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56 Easy Acoustic Guitar Songs Everyone Should Know

July 26, 2023

56 Easy Acoustic Guitar Songs Everyone Should Know

Learning how to play acoustic guitar songs can be fun and rewarding. There are a variety of easy songs to learn on acoustic guitar that you can start with, which will help you build your skills. Once you have mastered these simple tunes, you can move on to more difficult ones.

If you’re new to the guitar and not sure which songs to learn first, these easy acoustic guitar songs are a great place to get started. The following songs are timeless classics for a reason. Regardless of whatever stage of musicianship you’re at, you can learn a wealth of information from these easy acoustic songs.

If you’re a beginner playing for the first time, these acoustic songs can teach you some of the most common chords and progressions used by guitarists. If you are an advanced guitarist, then you can focus on the elements that make these songs effortlessly memorable, such as the feel, the lyrics, and the song structure. Later, you can use these elements to write your own songs!

In this post, we’ll tell you about some easy songs to learn on acoustic guitar so you can get started jammin’ today.

What is the Easiest Song to Play on Acoustic Guitar?

Here are some of the best songs for acoustic guitar beginners:

  • America – Horse With No Name
  • Tom Petty – Free Fallin’ 
  • Van Morrison – Brown Eyed Girl
  • The Animals – House of the Rising Sun
  • Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here 

The list doesn’t end there, of course. There are plenty of other easy acoustic guitar songs for beginners out there! 

Ready to take your playing up a notch? Check out some of our more advanced acoustic guitar lessons now. See what guitar lessons have to offer – taking a look at the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfZ64yEGPok 

5 Easy Acoustic Guitar Songs

Here are some of the best easy songs for acoustic guitar beginners (with easy acoustic guitar songs tabs) that everyone should know, ordered from simple to complex.

1. America – Horse With No Name

This easy acoustic guitar song was written by Dewey Bunnell from the band, America. Charting high in several countries in 1971 and 1972, it was America’s first and most famous single.

  • Chords: Emin, F#min
  • Form: Intro, Verse, Verse, Pre-chorus, Chorus, Verse, Pre-chorus, Chorus, Solo, Verse, Pre-chorus, Chorus (2X)
  • Get the tabs here

2. Tom Petty – Free Fallin’

One of our favorite easy fun guitar songs was written by Tom Petty and his collaborator, Jeff Lynne. This song is the opening track for Petty’s album, Full Moon Fever, which was released in 1989. This is Petty’s longest charting song and it peaked at #7 on Billboard. Rolling Stones ranked it #179 on their list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”.

  • Chords: D, Dsus4, D, Asus4
  • Form: Intro, Verse, Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Verse, Chorus (2X)
  • Get the tabs here

3. Van Morrison – Brown Eyed Girl

This song by Van Morrison was released in 1967 on his solo album, Blowin’ Your Mind! It peaked at #10 on Billboard’s charts. This was his first single released as a solo artist and it also launched his career. Rolling Stones ranked it at #110 on their list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”.

  • Chords: G, C, G, D
  • Form: Intro, Verse, Verse, Chorus, Instrumental, Verse, Chorus
  • Get tabs here

SEE ALSO: Easy Guitar Tabs to Play Now

4. The Animals – House of the Rising Sun

This is another one of the most popular easy songs for acoustic guitar. Although it’s uncertain who wrote this song, the most famous version was recorded by The Animals in 1964. Their version reached #1 on Billboard in the U.S. and also charted in the U.K., Canada, Sweden, and Finland. Rolling Stones ranked it at #123 on their list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”.

  • Chords: Amin, C, D, F, Amin, C, E
  • Form: Intro, Chorus, Verse, Verse, Solo, Verse, Verse, Chorus
  • Get the tabs here

5. Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here

Written by David Gilmore and Roger Waters of Pinkfloyd, this is the title track for Pinkfloyd’s 1975 album, Wish You Were Here. Since the original release of the song in 1975, it has charted high in numerous countries. Rolling Stones ranked it at #324 on their list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”.

  • Chords: C, D, Amin, G, D, C, Amin, G
  • Form: Intro, Verse, Verse, Intro, Verse, Intro (2X)
  • Get the tabs here

Easy Rock Songs to Play on Acoustic Guitar

Our list doesn’t end there! Next, we’ll walk you through some easy beginner songs on acoustic guitar – sorted by genre.

Here are some easy rock songs to play on acoustic guitar for beginners. 

  • “The Joker” – Steve Miller Band
  • “Have You Ever Seen The Rain” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
  • “Layla” – Eric Clapton
  • “Take it Easy” – The Eagles
  • “Patience” – Guns n Roses
  • “I Won’t Back Down” – Tom Petty
  • “You Might Think” – The Cars
  • “Yesterday” – The Beatles
  • “House of the Rising Sun” – The Animals
  • “Light My Fire” – The Doors
  • “Lola” -The Kinks
  • “Angie” – The Rolling Stones
  • “Ziggy Stardust” – David Bowie 
  • “All Apologies” – Nirvana
  • “Like a Stone” – Audioslave
  • “Mrs Robinson” – Simon and Garfunkel
  • “California Dreamin” – The Mamas and the Papas 
  • “Losing My Religion” – R.E.M.
  • “American Pie” – Don McLean
  • “Wonderwall” – Oasis
  • “Knockin On Heavens Door” – Bob Dylan
  • “Wanted Dead or Alive” – Bon Jovi
  • “Heartbreak Hotel” – Elvis Presley
  • “Ring of Fire” – Johnny Cash
  • “Redemption Song” – Bob Marley 
  • Easy Christian Acoustic Guitar Songs

    Here are some of the best acoustic songs to learn with easy acoustic guitar songs chords for your favorite Christian songs. 

    • “Amazing Love” – Hillsong
    • “10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)” – Matt Redman
    • “Build My Life” – Housefires
    • “Holy Spirit” – Bryan and Katie Torwalt
    • “Stronger” – Hillsong
    • “Amazing Grace” – Judy Collins
    • “Here I Am To Worship” – Tim Hughes
    • “Nearer, My God, To Thee” – Sarah Flower Adams
    • “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus” – George Duffield Jr

    Easy Country Acoustic Guitar Songs

    Country jammin’ more your speed? Here are some of the easiest songs to learn on the guitar for country music fans. 

    • “Wagon Wheel” – Old Crow Medicine Show
    • “Ring of Fire” – Johnny Cash
    • “Jambalaya” – Hank Williams
    • “Sixteen Tons” – Merle Travis
    • “Jolene” – Dolly Parton
    • “Cruise” – Florida Georgia Line
    • “Rockytop” – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
    • “When You Say Nothing At All” – Keith Whitley
    • “Achy Breaky Heart” – Billy Ray Cyrus
    • “Take Me Home, Country Roads” – John Denver
    • “I’m Gonna Be Somebody” – Travis Tritt
    • “Friends in Low Places” – Garth Brooks
    • “El Paso” – Marty Robbins
    • “Strawberry Wine” – Deanna Carter
    • “On the Road Again” – Willie Nelson
    • “Tennessee Whiskey” – Chris Stapleton
    • “It’s Your Love” – Tim McGraw

    Where Can I Find Easy Acoustic Guitar Songs Tabs?

    One of the most important aspects of learning easy acoustic guitar songs for beginners is finding the right songs to practice with. And if you are just starting out, then you need to start with easy acoustic guitar songs tabs. But where can you find these songs, besides the resources we linked to above? 

    Here are some options to help you find tabs for some easy songs to play on acoustic guitar – no matter which songs you choose to learn first!

    Online Resources

    The internet is full of free resources for beginner guitarists. You can find easy acoustic guitar tabs on websites like Ultimate Guitar, Songsterr, and E-chords. These sites offer a vast collection of tabs for many different songs. 

    And what’s great about these resources is that they are free to access, so you can practice to your heart’s content.

    YouTube Tutorials

    YouTube is another fantastic resource for beginner guitarists. There are countless guitar instructors on YouTube who offer free tutorials on how to play different easy guitar songs acoustic players might be learning on the guitar. You can search for tutorials on easy acoustic guitar songs tabs and watch as someone teaches you, step by step, how to play a certain song. You can even slow down the video to practice at your own pace.

    Guitar Books

    If you don’t want to rely on the internet, you can always turn to guitar books. There are many acoustic guitar books on the market that come with easy tabs included. You can find books that cater to different genres of music, so you can select one that interests you. 

    Guitar books are a great investment when you’re learning acoustic guitar easy songs because you can refer to them whenever you want, even when you don’t have access to the internet.

    Apps

    In today’s digital age, there are many guitar apps that you can use to find easy acoustic guitar tabs. Some popular apps include Justin Guitar, Guitar Tuna, and Real Guitar. These apps not only offer tabs for different songs but also come with other features to help you with easy songs to learn on acoustic guitar, like chord charts, metronomes, and tuners. 

    Apps are convenient because you can access them anywhere and anytime, making them ideal for people who are always on the move.

    Join a Guitar Community

    Joining a guitar community can be a great way to find easy acoustic guitar tabs. You can interact with other guitarists, ask for advice, and even share your own tabs. You can join online communities like Reddit or Facebook groups, or you can join local guitar clubs in your area. 

    Being part of a guitar community can help you stay motivated and inspired to practice.

    What Songs Can Beginners Play on Guitar?

    Short answer – any of the easy songs to learn on the guitar that we listed above!

    Once you master these easy acoustic songs, you can move onto more advanced pieces of music.

    Need help learning some of the chords in these songs? The best way to improve your acoustic guitar technique is to learn from a qualified guitar instructor.

    If you’re looking for a few easy songs on acoustic guitar to get started with, we’ve got you covered. These tips will help make learning these tunes a little bit easier, and before you know it, you’ll be playing like a pro! Have fun and keep practicing – the sky’s the limit when it comes to your guitar skills. 

    Check out the experienced acoustic guitar teachers at TakeLessons today to take your playing skills to the next level!

    Acoustic Guitar teacherPost Author: Andy W. teaches guitar, singing, piano, and more in Greeley, CO. He specializes in jazz, and has played guitar for 12 years. Learn more about Andy here!

     

     

     

    Photo by tudor-rose

    author

    Suzy S.