Aspiring rock stars and live band performers should always consider two things whenever starting on their journey. The first is to get a good electric guitar that they can get familiar with and comfortable playing. The second is to choose the right songs to help you learn the fundamentals of playing an electric guitar.
You’ll master hammers-on, bends, slides, and a variety of fingerstyles. You will also need to strengthen your sense of rhythm, as well as a few other basics of electric guitar playing.
You can play almost any song on an electric guitar. However, if you’re a beginner, you’d be better off starting with easier songs and slowly working your way up to more advanced songs. This will give you the confidence you need to tackle more complicated guitar-playing techniques that other songs demand.
Here is a list of some fun to play and easy electric guitar songs for beginners. Even if you don’t land on the world stage, these songs can surely be an instant hit with your family and friends.
Here is a List of Easy Electric Guitar Songs
1. Back in Black By AC/DC
| Release Date | July 25, 1980 |
| Tuning | E A D G B E |
| Tabs | View Back in Black Tabs Here |
Song Overview: AC/DC wrote this song as a tribute to Bon Scott, the band’s former lead vocalist. The song is best known for its phenomenal guitar riff right in the intro. Many hailed the song as having one of the greatest guitar riffs of all time. The song fuses the elements of metal and rock to produce a song that appeals to anyone and everyone.
The main chords that make up the guitar riffs are A, D, and E. This is a song that is perfect for beginning electric guitarists. The guitar riff climbs towards the chorus. It may take some time to master all these riffs, but this song will be incredibly fun to learn and play and have you feeling like a rock star with how great you sound.
2. Otherside by Red Hot Chili Peppers
| Release Date | 1999 |
| Guitar Chords | Am, F, C, G, A, Em |
| Tabs | View Otherside Tabs Here |
Want to add Red Hot Chili Peppers to your setlist without losing your sleep over tricks and embellishments? Then we’ve got just the song for you. “Otherside” was the band’s tribute to former band member Hillel Slovak who tragically passed away from a drug overdose. As a founding guitarist, Slovak had a huge influence on shaping the band’s signature funk-rock sound.
In terms of playability, we know emulating John Frusciante can get quite technical because of his love for pull-offs and hammer-ons. However, this is one of his simpler, nonetheless powerful performances. To play this song, you’ll work around Am, F, C, G, A, and Em chords. Watch the above chords to learn our favorite track from RHCP’s Californication.
3. Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin
| Release Date | November 7, 1969 |
| Tuning | E A D G B E |
| Tabs | View Whole Lotta Love Tabs Here |
Song Overview: A personal favorite, this song is easily one of the best songs that any beginner electric guitarist can learn. The riff is both catchy and timeless. What is more astonishing is the fact that the guitar riff provides the strong hook of the masterpiece. I doubt that you can master Jimmy’s phenomenal lead guitar playing skills after only a few practice sessions. However, it is very possible to master the song’s opening riff in a matter of minutes. And once you get the hang of it, learning the rest of the song should be easy.
This song is one of Led Zeppelin’s greatest pieces. Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song at number 75 in the platform’s 500 all-time greatest. BBC Radio 2 recognized the guitar riff of the song as the greatest in the history of music. That’s more than enough reason to include this song in your guitar playing repertoire.
4. Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door by Guns N’ Roses
| Release Date | 1987 |
| Tuning | Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb |
| Tabs | View Knockin On Heavens Door Tabs Here |
Song Overview: An incredible piece to start learning how to play the electric guitar and one of the many songs that defined Bob Dylan’s legendary musical career. First released in 1973, the song has been covered by so many artists, providing the piece with their own magical interpretation. It is also proof of the remarkable popularity of Dylan’s songs. One of the best covers I have ever seen about the song is the one by Guns n’ Roses, which the band released in 1990.
Learning to play this song is crucial to aspiring guitarists. It has one of the most popular riffs on the planet. It also teaches you several of the basic techniques that you will use in your electric guitar playing. There’s a combination of strumming and fingerpicking. The fretting movements are not very complicated. And the sound it produces, even if you start slow, will still be so beautiful.
5. Californication By Red Hot Chili Peppers
| Release Date | June 8, 1999 |
| Tuning | E A D G B E |
| Tabs | View Californication Tabs Here |
Song Overview: It is almost impossible to think about Red Hot Chili Peppers without their 1999 hit song Californication. Sure, the band has many other remarkable songs. However, it is Californication that captured the fancy of many people at the turn of the new millennium. Personally, I love the tune and its relaxed vibe.
The song starts by picking both the Am and the F chords for a full 12 measures. You can then move on to an easy pattern of C-G-Dm-Am before you go back to the original Am-F chord for 8 full measures. There is a strumming pattern for the pre-chorus, too. This goes on for about 12 measures. Once you get these basics, you should be able to play the song’s guitar solo that spans a whopping 16 measures. These should help you build on your skills as an electric guitarist.
6. Creep by Radiohead
| Release Date | September 6, 1992 |
| Tuning | E A D G B E |
| Tabs | View Creep Tabs Here |
Song Overview: Another choice for easy electric guitar songs is this 1992 piece from Radiohead. It wasn’t a commercial success at first. However, the band re-released the song a year later and that’s when people started getting the good vibes from the song.
Creep has a very easy-to-follow rhythm. You will never find yourself coercing your fingers to move on the fretboard at a frenzied pace. This is one of those musical pieces that are not only great for beginning electric guitarists. It is also a good piece for learning and mastering basic rhythm. One essential technique here is the fingerpick. It produces a subtler sound than using a pick. The chords are as elementary as a birthday song. Try to learn a few variations to help improve the overall melody of the song. You should be ready to rock your house in a few days.
7. Cherub Rock by Smashing Pumpkins
| Release Date | July 13, 1993 |
| Tuning | E A D G B E |
| Tabs | View Cherub Rock Tabs Here |
Song Overview: You’ll appreciate Billy Corgan’s uncanny ability to combine pop hooks and amazing hard rock riffs in this masterpiece by the Smashing Pumpkins. Released in 1993, Cherub Rock earned a Grammy nomination for the best performance in hard rock. Corgan performed the song using standard tuning. However, he played the E octave at the 7th fret. This song is a great introduction to aspiring guitarists who want to introduce classic arena rock and shoegazing in their future creations.
The strumming pattern is an easy one for beginners. The fretting movements will require some finger and wrist flexibility. You may also want to introduce a slide in between the chords. The song also serves as a learning tool for practicing basic fingerstyles. And with its smashing melodies, this is one song worth playing during large gatherings. It’s one cool way to wow your guests. Overall, this is an easy electric guitar song that’s fun and easy to master.
8. Blitzkrieg Bop by Ramones
| Release Date | February 1976 |
| Tuning | E A D G B E |
| Tabs | View Blitzkrieg Bop Tabs Here |
Song Overview: I love the very funky tune of this song by the Ramones. The punk rock band released this song in 1976, and I still cannot help tapping my foot to the beat every time I hear it getting played on the airwaves. It has a very simple structure, consisting only of three chords to make a single pattern. The song is very popular in many sporting and athletic events. The lively beat of the song makes it an excellent rallying cry for a team that is playing catch-up.
The 3-chord pattern of the song also makes it a great piece for beginning guitarists. Master the A5, E5, and D5 chords, and you are all set to rock this piece. The most fun part about playing this song is that you can employ powerful strumming blows. That’s what we call a high-energy, rock-star performance.
9. Wild Thing by The Troggs
| Release Date | April 22, 1966 |
| Tuning | E A D G B E |
| Tabs | View Wild Thing Tabs Here |
Song Overview: Wild Things is one of those songs that sounds great on an acoustic guitar. And if you wish to turn it into a performance piece, it will sound even more wonderful on an electric guitar. This 1966 song was written by Chip Taylor. The Troggs were not the original recorders of the song, however. It was the Wild Ones in 1965. Unfortunately, the original song did not chart. On the other hand, The Troggs’ version peaked the Hot 100 of Billboard. The song also happens to be on Rolling Stone’s list of all-time greatest songs.
Like the Blitzkrieg Bop, Wild Thing only comes with a three-chord pattern. Newbies should never have any problems playing the song. There are also no fancy fingering techniques required. All you ever need is familiarity with the chords and the uninhibited desire to play the electric guitar.
10. I Can’t Get No Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones
| Release Date | June 5, 1965 |
| Tuning | E A D G B E |
| Tabs | View I Can’t Get No Satisfaction Tabs Here |
Song Overview: Fans of Keith Richards love this song. It has one of Richards’ most iconic guitar riffs ever. I personally love the rock-meets-soul vibe of the song that further cemented the band’s place in the world of rock n’ roll. Hearing the song the first time gives you a buzzsaw impression. Give it a few more seconds, and the song will grow on you. It would be almost impossible to get that catchy guitar riff out of your head.
What is most amazing about this 1965 song is that it is the most fun and easiest beginner electric guitar song anyone can play. You only need to focus on a single string to play the iconic riff. You can play the song with gusto, hammering the strings as strong as you want. It is also possible to give it a few twists. For now, it would be best to focus on the rhythm.
11. Smoke on The Water by Deep Purple
| Release Date | May 1, 1973 |
| Tuning | E A D G B E |
| Tabs | View Smoke On The Water Tabs Here |
Song Overview: Following in the footsteps of the legendary Rolling Stones is Deep Purple. This English hard rock band released Smoke on the Water in 1973. Total Guitar ranked this song as the 4th greatest guitar riffs of all time. The Rolling Stones magazine also included this Deep Purple song in its list of mankind’s 500 greatest songs.
Ritchie Blackmore wrote the riff in G minor, incorporating a blues scale melody that uses only 4 notes. Blackmore harmonized the notes in parallel fourths. What many of us don’t know is that Blackmore drew inspiration from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. He inverted the melodies of the classical piece to create a power chord riff that has become as timeless as Beethoven’s masterpiece. Beginner guitarists will find playing the chord progression relatively easy. Learning a single section is enough to play the entire song. It’s very fun, too.
12. Roxanne By the Police
| Release Date | April 7, 1978 |
| Tuning | E A D G B E |
| Tabs | View Roxanne Tabs Here |
Song Overview: Sting wrote Roxanne in 1978 when he was still a member of The Police. The lyrical theme is very close to the 1990 Richard Gere-Julia Roberts film Pretty Woman. This song is one of history’s greatest rock songs. This is a rock song with elements of reggae that will make you feel like taking to the dance floor.
The intro is very easy to play in the electric guitar. What is very important is to master the fingering technique of the song to achieve the characteristic electro sound of the song. It requires the lifting of the fretting fingers lightly to stop the strings from producing an extended note with each strum. The song also requires mastery of the guitar pick, although you can always employ a fingerpicking method. This is a fun song to play on any occasion.
13. Right Through You by Alanis Morissette
| Release Date | June 13, 1995 |
| Tuning | E A D G B E |
| Tabs | View Right Through You Tabs Here |
Song Overview: This song is one of the tracks on the album that launched Alanis Morissette to international stardom in 1995. It showed the influences of pop rock and post-grunge in both the song’s structure and harmonics. The song features different musical instruments that blend harmoniously like that of the instruments in an orchestra.
Like many Morissette songs, Right Through You comes with chords that aren’t that difficult to first-timers. The strumming pattern is also as straightforward as any other song. The key to playing this song on an electric guitar is to master the rhythm. It should never pose a problem since the rhythm is also predictable. What newbies will appreciate is that the song provides them with a good introductory piece for playing the electric guitar with abandon. You can be as carefree as you like when playing this song along with your friends.
14. Hotel California By Eagles
| Release Date | December 9, 1976 |
| Tuning | E A D G B E |
| Tabs | View Hotel California Tabs Here |
Song Overview: Anyone who wants to learn to play the guitar should include this 1977 classic in his or her list. While an acoustic guitar is perfect for playing this song, doing the fingerstyle on an electric guitar is worth it. After all, the original recording of this song featured an extended section that saw Joe Walsh and Don Felder interplaying with their electric guitars. The song has also one of the longest codas in the world. This led to the guitar section being voted as one of music history’s best solos.
Hotel California teaches you a lot of things about playing the electric guitar. From the classic picking techniques to the precise fretting movements, you’ll have most of the basics covered. Some folks may find the fingering techniques to be complicated. All you ever really need is the patience to learn the basics before you can start notching it up a bit.
15. Rockin’ In The Free World by Neil Young
| Release Date | November 14, 1989 |
| Tuning | E A D G B E |
| Tabs | View Rockin In The Free World Tabs Here |
Song Overview: There’s no doubt that this song is one of Neil Young’s best. It ranks in the middle of the pack of Rolling Stone’s 500 all-time greatest songs. Young released two versions of this song. If you’re into playing the acoustic guitar, then you should pick the version with an acoustic arrangement. Newbie electric guitarists will find the electric version of the song to be an excellent piece. The popularity of Young’s song has led to its extended use in the political arena in the US.
Beginner guitarists will never have problems with the song’s strumming patterns. It is a good exercise for developing your guitar playing skills. The song also has modest fingerstyle sections that are perfect for improving finger coordination and flexibility. Overall, I would say this is a great electric guitar song for beginners.
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