Best song for a beginner to learn

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Permalink Reply by Keith (Co-Founder Of GPU) on July 6, 2009 at 2:01pm

Hey I just came across this list from another guitar teach from next level guitar, I thought I would pass it along. It is a list of great songs to learn:

LIST OF EASY AND FUN SONGS:

ALL OPEN CHORD SONGS:
Horse with no name by America
Last kiss covered by Pearl Jam
Good Riddance, Time of your Life strumming version by Green Day
Turn the Page by Bob Seager
Heart of Gold by Neil Young
Hey Jude by The Beatles
Take It Easy by The Eagles
Patience by Guns & Roses
American Pie by Don McLean
Times Like These, acoustic version by The Foo Fighters
Knocking on Heavens Door by Bob Dylan or Guns & Roses version
Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffet
Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Every Rose Has Its Thorn by Poison
Story of my Life, acoustic version by Mike Ness of Social Distortion
Atlantic City by Bruce Springsteen
Me and Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin
What I Got by Sublime
Who will save your Soul by Jewell
Blister In the Sun by The Violent Femmes
Nutshell, acoustic version by Alice in Chains
Swing Life Away by Rise Against
Let it Be by The Beatles, change key to G major, then wont need F chord
If It Makes You Happy by Sheryl Crow
You've got to hide your love away by The Beatles
Wonderwall by Oasis - capo 2nd fret
The Scientist by Coldplay - capo 3rd fret
You're Beautiful by James Blunt - capo 8th fret
Collide by Howie Day capo 4th fret
How's It Gonna Be by Third Eye Blind - capo 3rd fret
Wild Night by Van Morrison
Wild Thing by The Trogs
Billie Jean in the acoustic version covered by Chris Cornell
Zombie by The Cranberries
The Joker by Steve Miller Band - on acoustic play all open chords with that one riff
Brain Damage by Pink Floyd - easy open chord arpeggiating and strumming

F CHORD NEEDED _ ALL OTHER CHORDS OPEN:
Hurt the Johnny Cash version
I am the Highway, acoustic version by Audioslave
House of the rising sun by The Animals
Wild World by Cat Stevens
Pink Houses by John Cougar
Mr. Jones by The Counting Crows
Have You Ever Seen The Rain by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Mother by Pink Floyd
New Slang by The Shins
Fix You by Coldplay - capo at 3rd fret
I remember You by Skid Row - sounds nice on acoustic
Head Over Feet by Alanis Morrisette
Champagne Supernova by Oasis
Runaway Train by Soul Asylum
Losing My Religion by REM
Should I Stay or Should I go by The Clash
Like A Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan
Don't Cry by Guns & Roses
Otherside by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Drops of Jupiter by Train

ONE BAR CHORD NEEDED:
Peaceful Easy Feeling by The Eagles
Tangled up in Blue by Bob Dylan
Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day
Against the Wind by Bob Seager
Stay by Lisa Loeb - capo 6th fret
Yellow by Coldplay - capo 2nd fret
High & Dry by Radiohead
Californication by The Red Hot Chili Peppers
Man on the Moon by REM
Whats Up by 4 non Blondes
Counting Blue Cars by Dishwalla
Killing me Softly with his song by Roberta Flack and covered by many
In your Eyes by Peter Gabriel - sounds great on acoustic
Polly by Nirvana
Strong Enough by Sheryl Crow

TWO BAR CHORDS NEEDED:
Hotel California strumming version by The Eagles
I will survive, Cake version
Desperado by The Eagles
Everybody Hurts by REM
Caring is Creepy by The Shins
Flake by Jack Johnson
Nowhere Man by The Beatles

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Permalink Reply by Anthony Wayne Brobeck on July 9, 2009 at 12:26am

I started playing the guitar all the way back in 1961. Back then the first song to learn was the Wildwood Flower. This got me to thinking. What would be a good song to learn today? How about?, No, I can't play that one. Maybe?, No, not that one either. I GOT IT. 12 bar Blues out of the key of "A". Many of songs derived from this one. Chuck Berry, Bo Diddely, Lonnie Mack, The Beatles and the Stones, they all learned this one. It's easy enough and sounds great to.

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Permalink Reply by Ben on December 31, 2009 at 7:53pm

You may not like how it sounds, but Brown-eyed Girl is really easy, being a 3-chord song, just don't learn the intro ;)

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Permalink Reply by Tom Conklin on February 27, 2010 at 9:01pm

I've always thought that Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" andJohn Lennon's "Imagine" were fairly simple. You might give them a try. :)

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Permalink Reply by Curt Cossitt on March 11, 2010 at 6:22pm

I started with House of the Rising Sun. Am-C-D-F-Am-C-E-E Am-C-D-F-Am-E-Am-E. Good practice for changing chords and has the dreaded F chord. The song is in 3/4 time - each chord is strummed 6 times. Once comfortable with playing the chords, you can arpeggio them (play the individual notes) instead of strumming them. All of us started with this song back in 1970 many moons ago. Feel free to ask any questions.

Curt

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