Whether you’re a beginner guitar player or have been playing for decades, there’s always a thrill that comes with learning a new song.
Professional guitarists have reached a level of skill that most won’t even come close to. They make it look so easy and effortless that fans can be left wondering whether or not their music is really that simple. Well, in some cases, it is.
A song doesn’t need to have a complex arrangement to be great. It’s sometimes the simple songs that are the best and most memorable.
Regardless of your skill level, here are seven easy songs you can learn to play right now.
Old Town Road - Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus
If you somehow managed to avoid hearing “Old Town Road,” bravo, because that song was everywhere. It’s also incredibly easy to play on guitar alternating between four different chords. One option is to play the song in standard tuning and play a barre chord progression of G#/B/F#/E. Or, you can tune the guitar down half a step and play the chord progression A/C/G/F.
Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door - Bob Dylan
Remember when we said a powerful song didn’t have to be complex? This is a prime example of that point. The Bob Dylan classic follows a simple chord progression played at a slow pace making it easy to pick up. The pattern is heard throughout the song and goes G/D/A Minor/G/D/C.
Thunder - Imagine Dragons
This song is a great one for beginner guitarists as the chord pattern repeats throughout most of the song and is spaced out enough so you don’t need to rapidly change chords. The three main chords in the verse, pre-chorus, and chorus are C, A Minor, and F. The verse alternates between C and F, the pre-chorus pattern goes C/A Minor/F, and the chorus goes C/A Minor/F/C. Listen to the song to get the strumming pattern down.
Shake It Off - Taylor Swift
One of Taylor Swift’s most popular songs is also one of the easiest to play. She uses three chords throughout the entire song, A Minor, C, and G. While the strumming is at a faster tempo, that is the biggest challenge as the chord progression follows the same pattern throughout the song.
Good As Hell - Lizzo
While the guitar isn’t prominent in the Lizzo hit, it’s quite a simple song to play on the guitar. This one requires a capo that you’ll place on the first fret. From there, the progression is G/D/E. The D chord is a bit different than your usual D chord as you’ll want to use your thumb on the third fret. This makes it a D/F# chord. Once you learn how to play this, you’ll be feeling good as hell.
He Didn’t Have To Be - Brad Paisley
One of Brad Paisley’s first hit songs is an easy one to learn to play. Using only a couple of chords, you’ll just need to learn the verse and the chorus. The verse chord pattern goes G/C/D/C ending on a G chord right before the chorus. The chorus has two patterns, but they’re both easy to follow. First, you’ll play A Minor/D/G/C. Then, play A Minor/D/E Minor/G/C/G.
Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones
This song is done at a fast tempo, but it’s fun as heck to play. Listen to the song to get the strumming pattern right because it’s the main element to playing this song correctly. The song uses power chords, which are two note chords made up of the root and the fifth of the chord. Throughout the song, you’ll just alternate between A/D/E and A/D/A.
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You don't need to be a pro to master these songs
