Acoustic guitar songs every beginner should learn

• Understanding Chord Progressions: Playing songs helps you see how different chords fit together musically. This understanding is great for creating your own music and improving your overall guitar skills.

• Improving Rhythm and Timing: Songs provide a structured way to practice rhythm and timing. Playing along with recordings or a metronome helps you develop a steady tempo and syncopation skills.

• Building Muscle Memory: Repeating chord shapes and transitions in the context of a song builds muscle memory, making it easier to change chords smoothly and quickly.

• Enhancing Strumming and Picking Techniques: Different songs require various strumming patterns and fingerpicking techniques, giving you a practical way to improve these skills.

• Staying Motivated: Practising really becomes fun, playing the music you love. It gives you a real sense of accomplishment.

• Developing Ear Training: Learning to play by ear and recognizing chord changes and melodies within songs enhances your overall musical ear, which will make it easier to learn new songs and improvise.

• Performance Readiness: Knowing how to play complete songs prepares you for performing in front of others (I played my first show after 3 months from learning just a few chords on the guitar).

So, what makes a good first song to learn on acoustic guitar?

When choosing songs to learn as a beginner, you should generally think about these factors:

• Simplicity of Chords: Songs with basic open chords are ideal.

• Easy Strumming Patterns: Simple rhythms help keep a steady beat.

• Familiarity and Popularity: Recognizable songs can be more motivating.

• Repetitive Chord Progressions: Repetition helps you master chord changes.

► ARTMASTER TIP: When learning acoustic guitar, there are some music tools you’ll need. We've put together a collection of essential tools for acoustic guitar, where you’ll find a chord chart generator, a metronome, and a guitar tuner.

I am very much from the era of Nirvana and. despite it being a bit more difficult on an acoustic, their songs helped me thrash out power chords, improve my strumming and build calluses (check out Dre DiMura’s Electric Guitar for Beginners course to learn “Smells Like Teen Spirit”). Although I wouldn't recommend it as a first acoustic song (unless you are a diehard fan, of course).

Simply put, there is no single easiest song to play on guitar, and as I said it does depend a lot on your musical taste. But this one is a classic and as you only need to learn 2 of the simplest chords for the verse it is perfect as your first acoustic song.

"For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield

• Chords: E, A

• Tip: Focus on smooth chord transitions and maintaining a steady strumming pattern to capture the song's laid-back feel.

Don’t take my word for it, Orbel Babayan (Scars on Broadway) chose it as your first song in his ArtMaster Acoustic for Beginners course. Have a look at his free lesson below where he teaches you how to play it.

Playing Your First Song

Find out how to start playing "For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield. To take full advantage of it, make sure you have learnt E and A chords first:

If you're feeling inspired, try out Orbels’s Acoustic for Beginners course for free with our 7-day trial.

I’ve, perhaps controversially, included Wonderwall by Oasis which often pops up on these lists. But its more interesting chord variations and strong melody make it great for learning acoustic (unless you hate it, of course).

Anyway, there are plenty of popular acoustic guitar songs for beginners and you’ll be surprised how easy some of them are to learn. In fact, you'll notice that some of the songs chords are quite similar to each other.

Below, I’ve included just the basic progressions of the songs, roughly ordered from easiest to hardest.

First on the list is another 2 chord guitar song:

1. "Horse With No Name" by America

• Chords: Em, D6add9/F#

Two chords make it easy to learn and ideal for practising strumming and rhythm. Pay attention to the rhythm and strumming pattern to give the song its distinctive desert feel.

Next a few classic 3 chord songs:

2. "Love Me Do" by The Beatles

• Chords: G, C, D

Simple and fun song using easy-to-play chords. If you have one handy, you or a friend could practice the harmonica part along with the guitar to get a fuller experience.

3. "Stay With Me" by Sam Smith

• Chords: Am, F, C

Slow tempo makes it easy to follow along. Focus on the timing and dynamics of your strumming to match the emotional depth of the song.

4. "Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry

• Chords: D, A, E

A rock and roll classic that is not only fun to play but also helps beginners understand basic blues and rock progressions.

Once you move onto songs with a 4 chord progression, you will be well on your way.

5. "Riptide" by Vance Joy

• Chords: Am, G, C, F

Repetitive strumming pattern, making it very beginner-friendly. Focus on consistent strumming and chord changes to keep up with the song’s upbeat tempo.

6. "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran

• Chords: G, Em, C, D

Simple chord progression, great for practising smooth transitions. Practice fingerpicking the intro to add a touch of complexity and beauty to the song.

7. "Let Her Go" by Passenger

• Chords: G, C, D, Em

Gentle strumming pattern. Try fingerpicking to bring out the song’s delicate and emotional qualities.

8. "Shallow" by Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper

• Chords: Em, D, G, C

Simple chords at slow tempo, making it easy to follow. Emphasize dynamics in your strumming to match the song’s powerful build-up.

9. "Someone Like You" by Adele

• Chords: A, E, F#m, D

With simple chords and a beautiful melody, this song is both easy to play and emotionally engaging. Work on your timing and finger placement to capture the song's emotional impact.

10. "Wonderwall" by Oasis

• Chords: Em7, G, Dsus4, A7sus4, Cadd9

More varied, colourful chords with a simple strumming pattern. Focus on mastering the strumming pattern and chord transitions to capture the song’s iconic sound.

► ARTMASTER TIP: To help you read chord charts, check out our guide which includes another free guitar tutorial — How to play any guitar chord

1. "Photograph" by Ed Sheeran: E, C#m, A, B

2. "Budapest" by George Ezra: G, C, Am, F

3. "Blackbird" by The Beatles: G, A7, C, C#m, D, Em, F#m

4. "Yellow" by Coldplay: G, D, C, Em

5. "Tenerife Sea" by Ed Sheeran: D, A, Bm, G

6. "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley: A, D, E

7. "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison: G, C, D, Em

8. "Hey There Delilah" by Plain White T's: D, F#m, Bm, G, A

9. "Zombie" by The Cranberries: Em, Cmaj7, G6, D/F#

10. "Blowin' in the Wind" by Bob Dylan: G, C, D

It's always handy to have some tips to keep you focused. Here are a few to help you make the most of your practice sessions:

• Practice Regularly: Consistent practice is key to improvement.

• Start Slow: Play songs at a slower tempo initially, then gradually increase speed.

• Use a Metronome: Helps maintain a steady rhythm. Find out how here.

• Record Yourself: Listening to recordings can help identify areas for improvement.

• Fretboard Familiarity: Learn the notes on the fretboard to understand chord shapes and scales.

• Chord Transitions: Practice changing chords slowly at first, ensuring each note rings clearly.

• Strumming Techniques: Experiment with different strumming patterns to develop a sense of rhythm.

• Finger Strength: Exercises like pressing down on the strings with each finger can improve strength and dexterity.

• Ear Training: Try to play songs by ear to develop your musical ear and recognize chords and progressions.

► ARTMASTER TIP: Find out more practice tips in our comprehensive guide - The art of effective music practice

Almost every time you pick up your guitar, you should tune up. Fortunately, we have a great guide to tuning your guitar.

• Warm-Up: Start with finger exercises to warm up your hands.

• Chords Practice: Spend 10-15 minutes practising chord changes.

• Strumming Patterns: Dedicate time to practice different strumming patterns.

• Song Practice: Choose one or two songs to work on each practice session.

• Cool Down: End with some easy play or improvisation to relax.

If you want to learn acoustic guitar, I highly recommend Orbel Babayan's course. He is an experienced musician and teacher with over 15 years of industry expertise and his course is geared towards getting you to play some of the songs from my list. It's really a great place to start.

You can try it out for free with our FREE 7-Day Trial!