Finding an engaging song doesn’t need to be hard – this one from Johnny Cash’s album Land Of The Free Home Of The Brave is proof.
This country song offers three basic open chords that beginners can quickly pick up. Additionally, this track provides an ideal opportunity to practice a simple strumming pattern using only your right hand.
1. Dm7
A Dm7 chord is a simple chord with one additional seventh note added above its root chord. A “seventh chord” refers to any chord consisting of three notes plus a seventh above its root note.
Beginner guitarists typically start learning this chord as one of their first lessons. Though it may require slightly more stretching than standard major and minor guitar chords, most should find playing this easy enough.
Tunings vary, as does its revoice to produce various chords. Moving the lower note down a fret results in G7 chord while shifting it up one fret yields Em7 chord – this technique can create tension in songs by shifting bass notes around.
2. G7
Dreams is one of the most iconic songs by Fleetwood Mac and an ideal song to learn for beginners. Featuring only two easy chords for guitar beginners and an accessible strumming pattern, Dreams makes up one song in our ‘Play Ten Songs with Two EASY Chords…One Barre Chord series.’
C is an ideal starting point for this song; F is also well suited to this key and other open keys such as D and G are very complementary with it.
Enjoy this acoustic guitar lesson of Dreams by Fleetwood Mac! Originally recorded for their Rumours album back in 1977 but recently popularised through TikTok videos.
3. Fm7
Chords are musical sounds composed of multiple notes to produce an individual sound, commonly used for rhythmic musical tracks and bases in songs.
The F minor 7 chord is a basic bar chord consisting of its root tone (F), flat 3rd interval (Ab), 5th degree chord (5th tone C), and an Eb (flat 7th note).
To play this chord on guitar, place your first finger across all strings at the first fret and press hard against all strings to form a barre with it, flattening it against them as you press down hard against it. Practice this basic barre chord using ChordBank’s Guitar Coach app for real-time feedback as you play each finger individually.
4. G6
Dreams is a classic Fleetwood Mac song written by Stevie Nicks and one of the easier acoustic guitar songs for beginners to learn. Set in F, it can even be played using a capo on the third fret for maximum ease!
Leona Lewis’s Bleeding Love is an emotionally moving ballad about falling deeply in love, featuring stunning vocals by one of Britain’s premier female singer-songwriters.
Alicia Keys’ soulful and emotive If I Ain’t Got You is an emotional tribute to artist Aaliyah from her second album. This track displays both vocal and guitar skills from Keys as it’s set in C key with jazzier chords like 7ths and 9nths that may require additional concentration than open or barre chords.
5. Am7
A minor 7 chord can add a deliciously bittersweet tone to songs. Combining both major and minor chord sounds in its composition, it is great for adding tension to strumming patterns as well as helping bring out emotions in lyrics.
Am7 is a barre chord, meaning that all five fingers must be used to press down on its strings. While this may prove challenging for beginners, once familiarized it becomes one of the easier chords on guitar.
This acoustic version of Fleetwood Mac’s iconic song serves as a prime example of how careful note selection and space can create an engaging ambience, as well as how simple chords can become extremely effective when played expertly.