There’s no question that the acoustic guitar is an excellent instrument for beginners. It’s a piece of cake to learn the basics, and countless easy guitar songs can be played on a guitar, whether it is rock, reggae, RnB, or pop songs.
Many of the songs listed below can be played on either an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar, with different chord progressions and strumming patterns. They all have three things in common: they’re easy to learn, well-known, and suitable for guitarists of all skill levels.
Now, Are you a beginner guitar player itching to play some fun, easy guitar songs? You’re in luck! Here are the top 5 easy acoustic guitar songs for beginners.
Overview
| SONG | ARTIST | YEAR OF RELEASE | CHORDS | STRUMMING PATTERN |
| Brown-Eyed Girl | Van Morrison | 1967 | C – Em – G – D7- G | D D U U D D |
| Sweet Home Alabama | Lynard Skynard | 1974 | D-Cadd9- G | D D D U. |
| Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door | Bob Dylan | 1990 | G- D- Am | D-U-D-U. |
| Wildest Dreams | Taylor Swift | 2014 | C- Em- D in the verses; G-D- Am- C in the choruses. | D-DU-U-DU |
| Twist and Shout | The Beatles | 1963 | D-G-A | D-DU-U-DU |
1. Brown-Eyed Girl by Van Morrison
In 2009, this song received a “Million-Air” certificate at the BMI London Awards evening. Presented to songs by European artists who have obtained multi-million US radio and television plays, this song topped the 2009 list with an incredible nine million performances since it was initially recorded.
Brown Eyed Girl’s chords aren’t too hard to learn, and the rhythm pattern isn’t too hard to figure out. But if you lend your ears very carefully, you can hear a great electric guitar in the background that picks out notes that sound like the melody.
Once you know how to play the song, you’ll be able to take your skills to the next level and try to play the beginning and the picking guitar in the background.
Guitar chords:
This song has 3 Major chords and 2 Minor Chords ( C-Major – E-Minor – G Major – D7 and G- Major)
Strumming pattern:
The basic strumming pattern is easy to learn, and you can add a few extra things to it to make it sound more interesting.
This is the basic pattern: D D U U D D.
2. Sweet Home Alabama by Lynard Skynard
The American Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd was the first to put out this song on their second album, Second Helping, in 1974.
The song was created in response to Neil Young’s 1970 song “Southern Man,” which criticised the whole South for the bloody history of slavery and its aftermath.
Guitar chords:
The three primary chords in this song are D-major, Cadd9, and G major.
Strumming pattern:
This is the basic pattern: D D D U.
3. Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan
It’s a four-chord wonder. A Dylan classic, this gospel-tinged folk tune first appeared on the soundtrack of Sam Peckinpah’s 1973 western, Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid. The chords, on the other hand, are a piece of cake.
Guitar chords:
These are the easy chords of the song: G Major- D- Major- A Minor chord. However, you don’t have to use the other chords (such as the alternate C form and the Am7 generated by fretting a 3rd-fret G note on the first string). For the time being, concentrate on just playing the primary chord sequence, especially if you’re a beginner guitar player.
Strumming pattern:
This is the basic pattern: D-U-D-U.
Strumming is the next step after getting the chords down. It is a 16th-note pattern that relies heavily on your sense of timing and musicality. In several instances, the strummed line seems to be driving the tune more than the percussion and bass. Make an effort to maintain a constant pace and avoid accelerating or decelerating.
4. Wildest Dreams by Taylor Swift
In 2015, the famous singer-songwriter did a small solo show where she showed that sometimes all you need to make a good song is a guitar and the bones of it. Swift gave a song a stunning new twist by playing it on a Johnny Marr signature Fender Jaguar and adding a touch of breakup. This version of the song might not have appealed to a more traditional guitar-playing audience otherwise.
Guitar chords:
C Major, E Minor, and D Major in the verses; G Major, D Major, A Minor, and C Major in the choruses.
Five shapes together! And with a slow tempo, we’d say that’s right in the zone for a beginner guitarist. Most likely, remembering the order of the chords is the hardest part. If you like these easy guitar songs, all you have to do is practise, practise, practise!
Strumming Pattern:
This is the Basic Pattern: D DUD DU
5. Twist and Shout by The Beatles
This was how the Beatles ended many of their early live shows. It was always a big hit when they played it live, and they chose it to be the first song they played at the first rock concert ever held in a stadium, on August 15, 1965, at Shea Stadium.
A lot of people think that the song was only recorded once. They did two takes, and they liked the first one best. John was utterly exhausted and sick as a dog. He took off his shirt to sweat it out, but he put it back on. The Beatles played two shows the next day, on February 12, 1963. The first was at the Azena Ballroom in Yorkshire, and the second was at the Astoria Ballroom in Lancashire.
Guitar chords:
Want to stay with simple open chords? Sure, it’s D-G-A through the song, except during the breaks, when it keeps going.
Strumming pattern
This is the basic pattern: D-DU-U-DU.
That’s a Wrap!
That’s all for today! If you are looking for more easy acoustic guitar songs, check out our other posts at National Guitar Academy for more easy guitar songs for beginners and acoustic guitar lessons with easy guitar chords. We will continue to provide song lists and lessons to help you become a better guitarist! Have trouble playing barre chords?
Visit nationalguitaracademy.com for more guitar lessons. For now, practice the songs we’ve covered in this post and keep learning new techniques. The more you play, the better. Thanks for reading!
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