Dolly Parton’s Jolene song has long been one of her signature hits in country music, featuring simple open chords and an accessible strumming pattern that are ideal for beginner guitarists.
Brad Paisley’s chart-topping country song He Didn’t Have To Be is another beginner-friendly piece, requiring five basic open chords and a traditional strumming pattern to play it successfully.
1. I Will Always Love You
Dolly Parton made her name famous with this timeless ballad, now one of our classics. Learn to play it note-for-note on guitar using our easy acoustic guitar lesson!
Dolly Parton has written many hits, but few can top her timeless classic “I Will Always Love You.” Unbeknownst to many people is that this was written not about romantic love but about ending her contract with Porter Wagoner’s syndicated TV show.
Whitney Houston’s rendition was an enormously popular one; she was inspired by Linda Ronstadt’s 1975 rendition. Kevin Costner introduced this tune to Houston, who used it as her blueprint.
2. Jambalaya
Every country music fan during the 1990s will recognize this song, but more importantly it’s one of the easiest country songs for beginner guitar players! Just two chords and a simple strumming pattern is all that are necessary.
Hank Williams wrote one of the greatest classic country songs ever written: this timeless tune only requires basic chords and a moderate tempo for beginners to pick up and play!
Dolly Parton’s song is one of the most iconic in country music history, having been covered by artists like The White Stripes and Miley Cyrus. What makes this tune truly great is that its chord progression uses only three simple chords: C# minor, E, and B.
3. Boys ’Round Here
Beginners will find this song ideal, with simple chords and strumming pattern that make for easy strumming and fingerpicking practice. Once your fingerpicking skills develop on this song, many doors will open up for you!
This song may be more difficult than some of the others on this list, but beginner guitarists should still find it manageable. Additionally, it features an interesting single note passage which provides a welcome break from all of the standard chord strummed chords.
Shelton made headlines for his 2013 album that tells an autobiographical tale when he released this track, featuring Miranda Lambert, RaeLynn and Pistol Annies member Ashley Monroe as guest artists. Its lyrics draw upon various aspects of Southern living to tell its tale.
4. Everything Has Changed
Foo Fighters’ song Helplessly Hoping provides experienced guitarists with an excellent opportunity to practice fingerpicking abilities by employing various chords that challenge fingerpicking abilities and its simple guitar intro is also easy to play. Another popular tune worth adding to your repertoire is Crosby, Stills & Nash’s Helplessly Hoping which provides another excellent opportunity for fingerpicking practice in its acoustic version – perfect if you want to brush up on fingerpicking techniques!
Wagon Wheel, an American country classic, is an excellent song to learn. Using four basic chords and the traditional strum pattern, its accessibility makes it a good candidate for learning. Strawberry Wine has also been covered by numerous artists across genres and can help strengthen your playing abilities as an acoustic version features a slow melody which will build skills faster.
5. You Make It Easy
Keith Whitley’s version of this country song rose to the top of the charts for Alison Krauss and Ronan Keating; however, Keith’s rendition is what really made an impactful statement about its beauty. With just three chords and an easy strumming pattern to learn, this is one of the easiest songs for beginners to master.
Tempo may be too fast for absolute novice guitarists, but this song offers an excellent opportunity to develop strumming skills and tune your rhythm of the guitar. Additionally, this tune introduces barred chord voicings which may prove more challenging than regular open chords.
Dolly Parton made Jolene an icon, with its heartfelt country tune covering by various singers of different genres and being covered by many. Fingerpickers may want to give this tune a try as a challenging musical exercise that will put their abilities under scrutiny!