Songwriting can be an incredible way to express your emotions through music. Most songs feature chord progressions that beginners can use as the basis of creating unique works of their own.
This song utilizes three basic open chords that beginner guitarists can learn easily, along with an easy strumming pattern.
About a Girl by Nirvana
Nirvana’s 1989 album Incesticide marked an exploration of rock. Cobain used his guitar to generate ear-piercing feedback while Krist Novoselic’s bass provided intricate harmonic structures.
“About a Girl” was one of Nirvana’s early melodic compositions and is considered one of Kurt Cobain’s earliest great pop songs. Its lyrics express longing for an easy relationship where one could share intimate secrets without having to commit fully or make sacrifices.
Acoustic versions of this song were recorded during Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged performance in New York and helped introduce it to a wider audience, while showcasing Cobain’s vocal range and dexterity. This performance served as the catalyst for what came to be known as grunge music; an amalgam of elements found within punk, alternative and metal styles.
Disarm by The Smashing Pumpkins
Beginners can develop a repertoire of songs using basic chords and strumming patterns that will keep their practice sessions engaging while motivating them to continue improving. Selecting songs they enjoy makes keeping up their guitar practice routine simpler.
Nirvana’s “About a Girl,” for instance, employs four open chords that are simple for novice guitarists to learn and master. Additionally, “Disarm” by Smashing Pumpkins requires just basic chords to play along.
Other songs with easily learnable chords for beginner guitarists include “Two Steps Behind” by Def Leppard and “Run-Around” by Blues Traveler. Bob Dylan’s classic track “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” provides another perfect opportunity for novice guitarists to master switching from A to D chords, which may prove challenging at first.
Two Steps Behind by Def Leppard
On this date in 1993, Def Leppard released their single, Two Steps Behind from their album Retro-Active and Last Action Hero soundtracks as their first US single release. An acoustic version also made an appearance on their greatest hits Vault album.
This song is an ideal introduction for beginning guitarists to develop and practice with, giving them a feel for how their fingers move across the fretboard, as well as learning correct finger placement – both key components to advancing more quickly without making mistakes due to trying too quickly to progress.
Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen is another timeless rock song with one of the easiest chord progressions for beginning guitarists to learn and practice. Beginning with an A major chord followed by D then E and finally D7 (sus2) chord at the end, adding this special chord will provide some added interest to your strumming pattern.
Run-Around by Blues Traveler
When this song first premiered in 1994, it was an unexpected breath of fresh air on top 40 radio due to most songs being either grunge or hip-hop inspired. This hit became their breakthrough hit and catapulted them into stardom; leading them on extensive tours as a result and landing them several TV spots.
This classic rock song uses simple chord progressions that are ideal for beginning guitarists. The A-E-D pattern makes a good starting point and you can practice strumming skills using this one – however, one drawback could be needing to recite lyrics in order to remember them!