Ten Easy Rock Songs For Guitar Beginners!

When I started playing guitar, nobody taught me how to do it. It wasn’t easy at first. My fretting hand’s fingertips were so painful that I couldn’t touch anything for days! But once I got the hang of it, I discovered it was one of the most enjoyable things I’ve ever done. Over the years I would look back at those times and smile thinking how my life was changed the moment I picked up the guitar. It was actually my big sister’s guitar. However it turned out that I was more inclined to it that she was. She eventually turned over all the guitar playing duties to me.

I thought of making a random list of easy guitar songs that beginners might want to try playing, just to get things started. It will cover different genres but the objective is to improve playing, one song at a time. These are the criteria I’ve used for the selection of the songs:

a) Minimal number of chords -the less chords in a song, the easier it is to remember how to play it.

b) Use of open chords – Open chords are easier to form on the guitar fretboard than barre chords, which require us to use our fretting hand’s index finger to press multiple strings in a particular fret.

c) Familiarity of the song – the songs are some of the most popular during their times.

And since we’re talking about beginner songs here, the primary goal of this list is to give novice players some songs to STRUM the guitar along with. No point in doing any complicated stuff yet. We have to first establish the rhythm within the player. So here it goes, in no particular order:

1. “A Horse With No Name” – America
Chords Used: Em, D6

Em (0-2-2-0-0-0)

D6 (x-x-0-2-0-2)

“A HORSE WITH NO NAME” Complete Chords And Lyrics
Download “A Horse with No Name” MP3

2. “Leaving On A Jet Plane” – John Denver
Chords Used: G, C, D

G (3-2-0-0-0-3)

C (x-3-2-0-1-0)

D (x-x-0-2-3-2)

“LEAVING ON A JETPLANE” Complete Chords And Lyrics
Download “Leaving On A Jet Plane” MP3

3. “Rock And Roll” – Led Zeppelin
Chords Used: A, D, E

A (x-0-2-2-2-0)

D (x-x-0-2-3-2)

E (0-2-2-1-0-0)

“ROCK AND ROLL” Complete Chords and Lyrics
Download “Rock And Roll” MP3

4. “No Rain” – Blind Melon
Chords Used: E, D, A, G

E (0-2-2-1-0-0)

D (x-x-0-2-3-2)

A (x-0-2-2-2-0)

G (3-2-0-0-0-3)

“NO RAIN” Complete Chords And Lyrics
Download “No Rain” MP3

5. “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn” – Poison
Chords Used: G, C, D, Em

G (3-2-0-0-0-3)

C (x-3-2-0-1-0)

D (x-x-0-2-3-2)

Em (0-2-2-0-0-0)

“EVERY ROSE HAS ITS THORN” Complete Chords And Lyrics
Download “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” MP3

6. “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” – Guns N’ Roses
Chords Used: G, C, D, Am

G (3-2-0-0-0-3)

C (x-3-2-0-1-0)

D (x-x-0-2-3-2)

Am (x-0-2-2-1-0)

“KNOCKIN’ ON HEAVEN’S DOOR” Complete Chords And Lyrics
Download “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” MP3

7. “One” – U2
Chords Used: Am, D9, FM7, G, C

Am (x-0-2-2-1-0)

D9 (x-x-0-3-2-0)

FM7 (x-x-3-2-1-0)

G (3-2-0-0-0-3)

C (x-3-2-0-1-0)

“ONE” Complete Chords And Lyrics
Download “One” MP3

8. “I Remember You” – Skid Row
Chords Used: G, C, D, Em, Am

G (3-2-0-0-0-3)

C (x-3-2-0-1-0)

D (x-x-0-2-3-2)

Em (0-2-2-0-0-0)

Am (x-0-2-2-1-0)

“I REMEMBER YOU” Complete Chords And Lyrics
Download “I Remember You” MP3

9. “Come As You Are” – Nirvana
Chords Used: Em, D, G, A, C

Em (0-2-2-0-0-0)

D (x-x-0-2-3-2)

G (3-2-0-0-0-3)

A (x-0-2-2-2-0)

C (x-3-2-0-1-0)

“COME AS YOU ARE” Complete Chords And Lyrics
Download “Come As You Are” MP3

10. “Wonderful Tonight” – Eric Clapton
Chords Used: G, C, D, Am, Em

G (3-2-0-0-0-3)

C (x-3-2-0-1-0)

D (x-x-0-2-3-2)

Em (0-2-2-0-0-0)

Am (x-0-2-2-1-0)

“WONDERFUL TONIGHT” Complete Chords And Lyrics
Download “Wonderful Tonight” MP3

Finger Placement for the Guitar Chords:
Let take the chord D as an example:
D (x-x-0-2-3-2)
D – the chord name
x – low E string will not be struck
x – A string will not be struck
0 – D string open
2 – Press G string on 2nd fret
3 – Press B string on 3rd fret
2 – Press high E string on 2nd fret

There you go! Most of the songs have similar chords. That way, if we can recall chords from another some and incorporate that chord into another song then you get to practice applied knowledge. Ain’t that grand!

Happy practicing!