UK-born gear nerd and guitar teacher currently working on a project to make learning the guitar accessible and fun for others.
Taylor’s most beloved song, this piece offers an opportunity to learn some sophisticated chord voicings while translating seamlessly onto an acoustic guitar without needing a capo.
1. Fifteen
Fix You is one of Coldplay’s most beloved songs and one of the easiest guitar songs for beginners to learn with only four chords – D, F#m, G and A – required for its playback and an undulating down-down-up-down strumming pattern to follow.
John Legend’s All of Me is another piano-driven hit, making it easy for anyone to learn and perfect for impressing that special someone in their lives. Only six chords and a simple strumming pattern with down strums make up this hit love song!
2. Wildest Dreams
“Wildest Dreams” displays Lustre’s newly acquired self-confidence. She understands that any affair she enters into won’t end well, yet doesn’t let that stop her from leaping head first into it.
Toronto duo City & Colour’s sophomore album reached a crescendo at the crossroads between contemporary synth pop and nostalgic 90s anthems, but was marred by lame narrative and nonsensical themes that undercut Jordan Ullman’s impressive production.
Regretfully, as the captivating melodies make this record truly enjoyable. However,
3. I Knew You Were Trouble
This song from Taylor’s Red album explores the perils of falling in love, and how it may end up hurting you over time. It’s a poignant, beautiful tune that everyone can relate to at some point or another in their lives.
This song contains some complex instrumentation in its recorded version; however, translating onto guitar with the help of a capo should be straightforward.
4. Fearless
This song is fun and easy to play on acoustic guitar, featuring chords that are easily accessible. Additionally, its transposability means you can adjust its pitch depending on your singing range.
This song stands out from others we have explored due to its more complex chord progression that utilizes unique voicings such as minor 7ths and add9 chords, yet remains an excellent beginner song with only open chords required for learning it.
5. Red
Erich Church’s country hit is another perfect choice for beginner strumming; featuring relaxing guitar melodies and an easy chord progression with only G, D and Em used throughout and an effective strumming pattern, making this song ideal for practicing strumming with.
Taylor Swift’s song can easily be played using only open basic chords and a basic strumming pattern, including using a capo to help facilitate some of its barre chords. Its slow tempo also lends itself well to playing it using capo chords as needed.
6. Cornelia Street
Though visiting the Greenwich Village townhouse that inspired Taylor Swift’s song “Cornelia Street” may not be in your immediate future (unless you own a dachshund), virtual tours offer a virtual visit of this legendary neighborhood.
Lover, her 2019 album, features a ballad about starting over with someone new, with the singer fearful that it might never last and never return.
This song may have been written about Joe Alwyn, her current flame who she lived with briefly at 23 Cornelia Street between 2016 and 2017 while renovations were taking place on Tribeca apartment.
7. Love Story
Sam Smith’s modern hit “Lately” is an ideal romantic song to perform for your significant other, featuring simple chords – G, Cadd9, and Em – along with comfortable finger positions and a classic strumming pattern.
With its direct lyrics and heartfelt melody, this song makes a wonderful way to show affection towards someone special. Comprised of only four straightforward chords with an easy classical strumming pattern of down-up-down-up, learning this tune shouldn’t take more than a few hours of practice!
8. Forever
This song was composed to convey feelings left by an ending relationship and its aftermath. The chord progression should be straightforward for most guitarists to learn and may benefit from using a capo to help play higher chords more easily; however, this song can still be played without one.
Cornelia Street from Taylor’s 2008 LP is another fantastic track that makes for easy guitar-playing on both acoustic and electric instruments, using all open chords allowing both to easily participate. It features interesting chord voicings and strumming patterns worth investigating further, making this track worth checking out!
9. Wildest Dreams
Majid Jordan’s sparkling synth pop production provides Lustre with stunning vocal showcases, yet her lyrics unfortunately fail to match up to her captivating melodies. While there are some catchy tracks like Grey Skies and Save A Place that provide hope, overall this visual album suffers from repetitive themes which makes it hard for listeners to stay engaged for its 33 minute runtime.
Nothing’s claptrap percussion draws you in with its soft melody, yet its lyrics reveal that love isn’t always easy or sweet. Finally, Imagination provides even greater depth with its melancholic near-lullaby.