20 Best Songs to Play on Guitar

Learning to play guitar can be a challenge. There’s a lot to figure out in the beginning, and it may not be as easy as you had anticipated. You’ll first learn how to play functionally – it may not sound pretty, but you’ll get there!

After getting the hang of how to play – maybe you’ve learned a few key chords – you can start to practice songs! We suggest starting out with simple songs; after all, you won’t be Jimmy Hendrix after just a month of playing.

And while practice may not make perfect, it certainly does make progress. Pretty soon, you’ll be able to play some of your favorites. And what better motivation to practice than learning a song that you enjoy?

For some practice ideas, here are a few of our favorites.

20 of the Best Songs to Play on Guitar!

1. Blackbird – Beatles

   • Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Man4Xw8Xypo
   • Play:  https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/the-beatles/blackbird-tabs-17232

2. Bubbly – Colbie Caillat

   • Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FjRyV-Mqh4
   • Play: http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/c/colbie_caillat/bubbly_ver7_crd.htm

3. Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Queen

   • Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO6D_BAuYCI
   • Play: http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/q/queen/crazy_little_thing_called_love_ver3_crd.htm

4. Daughters – John Mayer

   • Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs2DTcWutT0
   • Play: http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/j/john_mayer/daughters_ver5_crd.htm

5. Dust in the Wind – Kansas

   • Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH2w6Oxx0kQ
   • Play: http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/k/kansas/dust_in_the_wind_ver3_crd.htm

6. Free Fallin’ – Tom Petty

   • Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lWJXDG2i0A
   • Play: http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/t/tom_petty/free_fallin_ver4_crd.htm

7. Good Riddance – Greenday

   • Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWJ0zIoqC2M
   • Play: http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/g/green_day/good_riddance_time_of_your_life_ver3_crd.htm

8. Have You Ever Seen the Rain – CCR

   • Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDGuyGPJ_JE
   • Play: http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/c/creedence_clearwater_revival/have_you_ever_seen_the_rain_crd.htm

9. Hey Soul Sister – Train

   • Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JV74i4yvcA
   • Play: http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/t/train/hey_soul_sister_ver2_crd.htm

10. Hey There Delilah – Plain White T’s

    • Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_m-BjrxmgI
    • Play: http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/p/plain_white_ts/hey_there_delilah_ver2_tab.htm

11. Hotel California – The Eagles

    • Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_m-BjrxmgI
    • Play: http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/e/eagles/hotel_california_crd.htm

12. House of the Rising Sun – The Animals

    • Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRXb7K7k7bQ
    • Play: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/the-animals/house-of-the-rising-sun-tabs-59632

13. I’m Yours – Jason Mraz

    • Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpngifA8iRM
    • Play: http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/j/jason_mraz/im_yours_ver3_crd.htm 

14. Redemption Song – Bob Marley

    • Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOFu6b3w6c0
    • Play: http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/b/bob_marley/redemption_song_ver2_crd.htm

15. Sitting on the Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding

    • Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTVjnBo96Ug
    • Play: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/otis-redding/sittin-on-the-dock-of-the-bay-tabs-81834

16. Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd

    • Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Cyokaj3BJU
    • Play: http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/l/lynyrd_skynyrd/sweet_home_alabama_crd.htm

Photo by Michael Shaheen / CC-BY-NC-ND

7. The A Team – Ed Sheeran

   • Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KlOodL9Gw4
   • Play: http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/e/ed_sheeran/the_a_team_ver10_crd.htm

8. Upside Down – Jack Johnson

   • Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=38&v=dqUdI4AIDF0
   • Play: http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/j/jack_johnson/upside_down_ver2_crd.htm

9. We Will Rock You – Queen

   • Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onJQ1dpsAF8
   • Play: http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/q/queen/we_will_rock_you_ver3_tab.htm

10. Wonder Wall – Oasis

    • Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hzrDeceEKc
    • Play: http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/o/oasis/wonderwall_ver2_crd.htm

What are you waiting for? Pick one of the songs above and get practicing. Good luck!

What are your favorite songs to play? Let us know in the comments!