Are you currently looking for the best acoustic guitar songs to play for beginners? If so, then you’re in the right place!
Music has cured many souls of emotional pains and transcended many boundaries. The instruments used to accompany vocals and beautify the song make you develop the feeling of listening to the music repeatedly.
The acoustic guitar is one popular instrument that produces excellent sounds, is versatile, and has low maintenance. In addition, it helps compliment vocals, allowing the song’s intended message to ring clear in the ears and hearts of listeners.
Acoustic songs have the peculiarity that they are often only accompanied by very few other instruments. Instead, the focus is on the voice of the musician, who usually accompanies himself on the guitar. The listener is captivated by the voice alone.
The sound of the best acoustic guitar songs can be refreshing and satisfying to the listener. Some of the best acoustic guitar songs have been recorded by bands and independent artists, ranging from R&B to Rock songs.
In addition, many musicians have risen to stardom by performing only acoustics. As a beginner, learning to play some of the already famous songs can be exciting, with several online guides to help you.
This article gives you a list of some easy-to-learn acoustic guitar songs to get you started. Later, we shall also discuss some common questions that may arise for you as a beginner seeking a journey in acoustics.
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25 Best Acoustic Guitar Songs For Beginners
Beginner songs only take a few chords to sound good and have a simple rhythm. Barré chords are, of course, the exception. The most important chords to learn for simple songs are: E – A – D – G – C – F
These songs below include some of the classics from the last decades that will help you quickly master your Acoustic skills;
1. Blackbird- The Beatles
This classic features five simple major chords A, C, D, F, G, and three minor chords Am, Dm, Em. These are usually some of the easiest chords to learn first on the guitar, and once you have them, you already have the whole song in check.
Blackbird was released in 1968 by the Beatles and was penned by Paul McCartney and Lennon. McCartney’s simplistic magic while playing the chords displays the perfect example of finger style. Paul plucks the strings at a consistent pattern and with unchanged chords with his thumb and index finger.
2. California Dreamin’ – The Mamas & The Papas
California dreamin’ was written in the winter of 1963 by John and Michelle Phillips in New York City. The city was experiencing a chilling cold winter, and Michelle was longing for sunny California, hence the song’s title.
The song has a unique alto flute solo played in the lower register. It is considered one of the best acoustic guitar songs for beginners from the 1960s that is still enjoyable for classic song lovers. It ranked number 89 on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Songs of all times.
3. Ready For Love – India Arie
Released off her debut acoustic soul album, India Arie’s Ready for Love was one of the songs that rose to fame and scooped seven nominations for Grammy Awards in 2002.
Though the song is subject to different interpretations, its vocals complement the guitar chords Em, D, C, Am, getting the piece on the list for best acoustic guitar songs for beginners.
4. Photograph – Ed Sheeran
Coming from an artist that needs little or no introduction in today’s music industry, his skills with the acoustic guitar are simply out of this world. Ed’s single Photograph was released in the summer of 2014 and made it to the Billboard charts.
Its chords are easy to master, and so are many of Ed’s songs. For example, the song has chords E, Cm, B, A, which inspired his long-distance relationship with his girlfriend while on tour.
5. Ain’t No Sunshine – Bill Withers
Bill Withers is a renowned artist with three Grammy to his name and a dozen nominations. Ain’t No Sunshine is one of the best acoustic guitar songs for beginners because of its delightful blues and R&B music vibe. It has just four chords Am, Em, G, Dm, that you will have to master to enjoy the sound.
Bill got his inspiration to write this piece from the movie Days of Wine and Roses, with a story about the struggle of regular alcoholic Americans.
6. Paper Hearts – Tori Kelly
Tori Kelly emerged first as a teenage YouTube sensation. However, her experience with acoustic guitar took her to Hollywood week in season 9 of American Idol in 2010. Ever since, she has released several songs that have won Grammys and hung onto the Billboard charts.
Paper Heart is one of her best acoustic songs that features a message from her past relationship. The four chords on this song are A, G, Cm, E. For a beginner, Kelly’s music will indeed be one of your favorites.
7. Dear Life – Anthony Hamilton
Dear life is a well-crafted acoustic song with depth that will leave you reminiscing. Its chords Em, D, C, G are easy to listen to and learn for any beginner.
Antony Hamilton rose to stardom in 2003 with his platinum album “Comin’ from where I’m From.” Since then, he has won a couple of awards and received several nominations for his exceptional talent and sensational voice.
8. The Only Exception – Paramore
The Only Exception by Paramore band was released in February 2010 and is the third single from the third studio album. In one of Harley Williams’ interviews, she mentioned that the song was created while she was with Josh (another member of the band) planning on a short and sweet interlude with only guitar and vocals.
However, when they sent the interlude to the rest of their colleagues, they were impressed and requested that they make it a whole song. The song is one of the best acoustic guitar songs for beginners with chords Am, C, D, Dm, G.
9. I’m Yours – Jason Marz
The song has some of the easiest chords that could ever be in any song. G, D, Em, C, D are chords many beginners find easy to master. Jason Mraz’s I’m Yours is a crowd-captivating song that should feature on any beginners’ list of the most straightforward acoustic guitar songs to learn.
10. Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd
If you are more into the old rock country songs, such as “Sweet Home Alabama.” This is a song for you to learn quickly and fast. With only three easy chords C, D, G, this song can be the perfect piece to practice a blend of two or more songs. You might be able to throw in the song “Werewolves of London” by Warren Zevin to make your version of a professional acoustic sound.
11. Hotel California (Unplugged) – The Eagles
Hotel California makes it to this list as one of the best acoustic guitar songs for beginners. It is probably the most famous recording by the Eagle’s band. It has only four chords that make it sound like a master classic; A, G, D, Em.
The song was released in 1977 as a single, featuring Henley as the lead vocal singer. In 1988, readers of the Guitarist voted the song’s long guitar the best solo guitar of all time, with the song receiving the 1978 Grammy Award for Record of the year and included in guitar aficionados list of best acoustic guitar songs of all times.
12. Hard Place – H.E.R.
H.E.R released this song in April 2019 as a single off her fifth EP. She wrote Hard Place with acoustic guitar chords E, Bm, A from Nashville. In an interview with one of the popular media blogs, she commented that her song depicts someone who knows something is wrong for them but doesn’t know what they won’t either.
Hard Place is based on facts and fiction, depicting H.E.R’s life when she performed with her boyfriend before she chose to go solo after receiving a record deal. Currently, she enjoys excellent success on the Billboard charts, all at the detriment of her relationship.
13. Tears In Heaven – Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton is a towering man on the guitar, a claim substantiated by his records. Tears in Heaven has a sad tone as it expresses his emotions about the death of his young son.
The acoustics in the song is beautiful, smooth, and can easily be mastered by beginners. It became popular in 1992, claiming position two on Billboard Hot 100 singles. Its acoustic version won in the 1993 Grammy Awards, including Record and song of the year.
14. Why Georgia – John Mayer
Why Georgia is one of the third singles in John Mayer’s debut album titled Room for Square; in one of his interviews, John admitted having lots of shelf doubts before writing this song. He looked at his guitar right after dropping out of college and said, “It is just You (guitar) and me now.” This song became one of his best works and followed major chords C, G, D, G, D.
15. Daughters – John Mayer
Eric Clapton described Mayer as a master of modern guitar virtuosos. His chord knowledge, excellent technique, and creativity are seen in the daughters’ song released in 2003. The music plays with chords Am, Dm, G, C.
Daughter is considered Mayer’s moneymaker hit song accompanied by several accolades, such as in the 47th Grammy Awards, where it took home the Song of the year award. Its chords are easy to learn and play even by beginners.
16. I Wanna Be There – Blessed Union of Souls
The Blessed Union of Souls’ song has three simple and major chords: G, C, and D. Like all other easy songs, these chords are first learned on the guitar. Once you have them, you can already know how to strum the song.
The chord progressions are similar, and once you can switch to each without any problems, you’ve got yourself this song.
17. Achy Breaky Heart – Billy Ray Cyrus
Strictly speaking, this song is not originally by Billy Ray Cyrus. The song was written by Don Von Tress and was initially called “Don’t Tell My Heart,” released in 1991 by the Marcy Brothers. It wasn’t until 1992 that Billy Ray released the song, which became “Achy Breaky Heart.”
If you’re into the country scene, you can pick up this little tune on the guitar with some simple strums of the chords C and G., And that’s it, just two chords!
18. Love Me Do – The Beatles
When you play this great song, it only takes three chords; G, C, D. The initial chords for the chorus are G major and C major until you get to the bridge part of the song that goes where you add in a D major chord. A straightforward song with just three chords makes it one of the best acoustic songs for beginners.
19. What’s Up – Four Non-Blondes
This song is a real wailer, although, in 1993, it was played on almost every radio station around the world. What’s Up was an absolute classic written by Linda Perry.
The song has a few more chords than three, utilizing the chords E, Am, G, D, and B. However, these are all chords that can be easily picked up on the guitar. This is also one of those songs that everyone knows, so it’ll be a big hit at parties and get-togethers.
20. Eleanor Rigby – The Beatles
There are numerous rumors about the origin of the Beatles song “Eleanor Rigby.” One of them: Paul McCartney didn’t just invent the name freely- the woman is said to have lived.
Indeed Eleanor was alive at the beginning of this century. She was born in 1895 and grew up in Liverpool before moving to Woolten. This song’s rich lyrics and sound will make you fall in love with the acoustic guitar as a beginner once you learn the chords.
21. Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrisson
Everyone’s favorite at weddings and parties, this song is quickly learned with just the same three guitar chords: G major, C major, and D major, adding in an E Minor chord in the chorus at the part where you get to the first “My brown-eyed girl.”
Originally this song was supposed to be called “Girl with Brown Skin” and was about the relationship between a white man and a black woman. But during the recording, Van quickly changed the title to the more harmless “Brown Eyed Girl.”
22. Yellow – Coldplay
Yellow is a minimalistic and simplistic song that captivated many fans for over a decade. It was released in Coldplay’s 2000 Parachute album and the second single in the album. Their fans regard this song as the best acoustic guitar song Coldplay has ever released that never grows old. Its repetitive and straightforward chords, C, G, and F, make it one of any beginner’s best acoustic guitar songs.
23. Redemption Song – Bob Marley
Bob Marley, known for his rich reggae tunes, produced one of the best acoustic guitar songs calling for freedom in 1980. The song begins with a melody that departs from his familiar reggae rhythms.
This song has been played worldwide with its easy-to-master G major key from stanzas to the chorus. This song can perfectly fit your family time or even a night of relaxation.
24. Angie – Rolling Stones
Mick Taylor and Keith Richards guitar play on their hit song Angie is breath-taking. This song is simple yet solid, rising to the top of the charts and becoming Rolling Stones classic.
The song was written in 1973 and hit the top in the US Billboard Hot 100 list immediately after its release. It became one of the best rock and rolled acoustic songs ever released.
25. Bad Moon Rising – Creedence Clearwater Revival
This is a fun, bluesy type song that has a very simple chord progression. It uses the chords D, A, G in the progression that goes D, A, G, D and then adds a G major chord in the beginning when you get to one part of the chorus.
NOTE: Every good acoustic song for a beginner will have its strumming pattern, and they will differ based on the song you choose to play. The most important thing is getting familiar with the melody and its rhythm. This will help you master any song with ease.
Frequently Asked Questions about Best Acoustic Guitar Songs
What song should I play on acoustic guitar?
Suppose you are a beginner and want to excel in playing acoustic guitar. In that case, it is crucial to have several songs you can play from the beginning. Most of the easy songs contain 2, 3, or 4 chords. Learn at list three chords for a start and choose any of the songs from the list.
What are the most beautiful songs to play on guitar?
All acoustic guitar songs sound beautiful from the listeners’ angle. However, Hotel California by the Eagles and Yellow from Coldplay has an unforgettable melody. The rhythm in both songs makes them verifiable.
What Is the hardest acoustic guitar song?
There are a couple of complex acoustic guitar songs that even acoustic guitar gurus would find hard to master. One of them is Cliffs of Dover by Eric Johnson.
What is the easiest song to play on acoustic guitar?
Any song with two or three chords can be considered easy, although that also depends on the learner. One of the most straightforward songs to start with when on a guitar is “I wanna be there” by Union Souls, having only three simple major chords, such as G, C, and D.
What is a good first song to learn on guitar?
As previously stated, many songs with two or three chords are fit for beginners. Most importantly, choose an easy beginner piece that makes you smile with its message so that you are always looking forward to your next acoustic guitar lesson.
Final Thoughts
Every song mentioned in the best 25 acoustic songs for beginners list above has been played many times across social media platforms like YouTube. The trick to picking up your skill faster is learning how to change between chords with ease.
Start with playing along with the song; stop to repeat trouble spots until you can really get them down. Don’t wait, start playing!
