Country fans: grab your guitars and start strumming to this round-up of easy country songs to play on guitar.
In the modern music era, country music has become widely popular among all ages of listeners more than any time in music history. One of the main reasons for this trend is that most country musicians fuse their music into the country-pop genre.
When country music first came out, lyrics were typically about the simple times in life addressing everyday tasks and situations. Today, modern country songs still incorporate these aspects into their lyrics but they place more emphasis on relationships as well.
In this article, we’ll share a few easy country guitar songs by various artists, including how to play them.
6 Easy Country Songs to Play on Guitar
1. “Cruise” – Florida Georgia Line
When looking for easy country guitar songs, “Cruise” is a great place to start. First things first, place a capo on the 3rd fret of your guitar so you can play “G form chords” while actually being in the key of Bb.
Now, here’s how to play “Cruise” –
- Capo 3
- G – D – Em – C
- 2. 2. 2. 2.
The second bullet point above tells you what chords to play along with the order. The next bullet tells you that you are going to strum each chord two times before changing to the next chord. (Ie. Strum a G chord two times, then a D chord two times, etc).
Once you get to the end, repeat the line. To practice this song accurately, turn a metronome to 75 beats per minute. Then practice matching up one strum to each click on the metronome.
2. “All Over The Road” – Easton Corbin
For this song, Easton Corbin plays the same chord progression over and over again. Place a capo on the 3rd fret of the guitar just like our first song, and follow these simple steps:
- Capo 3
- D – Em – G – A
- 2. 2. 2. 2.
This tells you that you should play two strums on D, then two strums on Em, then two strums on G, then two strums on A. Place your metronome on 100 beats per minute and practice playing one strum per click on the metronome.
SEE ALSO: A Roadmap of the Notes on the Guitar
3. “Country Girl” – Luke Bryan
This is one of the most fun and easy country songs to play on guitar. Here’s a quick snapshot of how to play:
- No capo
- E – G – Asus2 – E
- 4. 4. 4. 4.
This tells you that you should play four strums on E, then four strums on G, then four strums on Asus2, then four strums on E. Place your metronome on 100 beats per minute and practice playing one strum per click on the metronome.
4. “If I Die Young” – The Band Perry
In this song, The Band Perry plays the same chord progression throughout the entire song. Place your capo on the 4th fret of the guitar to get started, then follow these steps:
- Capo 4
- F – C – G – Am
- 2. 2. 2. 2.
Strum two times on F, then two strums on C, then two strums on G, then two strums on Am. Place your metronome on 65 beats per minute and practice playing one strum per click to get better.
5. “Everything Has Changed” – Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift has a lot of easy country songs on guitar. To play this one, place your capo on the 4th fret of your guitar before beginning.
- Capo 4
- D – Em – G – A
- 4. 4. 4. 4.
By now you’ve gotten the hang of how this works – strum four times on D, then four strums on Em, then four strums on G, then four strums on A. Place your metronome on 80 beats per minute and practice playing one strum per click.
RELATED: How to Read Guitar Chord Charts
6. “This Is How We Roll” – Florida Georgia Line
For this song, Florida Georgia Line plays the same chord progression repeatedly as well. Place your capo on the 1st fret of your guitar, then play:
- Capo 1
- C – G – D
- 2. 2. 4.
This tells you to strum two times on C, then two strums on G, then four strums on D. Place your metronome on 65 beats per minute and practice playing one strum per click.
Modern music is full of easy country songs to play on guitar. The best way to practice these songs is to start by transitioning chords as slowly as humanly possible for at least a week, before playing them full speed.
This will give your hands and brain an ample amount of time to learn what functions have to occur to successfully change chords. To learn more about how to play easy country songs on guitar, and many other songs, check out the free guitar classes at TakeLessons Live!
Post Author: David G.David G. teaches guitar and piano in Buffalo, NY. He received his Master of Music Performance and is a multi-talented performer and composer. Learn more about David here!
Photo by rarvesen
Jill Cole