Guitar Start Guide
Songs are easier when you know your chords. Jamorama is about $97, paid once, with 60 days to get your money back, and it teaches the chords behind these songs step by step.
Learns you songs step by step and listens as you play, slowing tricky bits down — a fun way to nail these tunes.
Try Simply Guitar free →The fastest way to fall in love with the guitar is to play a song you actually recognise. That’s why we’ve pulled together 20 easy guitar songs for beginners — grouped from dead-simple two-chord tunes up to slightly meatier four-chord classics. Every one uses open chords you’ll meet in your first few weeks, and for each we tell you the key chords and exactly why it’s a good starter. Whether you’d call them easy guitar songs, easy guitar chords songs, or just easy songs to play on guitar, the idea is the same: real tunes you can play with a handful of simple open chords.
Learn the chords slowly, keep your strumming hand moving even when you fumble a change, and pick songs you genuinely like. If you haven’t got your basic shapes down yet, start with our guide to your first guitar chords and then come back here.
How to use this list
Work top to bottom. The two-chord songs teach you to change between just two shapes in time — that single skill unlocks more songs than anything else. Once switching feels smooth, move to three and four chords. Don’t chase speed; chase clean changes at a slow, steady tempo, and let speed arrive on its own.
- Master the change, not the song. If two chords give you trouble, drill just those two.
- Keep strumming. A steady wrong strum beats a perfect stop-start every time.
- Use a capo. Many of these use a capo to match the original key — it makes chords easier, not harder.
The 20 songs at a glance
| Song | Artist | Chords | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eleanor Rigby (riff feel) | The Beatles | Em, C | 2-chord |
| Achy Breaky Heart | Billy Ray Cyrus | A, E | 2-chord |
| Born in the U.S.A. | Bruce Springsteen | B, E (capo-friendly A, D) | 2-chord |
| Feelin’ Alright | Joe Cocker | C, F | 2-chord |
| Jambalaya | Hank Williams | C, G | 2-chord |
| Sweet Home Alabama | Lynyrd Skynyrd | D, C, G | 3-chord |
| Bad Moon Rising | Creedence Clearwater Revival | D, A, G | 3-chord |
| Ring of Fire | Johnny Cash | G, C, D | 3-chord |
| Twist and Shout | The Beatles | D, G, A | 3-chord |
| Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door | Bob Dylan | G, D, Am, C | 3-4 chord |
| Three Little Birds | Bob Marley | A, D, E | 3-chord |
| Wild Thing | The Troggs | A, D, E | 3-chord |
| Leaving on a Jet Plane | John Denver | G, C, D | 3-chord |
| I’m Yours | Jason Mraz | G, D, Em, C | 4-chord |
| Let It Be | The Beatles | C, G, Am, F | 4-chord |
| No Woman No Cry | Bob Marley | C, G, Am, F | 4-chord |
| With or Without You | U2 | D, A, Bm, G | 4-chord |
| Country Roads | John Denver | G, Em, D, C | 4-chord |
| Zombie | The Cranberries | Em, C, G, D | 4-chord |
| Wonderwall | Oasis | Em7, G, D, A7sus4 (capo 2) | Slightly harder |
Two-chord songs to start today
Two chords is where confidence is born. Achy Breaky Heart (A and E) is almost a rite of passage — the changes are slow and forgiving, so it’s perfect for training your fingers to jump cleanly. Jambalaya (C and G) gives you two of the most useful chords in all of guitar, and once you can swap them in rhythm, dozens of folk and country tunes open up.
Feelin’ Alright loops C and F endlessly, which is a sneaky way to practise the tricky F chord in a low-pressure groove. Born in the U.S.A. is really just two chords hammered with attitude; play it with a capo to soften the shapes. And the driving Eleanor Rigby feel with Em and C shows you how much mood you can create with almost nothing.
Three-chord classics
Three chords is the sweet spot where songs start sounding like the record. Sweet Home Alabama cycles D, C and G in a repeating pattern that drills all three changes at once — brilliant value for your practice time. Bad Moon Rising and Ring of Fire use the same everyday chords in a bright, bouncy strum that’s forgiving of small mistakes.
Three Little Birds and Wild Thing both live in A, D and E, so learning one basically teaches you the other. They’re relaxed, repetitive and endlessly satisfying. Twist and Shout uses the same three chords with more energy, which is a great way to test whether your changes hold up at speed. If you want structured drills to go alongside these, our songs and practice section is built for exactly this stage.
Four-chord songs (and one slightly harder)
Add a fourth chord and you can play a huge chunk of modern pop and rock. Let It Be and No Woman No Cry share the same C, G, Am, F progression — the famous four-chord loop — so they’re a two-for-one deal. Country Roads and I’m Yours keep the changes flowing at a comfortable pace, and Zombie loops Em, C, G, D so relentlessly that it becomes muscle memory fast.
With or Without You introduces Bm, a slightly trickier shape, but the song is so slow you have all the time in the world to place your fingers. Finally, Wonderwall earns its “slightly harder” tag thanks to its stretchy chord shapes and capo, but it’s the song more beginners learn than almost any other — a proper milestone.
Tools that make learning songs faster
Learning by ear is a superpower, but a good app or course speeds things up enormously by slowing tracks down, looping tough bits and checking your timing. If you want something structured, our Jamorama review covers our recommended beginner course. Prefer an app that listens to your playing? Read our Simply Guitar review and our Yousician review to see which gamified approach fits you best.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest song to learn on guitar?
A two-chord song like Achy Breaky Heart (A and E) is about as easy as it gets. You only ever swap between two shapes, so you can focus entirely on making that one change smooth and in time.
How many songs should a beginner learn at once?
Two or three at a time is plenty. Pick one that’s comfortable, one that’s a slight stretch, and one just for fun. Rotating them keeps practice interesting without overwhelming your memory.
How long before I can play a full song?
Many beginners can strum a simple two-chord song within a week or two of regular practice. A clean three or four-chord song usually follows within the first month or two, depending on how often you play.
Should I use a capo as a beginner?
Yes. A capo lets you play easy open chords while matching the original key of a song, and it makes some shapes physically easier. It’s a normal, everyday tool, not a shortcut to feel guilty about.