Easiest Songs to Play on Guitar - Rock, Country, and More

• October 20, 2016
• Guitar Songs

It’s funny how the same three or four chords can be used to play rock, country, blues, and just about any other kind of music. Style is just a thing. You can do just about anything with a G chord. Different genres explore rhythms, tones, patterns, attitude etc to create a freshness or uniqueness and that’s how new music is made. There are easy songs to play on guitar in just about every style you can think of. In fact, it’s been said if you can play any song raw on an acoustic guitar and it holds up, it’s probably a good song. Here’s a few of the easiest songs to play on guitar.

Rock - Easiest Songs To Play On Guitar

“Every Rose Has Its Thorn” by Poison is a super easy song to play in the key of G. There are literally hundreds of these simple tunes. The Key of G or G family includes C, D, usually and Emi. These four basic chords will get you an endless list of popular songs.

How about, “Knocking On Heavens Door” by Bob Dylan or Guns and Roses? We like “I Love Rock and Roll” by Joan Jett or “All Right Now” by Free.

Oh, and another really easy rock song to play on guitar is “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Check it out! It’s G // D // Emi //// pretty much over and over.

 

 

 

 

All of these classic rock songs are very repetitive and overly simple. That’s the charm of so many popular songs. They’re very easy on the ear, first of all, and then the fact that they are easy to play makes them very desirable. For a few more rock tunes to try out, check out these easy guitar songs. We also made a list of easy rock anthems a while back that you might find interesting.

Country - Easiest Songs To Play On Guitar

These days there is a wide range of country music on the radio. There’s the traditional country and the classic rock sounding country. There’s even country that sounds like grunge or heavy rock. Again, style is just a thing.

Here are a few easy country songs to play on guitar. Let’s start with “Strawberry Wine” by Deana Carter. It’s a waltzy middle tempo tune with a very easy chord progression. “If I Die Young” by the Band Perry is a great acoustic guitar tune. You’ll need a capo but it’s fun to strum along to.

Ok, how about “Pontoon” by Little Big Town? Here’s an example of country with a twist. It has a cool summer feel to it. Still, it’s so easy to play. Then there’s some cool old country classics you’ll enjoy jamming on too. Like “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash or “Crazy” by Patsy Cline. Listen, just give it your best. It don’t have to be perfect, just keep jamming along until you sound correct. Have fun!

The Blues - Easiest Songs to Play on Guitar

Blues songs can sometimes be difficult only because of the tuning or irregular rhythms. Stevie Ray Vaughan used huge strings and tuned down, some tuned to open tunings and others were barely in tune at all.

 

 

 

Here’s a few easy blues songs to play on guitar: “The Thrill Is Gone” by B.B. King or try “Stormy Monday” by T. Bone Walker. “Born Under A Bad Sign” by Albert King is a classic and so much fun to jam on. “Memphis Blues” by W. C. Handy and finally, “Hell Bound On My Trail” by Robert Johnson are some really great songs to try out.

These songs are all classic blues, but the blues embodied so much more than just the chart-toppers. You could easily add spirituals like “Lay My Burden Down” by Mississippi Fred McDowell. Many spirituals helped us co-labor with the blues.

Many of these old tunes are just three chords and a groove. Listen to these and other staples. Try to get it in your soul and attempt to reproduce what you hear and feel. Try “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” a three-chord spiritual that you can bare down on.

Praise and Worship - Easiest Songs to Play on Guitar

Music is a universal language. It’s simply chords and notes or harmony and melody. Rhythms change and the purpose of the song might change, but the goal is the same: to access the listener and deliver a message or paint a picture.

With modern praise and worship, the goal is vertical. As they say, “Look upward to God and sing of your love for Him.” Here are a few classics you might add to your list of easiest songs to play on guitar.

“How Great Is Our God” by Chris Tomlin is one you can do in G or capo 2 and still play in G, but do it in A. It’s a four-chord song you’ll enjoy. Tim Hughes’ “Here I Am To Worship” is a wonderful lyric and very effective worship song. Do it in the key of C. It’s easy there and you can sing it low if you’re a man or high if you're a lady. Don’t get caught up in the dog and pony show.

There’s a dozen songs a week coming out in this genre. Look for the tried and true ones and learn them first. “Amazing Grace” is a traditional hymn but a must. A couple of more recent songs that’ll be around is “This Is Amazing Grace” by Phil Wickham and “Lord, I Need You” by Matt Maher. Also, try “10,000 Reasons” by Matt Redman.

Fortunately there is no shortage of easy worship songs for guitar, so you have plenty to work with.

Finally, There’s jazz, metal, folk, and a dozen more genres to explore. Find your favorite sound and pick the most doable songs and have fun. As we say, “There’s no wrong answer,” or “Rules are made to be broken.” Don’t tell your mom we said that. But, truly with music, bending the rules or actually bending the strings is how guitar developed into a thing.

Take away every little thing you can from these greats and make your own music. Don’t be surprised that later when people hear you play, they’ll say things like, “I hear this or that in your music. Who did you listen to when you were learning how to play.” It’s ok to sound a little like someone else. We all do.

If you're looking for easy songs to play on guitar, then there's a good chance that you also are in need of some quality guitar lessons. There may seem to be more virtue in being 100% self-taught, but guitar lessons will get you on the road to success much faster. At Pro Lessons, our teachers are the guys on the road each week playing to big crowds. Not only do we have the experts, but our online guitar lessons are affordable too. Click below to see how you can get started today.