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25 Easiest Guitar Songs To Play Right Now (Updated 2025 List)

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Are you ready to finally pick up that acoustic guitar and play a full song? The biggest hurdle for new guitar players is often the frustration of complex chords and fast-paced strumming, but the secret to success is starting with songs that use simple, open-position chords like G, C, D, Em, and Am. This comprehensive list, updated for December 2025, cuts through the noise to give you the most achievable and rewarding songs, blending timeless classics with chart-topping modern hits from artists like Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo.

Learning guitar should be fun, not a chore. By focusing on these tracks, you’ll quickly master basic chord transitions and strumming patterns, building the muscle memory and confidence you need to tackle more advanced material. Forget complicated barre chords for now—your journey to becoming a guitarist starts here, with just a few fingers on the fretboard.

The Essential 2- and 3-Chord Guitar Song List

The fastest way to feel like a real musician is to play a song with only two or three chords. These songs are the foundation of pop, rock, and folk music, proving that simplicity is often the key to a great tune. Mastering these will teach you the fundamental chord changes that appear in thousands of other songs.

Category 1: Two-Chord Wonders (Maximum Confidence)

These songs are perfect for your very first session. The chord changes are minimal, allowing you to focus entirely on your strumming hand and rhythm.

  • 1. "Wild Thing" – The Troggs (1966)
    • Chords: A, D, E (often simplified to A and D for a two-chord version).
    • Why it’s Easy: It's often cited as the absolute easiest song to play on guitar, featuring a simple, repetitive progression.
    • The Challenge: Practice a simple down-down-up-up-down-up strumming pattern.
  • 2. "My Generation" – The Who (1965)
    • Chords: G and F (can be played as simple open or power chords).
    • Why it’s Easy: The song is built on a simple two-chord riff, making it excellent for practicing a driving rock rhythm.
    • Topical Authority Fact: The song’s iconic stutter was a deliberate choice by Roger Daltrey, adding to its rebellious feel.
  • 3. "A Horse With No Name" – America (1971)
    • Chords: Em, D.
    • Why it’s Easy: This track uses a hypnotic, repetitive two-chord structure, making it ideal for practicing a consistent fingerpicking or gentle strumming pattern.

Category 2: The Three-Chord Revolution (The G-C-D Power Trio)

The G, C, and D chords are the holy trinity of beginner guitar. Once you can switch cleanly between these three, an entire library of music opens up. Many of the easiest and most famous songs ever written use this exact progression.

  • 4. "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" – Bob Dylan (1973)
    • Chords: G, D, C (and sometimes Am for variety).
    • Why it’s Easy: It’s a slow, ballad-style song with a simple, forgiving tempo, allowing plenty of time for chord changes.
    • Topical Authority Fact: The song was originally written for the soundtrack of the 1973 Western film *Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid*, playing during a poignant death scene.
  • 5. "Love Me Do" – The Beatles (1962)
    • Chords: G, C, D.
    • Why it’s Easy: A classic example of The Beatles using simple chord progressions to create catchy, timeless music.
  • 6. "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" – Green Day (1997)
    • Chords: G, C, D, Em. (Starts with G, C, D for the main verse).
    • Why it’s Easy: Despite being a rock band, this acoustic ballad is slow and uses beginner-friendly open chords.
  • 7. "Sweet Home Alabama" – Lynyrd Skynyrd (1974)
    • Chords: D, C, G.
    • Why it’s Easy: The main riff is a simple three-chord loop, though the fast strumming requires practice.
  • 8. "Achy Breaky Heart" – Billy Ray Cyrus (1992)
    • Chords: A, D, E.
    • Why it’s Easy: This country hit is known for being one of the easiest songs to play, consisting almost entirely of the three chords in the key of A.

Trending Hits: Easy Songs from the 2020s

You don't have to stick to oldies! The latest pop and folk hits are often built on simple, repeatable chord structures, making them perfect for the modern beginner. Playing a song your friends actually recognize is a huge motivator.

Modern Pop and Folk Songs with Simple Chords

  • 9. "willow" – Taylor Swift (2020)
    • Chords: Em, C, G, D.
    • Why it’s Easy: This folk-inspired track has a gentle tempo and a simple, repeating four-chord progression that is excellent for practicing smooth transitions.
    • Topical Authority Fact: The song uses the metaphor of a willow tree to convey a romantic state of mind, symbolizing her desire to "come back stronger than a 90's trend."
  • 10. "drivers license" – Olivia Rodrigo (2021)
    • Chords: Bm, G, D, Em (can be capoed to simplify the Bm chord).
    • Why it’s Easy: The song’s power comes from its slow, emotional delivery. Even with a trickier chord like Bm, the slow pace gives you time to make the change.
    • Topical Authority Fact: "drivers license" broke multiple streaming records upon its release, becoming the fastest song to surpass 100 million streams in Spotify history.
  • 11. "Blinding Lights" – The Weeknd (2019)
    • Chords: F, C, G, Am (often played with a capo to avoid the F barre chord).
    • Why it’s Easy: While the original is synth-heavy, the acoustic version uses a highly repetitive, driving four-chord loop, perfect for practicing a steady rhythm.
    • Topical Authority Fact: The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, has been noted for his unique stage moniker, which he adopted after dropping out of high school.
  • 12. "Levitating" – Dua Lipa (2020)
    • Chords: Am, Dm, G, C.
    • Why it’s Easy: The disco-pop vibe translates well to acoustic guitar using basic open chords. The progression is straightforward and cyclical.

Building Your Skill: Songs for Strumming and Rhythm

Once you can change chords smoothly, the next step is mastering rhythm and strumming patterns. These songs are slightly more complex than the 2- and 3-chord songs but are excellent for developing your strumming hand coordination.

Category 3: Rhythm and Strumming Builders (4-Chord Progressions)

  • 13. "Horse With No Name" – America (1971)
    • Chords: Em, D (Repeat).
    • Rhythm Focus: The simple two-chord structure allows you to experiment with different strumming dynamics and patterns, from light fingerpicking to a full, driving down-up strum.
  • 14. "Wonderwall" – Oasis (1995)
    • Chords: Em7, G, Dsus4, A7sus4 (often simplified to Em, G, D, A).
    • Rhythm Focus: While the chords look complex, the simple finger position (a two-finger shape kept on the fretboard) and the iconic, slightly muted strumming pattern are the real lessons here.
  • 15. "Brown Eyed Girl" – Van Morrison (1967)
    • Chords: G, C, G, D.
    • Rhythm Focus: This song is a masterclass in a simple, upbeat folk-rock strum. The changes are predictable, letting you focus on keeping time.
  • 16. "Let It Be" – The Beatles (1970)
    • Chords: C, G, Am, F (often simplified to a four-chord loop).
    • Rhythm Focus: The slow, gentle ballad tempo is perfect for practicing a clean, consistent down-down-up strum that emphasizes the melody.
  • 17. "Ho Hey" – The Lumineers (2012)
    • Chords: C, G, Am, F (the easier F chord version).
    • Rhythm Focus: The song’s catchy, driving rhythm requires a strong, percussive strum, which is great for developing hand control and timing.

The Next Level: Songs for Fingerpicking and Advanced Chords

Once you’re comfortable with strumming, these songs will introduce you to basic fingerpicking, more complex chord shapes, and minor keys, significantly expanding your repertoire and musicality.

Category 4: Introducing Minor Keys and Fingerstyle

  • 18. "Hallelujah" – Leonard Cohen (1984)
    • Chords: C, Am, F, G, Em.
    • Skill Focus: The song features a slow, elegant tempo and a beautiful arpeggiated (picked) pattern. It’s perfect for learning to pick individual notes of a chord.
  • 19. "Nutshell" – Alice in Chains (1994)
    • Chords: Em, C, G, Am.
    • Skill Focus: This is a great introduction to playing in a minor key (Em), which adds a moody, emotional sound to your playing. It’s a four-chord song in the key of Em.
  • 20. "Can't Help Falling In Love" – Elvis Presley (1961)
    • Chords: D, A, Bm, G, Em, A.
    • Skill Focus: This classic ballad is often played with a simple fingerpicking pattern and is a gentle way to introduce the Bm chord, which is a common transition point to barre chords.
  • 21. "I Wanna Be There" – Blessed Union of Souls (1995)
    • Chords: G, D, Em, C.
    • Skill Focus: This is a simple four-chord pop song that provides excellent practice for the "I-V-vi-IV" progression, one of the most common chord sequences in music history.
  • 22. "Linger" – The Cranberries (1993)
    • Chords: Am, G, C, F.
    • Skill Focus: The slow, dreamy tempo is ideal for practicing the transition to the F chord, often considered the first major hurdle for beginners.

Essential Beginner Guitar Entities Checklist

To maximize your topical authority and ensure you’re covering the full scope of beginner guitar learning, make sure you are familiar with these core concepts and chords. This is your essential LSI keyword and entity list for success:

  • Core Open Chords: G, C, D, Em, Am, E, A.
  • Challenging Beginner Chords: F, Bm.
  • Techniques: Strumming Patterns, Chord Transitions, Fingerpicking, Capo Use.
  • Key Concepts: Simple Chord Progression, Open Position, Muscle Memory, Acoustic Guitar Songs.
  • Artists/Songs: Taylor Swift ("willow"), Bob Dylan ("Knockin' On Heaven's Door"), Olivia Rodrigo ("drivers license"), The Weeknd ("Blinding Lights"), The Beatles, Green Day, Lynyrd Skynyrd.

By consistently practicing the songs on this updated 2025 list, you will not only be playing recognizable music but also building the foundational skills needed to tackle any song you desire. Start slow, be patient with your fingertips, and keep strumming!

25 Easiest Guitar Songs to Play Right Now (Updated 2025 List)
easy songs to play on guitar
easy songs to play on guitar

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