Easy Guitar Songs & Chord Progressions
25 Easy Guitar Songs for Beginners (With the Chords You Need)
Playing real songs is the best motivation to keep practising. These 25 are sorted from easiest to hardest — pick the first one that uses chords you know.
About these song lists
We list the chords commonly used to play each song and describe the feel. We do not publish lyrics or full transcriptions — use the original recording and a licensed lyrics or tab service to play along. Some recordings use a capo or a different key; use our transposer and capo finder to match them.
Level 1: two chords
| Song | Artist | Chords | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Horse with No Name | America | Em, D6add9/F# (a simple two-finger shape) | Two shapes, whole song. Steady 16th-feel strum. |
| Achy Breaky Heart | Billy Ray Cyrus | A, E | Great for practising A ↔ E. |
| Eleanor Rigby | The Beatles | Em, C | Driving eighth-note down-strums. |
Level 2: three chords
| Song | Artist | Chords | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leaving on a Jet Plane | John Denver | G, C, D | The classic G–C–D workout. |
| Bad Moon Rising | Creedence Clearwater Revival | D, A, G | Upbeat; use the D – DU – UDU pattern. |
| Three Little Birds | Bob Marley | A, D, E | Try the reggae offbeat strum. |
| Sweet Home Alabama | Lynyrd Skynyrd | D, C, G | The famous riff decorates these chords. |
| Love Me Do | The Beatles | G, C, D | Simple, slow changes. |
| Twist and Shout | The Beatles | D, G, A | Fast, repeated progression. |
| La Bamba | Ritchie Valens | C, F, G | Use the easy four-string F. |
| Blowin' in the Wind | Bob Dylan | G, C, D | Slow folk strum. |
Level 3: four chords
| Song | Artist | Chords | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knockin' on Heaven's Door | Bob Dylan | G, D, Am, C | Slow — perfect for early practice. |
| Stand By Me | Ben E. King | G, Em, C, D | Often played in G by beginners. |
| Brown Eyed Girl | Van Morrison | G, C, D, Em | Bouncy, upbeat strumming. |
| Zombie | The Cranberries | Em, C, G, D | Heavy down-strums in the chorus. |
| Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) | Green Day | G, C, D, Em | Continuous eighth-note strumming. |
| Take Me Home, Country Roads | John Denver | G, Em, D, C | A campfire favourite. |
| Save Tonight | Eagle-Eye Cherry | Am, F, C, G | Loops the same four chords. |
| I'm Yours | Jason Mraz | G, D, Em, C (capo 4 to match the recording) | Reggae-influenced strum. |
| Riptide | Vance Joy | Am, G, C (F in places) | Originally on ukulele; works well on guitar. |
| Island in the Sun | Weezer | Em, Am, D, G | Relaxed, swinging strum. |
Level 4: five chords and up
| Song | Artist | Chords | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Let It Be | The Beatles | C, G, Am, F | Needs F — try the small F first. |
| Wonderwall | Oasis | Em7, G, Dsus4, A7sus4 (capo 2) | Fingers 3 and 4 stay anchored throughout. |
| Hallelujah | Leonard Cohen | C, Am, F, G, E7 | 6/8 feel; lovely fingerpicked. |
| House of the Rising Sun | The Animals | Am, C, D, F, E | Fingerpicked 6/8 arpeggios. |
Chords used on this page
How to learn a song
- Listen to the song several times and count the beats. Identify the strumming feel.
- Practise each chord change in the song separately (one-minute changes).
- Play the progression with simple down-strums, slowly.
- Add the strumming pattern. Keep it simple — the recording may use several guitars.
- Play along with the recording. If it is too fast, use a slow-down feature in your music app.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest song to play on guitar?
Two-chord songs such as "A Horse with No Name" (Em and a D-shape) or "Achy Breaky Heart" (A and E) are the easiest complete songs.
Do I need a capo to play these songs?
No. A capo only helps you match the key of the original recording or your singing voice. You can play all these chords without one.
