Top 10 Beginner Guitar Songs
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Beginner Guitar Songs to Learn and Master
Okay before we get into how to play these classic riffs let me just say a few things before you verbally abuse my list in the comments. This is not THE list of top ten guitar songs to learn. This is A list of top ten guitar songs to learn.
In other words I know how opinionated guitar players are when it comes to good guitar songs and bad guitar songs. You may have been hoping to find guitar songs on here that you personally like better which is fine. Everyone has their own taste. That is just the way music is in general.
These are rather easy songs to learn and perfect for beginners as they will teach you to keep a solid rhythm. There are some licks and riffs thrown into the chord structure as there are with just about all rock and roll songs. But don't get discouraged as I will explain how to play them.
I find it much better for your guitar learning process to not get hooked on tabs and sheet music. I believe in teaching yourself how to play music by ear. That way you get better and will eventually learn how to play songs immediately just by listening to them and transcribing them on your own. This is how all of the great guitar players have learned. Starting out with guitar tabs is fine as I will include links to tabs below each song.
Starting out with reading tabs to learn guitar songs is fine. But training yourself to play by ear is way more rewarding in the long run. I would also like to add that it makes playing guitar way more satisfying once you have mastered the skill of listening.
So with all that being said let's get on to the first tune on our list which may be a shocker since this song rarely appears on lists of songs to learn. (Being sarcastic :D)
In other words I know how opinionated guitar players are when it comes to good guitar songs and bad guitar songs. You may have been hoping to find guitar songs on here that you personally like better which is fine. Everyone has their own taste. That is just the way music is in general.
These are rather easy songs to learn and perfect for beginners as they will teach you to keep a solid rhythm. There are some licks and riffs thrown into the chord structure as there are with just about all rock and roll songs. But don't get discouraged as I will explain how to play them.
I find it much better for your guitar learning process to not get hooked on tabs and sheet music. I believe in teaching yourself how to play music by ear. That way you get better and will eventually learn how to play songs immediately just by listening to them and transcribing them on your own. This is how all of the great guitar players have learned. Starting out with guitar tabs is fine as I will include links to tabs below each song.
Starting out with reading tabs to learn guitar songs is fine. But training yourself to play by ear is way more rewarding in the long run. I would also like to add that it makes playing guitar way more satisfying once you have mastered the skill of listening.
So with all that being said let's get on to the first tune on our list which may be a shocker since this song rarely appears on lists of songs to learn. (Being sarcastic :D)
Stairway to Heaven By Led Zeppelin
Possibly the Most Wanted Guitar Song to Learn
A mysterious sounding song indeed. It is a great staple for a beginner guitarist to have in their repetoire. Starts out as a slow folk song preferably played with an acoustic guitar. This is the song that Page was well known for playing live with a double neck SG so he could play the intro on the 12 string neck then move onto the six string for the solo.It is in the key of A minor and has a descending chord structure. There are several parts to get down. Let's of course start with the intro. The first chord is an A minor played as a barre chord. Use your first finger to barre the bottom strings (G, B, and E) on the fifth fret. Then use your third finger to press on the seventh fret of the D string.
Then just slowly strum down starting with the D string. Be sure to look at the guitar tabs and listen as it is much easier or you can try to figure it out on your own by listening to it below.
Anyway the structure of the intro starts with the A minor then you play a variation of the A chord by making it an A major with the fifth on the high E string. Followed by the next chord which is played with your first finger barring the bottom four strings of the fifth fret while your pinky is on the high E string on the eighth fret.
Also he plays double notes so feel free to get fancy. The next chords are simple. It just goes down to the D major, F major, and then the riff finishes with a G back to the A minor.
Like I said it is probably much easier to learn with the tabs and listening to the song below. And no I am not even going to attempt to explain the solo. Although I will say it starts off with an A major scale.
Stairway to Heaven
By Led Zeppelin
Click on this link to check out the Stairway to Heaven guitar tab.
curated content from YouTube
Brown Sugar By The Rolling Stones
Very Fun Tune to Play at Parties
A very cool bluesy rock riff like most of the Stone's songs. It is played in the key of C. A very good song to help get your rhythm down when you are just starting out.It has a very distinctive intro which starts off on the twelfth fret. Use your first finger to barre the bottom four strings. So basically you are forming a C chord one octave up. While barring the twelfth fret you want to press your middle finger on the B string of the eleventh fret. Then take your third finger and press on the D string of the fourteenth fret.
Strum it once and then pull off your second and third fingers so you play just the barred fret. Then bring that barre down to the fifth fret. Strum the barred fifth fret twice and then bring back that C chord shape you had up at the twelfth fret. Strum it twice and then the barred fifth fret once.
You might have trouble reading my little descriptions so like I said it is probably easier to just open up the tab below and listen to the track.
Anyway we now get into the chord structure which is used throughout the song except during the chorus. So after you play that intro riff three more times it gets into the descending chord structure. The chords go Eb (E flat), C major, G# (G sharp), Bb (B flat), and back to C major.
But there is a cool strumming technique mister Richards uses here as I will explain. These chords are played as barre chords. So the first chord is E flat which is played with your first finger barring the eleventh fret. Make the E shape chord as always with your middle finger on the next fret of the G string, your ring finger on the A string, and pinky on the D string.
So if you listen to the track you can hear the strumming technique for each chord. It is the same for each chord he plays. Strum it down, up, down and then do it again only you are going to bring your pinky finger down one string. So on this particular chord you will bring it from the D string of the thirteenth fret down to the G string of the thirteenth fret to get that high pitch in there. The rhythm technique takes a little bit of practice to get down.
That same technique is used on each one of the chords. Then once it gets into the chorus he is simply going from C major to F major. Check out the guitar tabs and really try to use your ears for this one. Again training your ears is important to becoming a fluent guitar player.
For more tips be sure to check out these online guitar lessons.
Wish You Were Here By Pink Floyd
Another Amazing Acoustic Melody
Possibly one of the most well known Pink Floyd songs with one of the most well known guitar intros. If you listen closely it sounds like the riff is being played on the radio softly in the background and then comes the over dubbed guitar solo.This is a great song to learn for beginners for its slow tempo. Not only that but you will impress others with the easy but powerful acoustic solo in the beginning. As always I will include the tabs with the video unless of course you prefer to practice more with your ears which I always recommend doing.
This guitar song is in the key of E minor. The intro lasts for about the first minute of the song. The chords of the intro go...
E minor - G major - E minor - G major - E minor - A9 - E minor - A9 - G major - C9 - G major
Make sure to practice your rhythm so you develop a sense of timing. By the way in case you don't know the A9 or C9 chords they are the same as the major A and C only you leave the B string open.
To play the actual notes of the intro try listening to it below and figuring out the notes. I'll give you a start. The first note is the G note which is on the third fret of the low E string. Feel free to check out the tabs if you must.
Walk this Way By Aerosmith
A Classic Rock Riff
This is a very nice riff to learn that will test your speed and feel for rock and roll. When I started learning this I got confused because when I heard this riff I thought it was in the key of A.But it is in the key of C7. Don't be afraid of the number as it is just a variation of C. It is a C chord but with your pinky on the third fret of the G string. It looks like this. The x just means not to play the low E string so that it sounds more crisp.
----------
------1--
------3--
------2--
------3--
------x---
So the main riff is pretty simple to understand but may be difficult to play it with rhythm at first so it will take some practice. It starts out with an open A string. Then use your first finger to press on the first fret of the A string followed by your middle finger on the second fret. He doesn't use hammer-ons when performing this.
You can hear on the track that he is picking each note really quickly. The fourth note in the riff is the E note which is on the second fret of the D string. I find it best to barre the D string with my middle finger right after hitting the third note.
This riff is played twice and then you hit the open low E string.
Right after the open E you are going to want to do what's called palm muting. This will come naturally when you start to get a feel for the song. But it means to lightly cover the strings with your hand so you mute the sound and strum through so it makes that soft raking sound. It is hard to explain but you can hear it if you listen closely as the riff is being played.
The verse is very simple if you can just play the C7 all the way through and then finish the verse with an A chord right before going back to the riff. But Joe Perry plays the rhythm differently than just strumming the C7. I recommend getting the strumming down before learning the second riff. Check out the tabs below for more insight and as always practice along with the track.
Blitzkrieg Bop By The Ramones
Power Chord Time!
Who hasn't heard this classic punk rock anthem? It is incredibly simple to play but a powerful song indeed. This song may also be known as "Hey ho, let's go!".The structure is so very simple to understand. It is in the key of A and has a standard three chord progression. Those chords are A, D, and E. Of course they are played as power chords so you start off at the fifth fret. No open chords!
To start off you are going to form an A major. Keep in mind that you only need to play these as power chords so instead of forming the full barred A you can just press your first finger on the low E string of the fifth fret then using your next two fingers to press on the seventh fret of the A and D strings.
Strum those three strings but do it with power. The key is in the strumming. They are called power chords for a reason. Johnny Ramone was the master of this.
The A is played with 5 down strokes then you move that chord structure down one string so you are playing a D power chord. Play that twice and right after the second down stroke slide it up two frets so it turns into the E power chord. Play that twice and there you have the main riff.
Then after playing that 3 times you simply play the A power chord about 4 times and then bring it down to the D again for a beat and then back up to the A to finish.
Then once the chorus starts (the "Hey ho, let's go!" part) you can just relax or just stay on the A major for rhythm. Go back to the main riff once the chorus changes.
Then after about a minute (After the chorus goes through three times) You will hear a change in the chords. It just starts off at the B major which is two frets up from the A. So you get on the seventh fret of the low E then back down to the A and D chord changes. Check out the tabs and listen. Oh yea, and don't forget to rock out with it!
Blitzkrieg Bop
By The Ramones
Blitzkrieg Bop guitar tabs ---> Click Here
curated content from YouTube
How to Learn Guitar
5 Obstacles to Overcome as a Beginner
If you are a complete beginner and not sure where to start then I think this video may help you out. I explain what beginners must go through in order to progress quickly.
Basically when you first start learning guitar you will want to master the basics. Learn all of the major and minor chords. Learn about the chord shapes and how to move them up and down the fretboard to achieve different sounds. This way you will find it easier to learn beginner guitar songs like these.
When you first start playing the main thing is getting your hands used to forming chords. It will feel awkward making chord changes. You will likely not be fast enough to develop your rhythm. It takes a while but after about a month of practicing consistently your hands should adjust. Your finger tips will get sore from pressing the steel strings so make sure to give them a rest and not over do it. Watch this video as I get more into guitar skills like learning to play by ear.
Also f you want to save money and learn with online guitar lessons then be sure to check out my Jamorama review.
Basically when you first start learning guitar you will want to master the basics. Learn all of the major and minor chords. Learn about the chord shapes and how to move them up and down the fretboard to achieve different sounds. This way you will find it easier to learn beginner guitar songs like these.
When you first start playing the main thing is getting your hands used to forming chords. It will feel awkward making chord changes. You will likely not be fast enough to develop your rhythm. It takes a while but after about a month of practicing consistently your hands should adjust. Your finger tips will get sore from pressing the steel strings so make sure to give them a rest and not over do it. Watch this video as I get more into guitar skills like learning to play by ear.
Also f you want to save money and learn with online guitar lessons then be sure to check out my Jamorama review.
curated content from YouTube
You Really Got Me By The Kinks
Gotta Love that Guitar Sound
This is one of the most influential guitar songs in the history of rock and roll. It is also one of the songs that was a big part of the British invasion. It is known for its distorted guitar sound that is very unique among the classic rock guitar songs. Not to mention a very catchy guitar solo thrown in. But before getting into the solo make sure to pace yourself with the rhythm.Now let me explain how to play it. The song structure is based on three riffs. Basically you are playing power chord changes while ascending up the fretboard.
It starts with going from F major to G major. Be sure to listen to the track to get the rhythm down as always. You strum the F major once and immediately slide it up to the G major for two strums. Then back down to F major and forward again to G major.
Listen for the change in tune. After playing that riff twice it goes up two frets. It is the same riff only the chords are now G major to A major. As with most power chord songs you only have to strum the top three chords.
The third and last riff is the same pattern only the chords are C to G so you are barring the fifth fret then taking it up to the tenth fret. And there you have it. Be sure to check out the tabs for the solo. It is played mainly on the G, B, and high E strings on the F major scale. Don't forget to rock it out!
All My Loving By The Beatles
Another Fun One to Play At Parties
All My Loving is known as one of the very first hits of the Beatles and the first song they played on the Ed Sullivan show. This one may be challenging at first because of the rather quick and awkward chord changes but with some practice you should have it down.Played in the key of F sharp the chords are not the most commonly played but you will get it down quickly if you focus on the timing. Also the strumming technique is quick and focused on the bottom 4 strings. So to make it easier you do not have to form the full chords to get the right sound.
The first chord is the F sharp. Rather than making the full chord just barre the B and high E string on the second fret with your first finger. Then press on the G string of the third fret using your middle finger with your third finger on the fourth fret of the D string.
The next chord is the B7 which looks like this. Again you can make it easier just by playing the bottom 4 strings.
---2--
-------
---2--
---1--
---2--
-------
Then it goes to the E chord but you are going to play it as the C shape which is on the fourth fret. To form it just use your first finger to barre the bottom 3 strings. Then press on the 5th fret of the B string with your next finger. Finally take your third finger and press on the sixth fret of the D string.
The next chord will be very easy to make because all you have to do is hold that E chord but then bring your pinky on board to press down the sixth fret of the G string to form a C sharp minor chord.
The next chord is the A major so go up a fret and up one string and you got it. Then we move back to the F sharp by simply moving down 2 frets. Form a D major by keeping your first finger barred on the third fret. Then take your middle finger and press on the third fret of the B string.
The riff ends on the B7th. That is the first go around. There are some changes in the next verses so be sure to listen carefully and check out the guitar tabs. Also feel free to challenge yourself with the solo.
Sunday Bloody Sunday By U2
Complete with a Riff, Power Chords, and Harmonics
This is my personal favorite song by U2 although I never really got into them. I think it is a great guitar song to learn as it has a nice variety of guitar techniques. It is structured with an opening riff that is repeated throughout the song as well as power chords and harmonics during the verse.Then there is a nice solo you can learn as it is in the tabs. Just keep in mind that the tabs will be different to how I am explaining it here because it is played tuned down to E flat. I am going to explain it assuming you are in standard tuning.
The song is in the key of B flat minor. I find it best to play the opening riff by barring the bottom 4 strings on the sixth fret. Then take your third finger and press on the D string of the eighth fret. Take your pinky and press on the A string of the eighth fret so that it looks like a C shape like this.
---6--
---6--
---6--
---8--
---9--
---x--
Then strum the D string down to the B string for the first chord. Take off your third finger so you are just playing the barred sixth fret. Then put your third finger back on and move the riff up a string to include the F note.
I know it sounds funny but just listen to it and you will get the hang of it. This riff goes around 3 times and then at about 30 seconds into the song you switch to the power chords. It alternates between the D flat chord which you can play just by keeping the sixth fret barred then it switches to the E flat minor. Move up two frets so you are on the eighth fret. Then make an A minor shape.
Once the next switch happens you will start playing the power chords. The pattern goes from B flat minor, to D flat, and finish with an F sharp. The chord changes may sound unusual because of the tuning but just listen to it and practice the strumming.
If you are going to look at the guitar tabs please note they are for E flat tuning which means you would have to tune your strings down 1/2 a step to match the tone.
Purple Haze By Jimi Hendrix
This Should Be Mandatory for Every Guitar Player to Learn
Finally we get to possibly the greatest guitar riff/song of all time, Purple Haze, Hendrix's signature song. Pretty much anybody who has played a guitar has been inspired by Hendrix one way or another.This blues classic is known for being played with the "Hendrix chord" which is also known as an E7 sharp 9 if you want to get technical. To play the opening riff check out the tablature and listen to the song as always to really get a feel for it.
After the intro you are going to play a three chord pattern. It goes from the Hendrix chord (E7 Sharp 9) down to a G major. Up to the A major and back to the Hendrix chord which looks like this.
---0---
---8---
---7---
---6---
---7---
---0---
Then there is going to be this lick after the verse which goes like this. Hit the ninth fret of the G string with your third finger. Have your first finger two frets down. So play those two notes followed by the B note which is on the ninth fret of the D string.
Slide your first finger into that same B note and play the seventh fret of the G string. Then you are going to use your middle finger to play the eighth fret of the B string only you are going to bend it. Play this riff twice.
As always it is much easier to listen to the song so you get a feel for the music and your playing becomes much smoother. This is why I recommend learning to play by ear because you will sound much better than reading tabs all day eventhough they can help when you are stuck.
Whole Lotta Love By Led Zeppelin
Getting the Led Out Once Again
I had to include another classic Zeppelin riff. They are very addicting once you get into their music. Jimmy Page is like a riff god. So many of their songs have amazing riffs it just blows my mind.Anyway this is one of their most popular ones. Whole Lotta Love is in the key of B. The riff stays the same throughout the entire song until the break (the theremin solo) followed by his guitar solo which you can learn how to play with the help of the guitar tabs below.
So the riff goes like this. Start with your third finger on the fifth fret of the low E string. Then slide it to the seventh fret for the B note. Then play the D note on the A string below. Do this by putting your first finger on the fifth fret of the A string.
Alternate those two notes a couple of times and then end it by putting your third finger on the A string of the seventh fret. Leave the low E string open and play those those strings. So it looks like this.
-------
-------
-------
-------
---7--
---0--
You just want to play those notes 7 times once the song starts out. Then it will switch to 3 beats once the other instruments start playing. This is played throughout until the long break. It is pretty simple but is a great song to know for beginners.
The Best Way to Learn Guitar
Learning By Ear
The best way to learn guitar is by mastering the skill of listening to music and then play what you hear on your guitar.Playing by ear is the more natural way to learn guitar. It is how the greatest guitar players who ever lived learned how to play. Think about it. They didn't even have tab booklets back then let alone guitar teachers. They had to learn everything by ear including the major and minor chords.
But nowadays we are lucky to have a wealth of information on how to learn the basics. This way we can progress faster. My suggestion to new guitar players is always the same. Start out by learning and mastering the fundamentals of guitar.
This includes the chords, some scales, basic guitar theory, guitar techniques, and rhythm. You want to learn some guitar theory because it will give you a basic understanding of the fretboard so you know what you are doing. You do not have to learn about the fretboard but I believe it gives you a big boost in your learning curve.
Then after about two months of practicing the basics every day for a little while you should then dive right into learning guitar songs by ear. At first you can learn how to read tabs so you can take the short cuts to learning songs. But then you will want to learn by ear.
Learning guitar by ear will make you a smooth player. You will be able to pick up songs within minutes just by listening to them. It takes a while to master sure but the reward is much greater than learning with guitar tabs.
There is a comprehensive guitar course called Jamorama that I recommend for complete beginners. It goes through the basics in a very easy-to-understand fashion. Not only that but they have a powerful ear training software called Guit-Ear-It that will help you develop your ears in no time. For more information you can check out these online guitar lessons.
Hope you found this lens helpful in your journey to master guitar. And don't forget to keep rockin! \m/
by ScottyMcGee
Hello there, my name is Pete and I have been playing guitar for a few years now. I am a huge fan of classic rock and roll music.
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