If you're new to the guitar, you should start by learning how to play a few notes, chords, and, ultimately, put those together and play some songs. Luckily, there are plenty of great songs you can use to get started with the guitar. Basically, you're looking for easy songs built from two, three, or four chords, a simple riff, and comfortable timing. We've found a mix of both, so let's start playing.
Key Takeaways
- Easy guitar songs usually rely on a small number of chords, repeating progressions, manageable rhythms or memorable riffs.
- Two- and three-chord songs such as A Horse With No Name and Three Little Birds are useful for practising your first chord changes without taking on too much at once.
- Four-chord songs such as Zombie, Brown Eyed Girl and With or Without You help expand your repertoire using many of the same beginner chord shapes.
- Practise slowly, simplify the strumming pattern and isolate difficult chord changes before trying to play along with the original recording.
What Makes a Guitar Song Easy for Beginners?
When you start learning the guitar, what makes a song easy for beginners can come down to a few factors. One is using a handful of open chords. Another is using a progression that repeats for most of the song. Build your beginner chord skills gradually, starting with simple two-chord combinations before adding third and fourth chords to create fuller progressions.⁶
Tempo is important as well. Slow songs are generally easier to learn. A four-chord song might be easier than a three-chord song if the timing is more forgiving. After all, you need to move your fingers between shapes. A memorable riff can also be easier than strumming chords, especially if you're still working on your hand strength and coordination.
10 Easy Songs to Play on Guitar
You'll want something you can practise that won't ultimately have you learning too many new techniques at once. A good approach is to learn guitar through games. Here, we've looked at options with simple chord changes that help you learn rhythm, or that have a recognisable riff that's fun and easy to play. Match the song with the skill you want to practise.
| Song | Artist | Beginner version | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Horse With No Name | America | Two repeating chord shapes | First chord changes |
| Three Little Birds | Bob Marley | Three chords | Learning a complete song |
| Bad Moon Rising | Creedence Clearwater Revival | D, A, G | Quick open-chord changes |
| Brown Eyed Girl | Van Morrison | G, C, D, Em | Open chords and eighth-note rhythm |
| Zombie | The Cranberries | Em, C, G, D/F# | Repeating chord progressions |
| Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door | Bob Dylan | G, D, Am, C | Slow, steady strumming |
| With or Without You | U2 | D, A, Bm, G | Repeating four-chord loops |
| Riptide | Vance Joy | Am, G, C through the main sections | Rhythm and chord transitions |
| Seven Nation Army | The White Stripes | Repeating seven-note riff | First single-note riff |
| Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) | Green Day | G, Cadd9, D, Em | Developing acoustic rhythm |
Easy Two- and Three-Chord Guitar Songs
Songs with a limited number of chords mean you can focus on rhythm. You won't have to spend time looking at your fretting hand. Here are three particularly useful songs if you're learning how to move between open chords.
- A Horse With No Name — America: A beginner arrangement revolves around just two repeating chord shapes, so you can concentrate on keeping the strumming even.⁴
- Three Little Birds — Bob Marley: This reggae classic can be played with three chords, making it a manageable choice for learning a complete song from beginning to end.⁸
- Bad Moon Rising — Creedence Clearwater Revival: D, A and G are enough for the beginner version. However, the quicker changes give your fretting hand a slightly tougher workout.³
chords.⁸
Easy Four-Chord Guitar Songs
Once you get the hang of strumming your guitar along to a three-chord song, moving onto a four-chord song is the obvious choice. By adding that fourth chord, you'll expand your potential repertoire exponentially. The good thing is that progressions often repeat, so you can learn the basic sequence and gradually work on making the rhythm sound more like the recording.
- Zombie — The Cranberries: Much of the song can be approached with the repeating Em, C, G and D/F# progression, making it especially useful for practising the same changes in a continuous loop.⁵
Listen to Zombie once you know the progression and pay attention to how the dynamics change even though the underlying chord pattern remains familiar.
- Brown Eyed Girl — Van Morrison: G, C, D and Em form the basis of a beginner-friendly version, while the upbeat rhythm gives you a chance to practise quicker open-chord changes.²
Once the chord sequence is secure, playing along with the recording can help you develop a more consistent eighth-note feel.
- Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door — Bob Dylan: A simple arrangement uses G, D, Am and C, with a slower pace that gives beginners more time to make each change cleanly.⁷
- With or Without You — U2: The song uses a repeating D, A, Bm and G progression, although Bm may require a simplified shape until you are ready for a full barre chord.¹⁰
- Riptide — Vance Joy: The song has become a popular choice for beginner guitarists, while its distinctive strumming pattern provides an extra rhythmic challenge once you have the basic accompaniment under control.⁹
For With or Without You, focus first on keeping the four-chord cycle moving without pauses rather than trying to reproduce every detail of The Edge's guitar sound.
Easy Guitar Riffs and Rhythm Songs
If you feel like doing something other than playing chords, memorable riffs are great. A simple riff is great for practising picking accuracy and is one of the ways the guitar is an accessible instrument. Chords are useful for rhythmic strumming.
- Seven Nation Army — The White Stripes: Its famous main hook is built from a short seven-note line that can be learnt on a single string, making it an accessible first riff.¹
- Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) — Green Day: G, Cadd9, D and Em provide familiar chord shapes, but the picking and strumming patterns give you something new to develop once the chord changes feel secure.⁵
Beginner Guitar Chords That Unlock More Songs
You don't have to learn every single chord to learn songs. Not every chord was created equal in the world of guitar, and some are more common than others, making them an easy way to learn how to play guitar. Start with open chords like G, C, D, Em, Am, and A; you'll see that tonnes of songs use them. Build your chord knowledge by building on shapes and then adding more difficult ones as you get more familiar with them.⁶
| Chord | Type | Songs in this guide |
|---|---|---|
| G | Major open chord | Brown Eyed Girl, Zombie, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, Good Riddance |
| C | Major open chord | Brown Eyed Girl, Zombie, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door |
| D | Major open chord | Bad Moon Rising, Brown Eyed Girl, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door |
| Em | Minor open chord | Zombie, Brown Eyed Girl, Good Riddance |
| Am | Minor open chord | Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, Riptide |
| A | Major open chord | Bad Moon Rising, With or Without You |
How to Learn Easy Songs on Guitar Faster
Break songs into smaller parts. Don't try to play along immediately. Practise each chord shape before you even attempt the song. From there, you can practise the changes, focusing on the ones you find most difficult. From there, you can add the rhythm.
- Slow it down: Practise difficult changes at a speed where you can keep playing without stopping.
- Simplify the strumming: Begin with basic down-strums before copying the full pattern.
- Practise transitions: Repeat troublesome chord changes on their own for a few minutes.
- Play along later: Once you can get through the whole song, use the recording to improve your timing and dynamics.
Learn More Guitar Songs With a Guitar Tutor
A guitar tutor can really help you improve. They'll pick songs that work at your level, correct awkward chord changes, and simplify arrangements. Work on your rhythm, picking, and barre chords while remaining motivated. Even better, Superprof has plenty of guitar tutors, and most offer the first lesson for free. Try a few and find your perfect guitar tutor today!
References
- Bird, Chris. “10 Easy Guitar Songs for Beginners.” Guitar World, 17 Feb. 2022. https://www.guitarworld.com/features/10-easy-guitar-songs-for-beginners. Accessed 28 Sept. 2026.
- Duffy, Mike. “10 Easy Folk Songs to Learn on Guitar.” Fender. https://www.fender.com/articles/songs/10-easy-folk-songs-to-learn-on-guitar. Accessed 28 Sept. 2026.
- Duffy, Mike. “Top 40 Easiest Songs to Learn on Guitar.” Fender. https://www.fender.com/articles/songs/40-of-the-easiest-songs-to-learn-on-guitar. Accessed 28 Sept. 2026.
- Fuge, Leigh. “‘Many of the Mega Hits That Have Become the Soundtrack to Our Lives Are Often Simpler to Play on the Guitar Than We Might Think’: Learn Classic Songs Including Johnny Cash’s Version of Hurt with Just a Few Chords.” MusicRadar, 2 Aug. 2024. https://www.musicradar.com/how-to/many-of-the-mega-hits-that-have-become-the-soundtrack-to-our-lives-are-often-simpler-to-play-on-the-guitar-than-we-might-think-learn-classic-songs-including-johnny-cashs-version-of-hurt-with-just-a-few-chords. Accessed 28 Sept. 2026.
- Fuge, Leigh. “‘You Can Learn Hundreds of Songs with a Few Easy Chords and Some Basic Rhythm Playing Chops’: Master Five Classic Songs with Just a Handful of Chords.” MusicRadar, 27 Dec. 2024. https://www.musicradar.com/tutorials/guitar-lessons-techniques/you-can-learn-hundreds-of-songs-with-a-few-easy-chords-and-some-basic-rhythm-playing-chops-master-five-classics-from-the-90s-and-the-00s-with-just-a-handful-of-chords. Accessed 28 Sept. 2026.
- Haga, Evan. “4 Guitar Chords That Sound Good Together.” Fender. https://www.fender.com/articles/chords/guitar-chords-that-sound-good-together. Accessed 28 Sept. 2026.
- Hancock, Tim. “Learn to Play ‘Knockin’ On Heavens Door’ by Bob Dylan.” Fender. https://www.fender.com/articles/chords/learn-to-play-knockin-on-heavens-door. Accessed 28 Sept. 2026.
- MusicRadar. “Learn the Easy 3-Chord Trick That’s Behind Countless Hit Songs.” MusicRadar, 4 Sept. 2023. https://www.musicradar.com/news/the-three-chord-trick-explained. Accessed 28 Sept. 2026.
- Scaramanga, Jenna. "Vance Joy: 'When You Write a Great Song You're Just Like, "How Did I Do That?" You Get Chills, or the Hair Stands up Your Neck. That's What Keeps Everyone Going.'" Guitar World, 12 Sept. 2022. https://www.guitarworld.com/features/vance-joy-in-our-own-sweet-time. Accessed 28 Sept. 2026.
- Scharfglass, Matt. “Kickstart Your Songwriting with These Ultra-Useful Chord Progressions.” Guitar World, 29 Jan. 2020. https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/want-write-masterpiece-here-are-some-chord-progressions-get-you. Accessed 28 Sept. 2026.
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