just fine.
2. Cecilia by Simon & Garfunkel
Beginners will find this song simple to learn quickly; its G, C and D chords make up its strumming pattern and you only need three practices in total to become proficient at playing it! Newcomers should focus on practicing transitioning among these chords for a swift learning curve.
This traditional work song was first recorded by Flatt and Scruggs in 1962 and later included in Simon and Garfunkel’s fifth studio album Bridge Over Troubled Water.
This song’s lyrics describe its narrator’s struggle with depression and may serve as an inspirational piece to encourage people to pursue their goals and chase after their dreams.
3. Every Little Thing by The Beatles
“Every Little Thing,” an iconic tune that everyone knows and loves, provides an ideal starting point for learning guitar chords. Using just three major chords (G, C and D), “Every Little Thing” makes playing it simple for anyone new to guitar playing. Once you have these basics down pat, more challenging songs such as Eric Clapton’s “Cocaine” will soon follow.
Whole Lotta Love is another classic rock tune that is straightforward to learn on guitar. With its relaxing rhythm and upbeat strumming pattern, this song makes an excellent place to begin learning guitar.
4. Banana Boat Song by The Beatles
Classic rock song this is an uptempo acoustic guitar tune beginner can quickly pick up on. Utilizing only three chords, its repetition ensures they will quickly become part of their memory bank.
This song offers a simple strumming pattern and chord progressions suitable for novice players. However, its tempo could prove challenging for beginners just starting out.
Finger dexterity may be required, but the chords are generally straightforward and provide beginners with their first experience of slash chords, which feature notes other than their roots.
5. Mary Had a Little Lamb by The Beatles
With only five chords and a simple strumming pattern, this song can easily be learned by beginning guitarists. Furthermore, its use will strengthen their rhythmic skills.
This song contains an accessible guitar riff for beginners to pick up quickly, while at the same time providing instruction on using Em chord – something more advanced players should prioritize learning.
Paul McCartney and Wings used this traditional nursery rhyme as the basis of an intriguing reworked of its lyrics that showcased how songs can be altered to fit their respective bands’ musical styles.
6. The Red Hot Chili Peppers
A timeless song with catchy tune, “Don’t Let Go of My Hand” can serve as an excellent introduction to chord progressions. With six repeating chord sets and an intricate-seeming strumming pattern that appears more complex at first glance than others on this list, yet is actually quite straightforward once viewed through its guitar tab, this tune provides an ideal introduction into this area of musical study.
This country-style hit song is perfect for anyone interested in more relaxing music. Using just three simple chords, its catchy yet relaxing tune is easily memorizable.
7. Soul Asylum – The Power of Love
Strumming skill development can be fun with this one! Utilizing three beginner guitar chords and being played at an appropriate tempo.
As with many songs on this list, this song requires only basic chords; however, there are also barre chords which could prove challenging for novice guitarists.
It is one of the most well-known songs from their album of the same name and provides an ideal opportunity for beginning guitarists to work on chord progressions.