If you read up the Jai Ashok Mahtani guide for purchasing your first acoustic guitar and got yourself a classic guitar yourself, but are still confused about where to start, then don’t worry! I don’t leave my students hanging! I have compiled a list of a few simple but classic songs by great bands for you to start your guitar journey.
The songs mentioned below are easy, the progression is suitable, and the chords are for beginners. Though there might be some setting in the different strumming patterns, I believe that if you want to get started on playing your newly bought acoustic guitar, and what to start with chords instead of leads, these songs are perfect for you.
Take note that all of the songs vary in their genre as well as playing styles. That is because there is a high probability that you will find your playing style through the following songs as a guitarist’s personality starts developing the moment he touches the instrument. So try out all songs and move forward if you find it too difficult. But I would suggest to sincerely give a try to all songs, who knows? Maybe you could be the next Paul McCartney or Johnny Cash!
The Cranberries- Zombies
Zombie! Zombie! Zombie! This song is as powerful as it is simple. From the strumming pattern to the basic chords, you would think this song would not be so beautiful when you will play it on your guitar, but boy are you wrong. Zombies is that song that lights an insatiable fire in every young guitarist’s soul. It is the perfect and most graceful tune to have it be your first song.
Chords-Em, C, G, D/F#.
Imagine Dragons- Radioactive
Who can believe that one of the most popular songs by one of the most popular bands of the past decade would end up on a beginner songs list? Well, believe it or not, Radioactive despite it’s one billion views on YouTube is one of the simplest songs to learn on an acoustic guitar. The four employed chords are the first chords that a guitar student learns and the strumming pattern is extremely simple. I would suggest practicing Radioactive on your new guitar till your fingers bleed as this song can make a new student understand the true beauty of the guitar.
Chords: Am, C, G, D.
Green Day- Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
Green Day, one of the most OG bands of all time has released many songs over its 20 years of music production. In addition to arguably being the most popular song of Green Day and being the anthem of everyone in an engineering college, Boulevard of Broken Dreams is also a perfect beginner’s song. Its chords and shifting pattern is basic though the new students might take some time to get into the strumming part of the song. A classic song and a very simple song, I would Boulevard Of Broken Dreams by Green Day is the best song for new students who like the rock and pop sound of the acoustic more than its soft counterpart.
Chords: Em, G, D, A.
The Beatles- Love Me Do
This song by the most legendary band of all time, the Beatles falls under the softer side of the acoustic guitar. A classic love song by the most popular band of all time, Love Me Do is a great choice as a beginner’s song. The rhythm is easy to get into and it also teaches the new student how to change in between chords. The strumming pattern is fairly easy and helps in the development of advanced strumming that the student would learn in the future. Undoubtedly one of the classiest songs a beginner can learn on his new acoustic guitar.
Chords: G, C, D, F.
Guns ‘n’ Roses- Patience
Imagine picking up your new guitar and playing a song by one of the most mainstream hardcore bands of all time. Well, you don’t have to imagine anymore! Guns ‘n’ Roses might be the reason why many, many young guitarists pick up the instruments. From legendary solos to power chords, playing a Guns ‘n’ Roses song is not only impressive but also feels heavenly. Patience is one of the simpler songs of this gem of a band and requires only the 4 basic chords: A, G, C, D. I would say if you want to start building up your song arsenal to impress people on all the songs you can play, Patience by Guns ‘n’ Roses is a good choice. And if you start liking the power of Guns ‘n’ Roses so much, you can go on to form your rock band as well!
Chords: C, G, A, D.
Train- Hey Soul Sister!
A feel-good song by Train, Hey Soul Sister is sure to get on your mind the very moment you hear it. On top of that, it is a very simple song to play! If you are looking for a song that has beginner to intermediate difficulty, then Hey Soul Sister is a great option. It does require the F bar chord which might scare away new students but hey, you have to start somewhere, plus beginners can use the regular F chord if they find it more comfortable. The rest of the chords are basic and the strumming pattern requires a bit of practice. But repeated sessions and practicing sincerely can result in you playing this beautiful, soothing song in front of anyone you like. Also, take note that it may require some tuning to get the sound that matches the original song, but for learning purposes, following the tutorial below with a regularly tuned guitar will work out perfectly too.
Chords: C, G, Am, F
About Jai Ashok Mahtani
Jai Ashok Mahtani, USA is more than just a storyteller as he is also an artist who specializes in the creation of realistic images of “unphotographable” scenes using paint. Jai Mahtani is also famous for his Plein air works. He believes that directly making studies by observing his subjects can fuel his imagination.
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