Guitar lessons for Beginners YouTube acoustic

Who says easy guitar songs are boring? Sometimes, simple songs that are easy to play can sound incredibly good, which is great news if you’re learning to play guitar! In this guide, you will learn how to play basic chords and put them together to play five easy songs on the guitar.

Basic Guitar Chords

Chords are three or more notes that when played together create a harmony. For a beginning guitarist, chords will be the building blocks you need in order to start learning songs. If you haven’t yet mastered reading sheet music for guitar, chord charts are an easier way to learn to play chords.

The chart to the left shows you how to play an A chord. Each of the six vertical lines represents one of the six strings on your guitar. Each horizontal line represents a fret. On chord charts, the line furthest to the left always corresponds to your sixth (or low E) string. The line furthest to the right represents your first (or high E) string. From left to right, the string names are E-A-D-G-B-E.

Your left-hand fingers are numbered one through four, starting with your index finger. According to this chart, you should play the A chord by placing your middle finger on the second fret of the D string, your ring finger on the second fret of the G string, and your pinkie finger on the second fret of the B string.

You’ll notice there are also X’s and O’s at the top of the chart. The X represents a string that is not played, so when you strum your A chord, start from the fifth string down. The strings with O’s at the top of the chart are played open, which means you should still strum this string but you do not need to hold down a fret with your left hand.

Now that you know how to read a chord chart, here are a few more basic chords you’ll need to learn in order to start playing songs:

Once you’re comfortable with these basic chords, it’s time to start putting them together and playing some easy guitar songs!

5 Easy Guitar Songs

Although books and sheet music are great resources for seasoned guitarists, beginners often need to watch someone else play in order to really get the hang of it. Studying with a qualified guitar teacher is the best way to learn, however online videos are a great resource to supplement your lessons. Here are five of our favorite YouTube guitar lesson videos for beginners:

1. “Stand By Me”

If you are looking for an easy guitar song to impress your sweetheart, this classic tune should work like a charm. Originally recorded in 1961 by Ben E. King, this classic ballad uses just 4 chords: G, Em, C, and D. In the video below, you will learn how to play the chord progression and R&B strum pattern for “Stand By Me”.

2. “Ho Hey”

Looking for something a little more contemporary? This 2012 hit by The Lumineers should be right up your alley. TakeLessons guitar teacher Dustin B. teaches a slight variation on the C chord for the intro, then shows you the simple chord progressions for the verse and chorus.

3. “Brown Eyed Girl”

Van Morrison’s 1967 song “Brown Eyed Girl” has long been a pop favorite, and has been covered by artists such as Bob Dylan, Adele, and Green Day, just to name a few. In this video tutorial, beginning guitarists can learn just the chord progression and strum pattern in the beginning of the video, while more intermediate or advanced players can stick around to learn the riff toward the end.