What's the EASIEST song to play on guitar?

What’s the Easiest Song to Learn on Guitar?

So, you’ve got a guitar, and you’re itching to play something that actually sounds like a song instead of an awkward mess of buzzing strings? Good news: plenty of easy songs exist, and some sound way more impressive than they actually are. Let’s break it down.

The Usual Suspects: Classic First Songs

If you Google “easy guitar songs,” you’ll see a lot of the same tunes pop up. That’s because they really are beginner-friendly. Here are a few classics:

• “Wonderwall” – Oasis (Tabs)

  • Yep, the meme song. But it’s simple because it uses just a few chord shapes (mostly Em, G, D, A7sus4) that stay the same for most of the song.
    
    

• “Horse With No Name” – America (Tabs)

  • This song only has two chords: Em and D6/9. Sounds complex? It’s not.
    
    

• “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” – Bob Dylan (Tabs)

  • G, D, Am, repeat. The easiest strumming pattern ever.
    
    

• “Smoke on the Water” – Deep Purple (Tabs)

  • You can play this riff on just two strings with one finger if you want. Rock history in five notes.
    
    

Songs That Sound Hard But Aren’t

• “Seven Nation Army” – The White Stripes (Tabs)

  • That iconic riff? It’s just single notes played in a simple pattern. Jack White made guitar-playing seem cooler than it really is.

• “House of the Rising Sun” – The Animals (Tabs)

  • Arpeggiated chords make this one sound fancy, but it’s all basic open chords.

• “Blitzkrieg Bop” – The Ramones (Tabs)

  • Power chords, power chords, and more power chords. If you can move two fingers around, you can play this.

Cheat Code: Alternative Tunings

One of the best hacks to make guitar easier is retuning it. Some songs become ridiculously simple when you change the tuning:

• “Everlong” – Foo Fighters (Tabs)

  • Drop D tuning (DADGBE) makes this much easier since you can play power chords with one finger.
    
    

• “Gimme Shelter” – The Rolling Stones (Tabs)

  • Keith Richards loves Open G tuning (DGDGBD), which simplifies the chords and lets you play entire songs with one finger.
    
    

• “Kashmir” – Led Zeppelin (Tabs)

  • DADGAD tuning makes this epic-sounding riff super easy to play.

The Science-y Bit: What Makes a Song “Easy”?

Musicologists (yes, that’s a thing) have actually studied why some songs are easier to play than others. The main factors include:

• Chord transitions – Fewer changes = easier to play.
• Common chord shapes – Open chords (like G, C, and D) are way easier than barre chords.
• Tempo – Slower songs are generally easier for beginners.
• Repetition – If a song just loops the same four chords, you’re golden.

So, What’s THE Easiest Song?

If you just want to play something NOW, go with “Horse With No Name”. Two chords, slow tempo, super forgiving strumming pattern.

Want something that sounds cooler? “Seven Nation Army”. Easy riff, instantly recognizable.

At the end of the day, the easiest song is the one you’re excited to play. Find one that makes you want to pick up your guitar, and roll with it!