Easy Songs to Play on Guitar for Players Who Have Been at This for a Few Weeks

Congratulations: you’ve survived the hardest part of learning the guitar!

Your fingertips have finally developed calluses, you’ve memorized your basic open chords, and you’re starting to switch between them without pausing for five seconds. You might even be dabbling in your first power chords.

So, what’s next? It’s time to stop doing boring drills and start playing actual music.

When you're just a few weeks in, you need songs that sound incredibly cool but won't tie your fingers in knots. To help you build your first real repertoire, here are 7 iconic tracks perfect for newer players like you who are looking to level up.

The Heavy Blues Groover

Led Zeppelin might seem intimidating, but "When the Levee Breaks" is surprisingly approachable for newer players. The main riff relies on a driving, repetitive blues groove that lets you practice your timing and pick attack without needing lightning-fast fingers. It’s heavy, it’s swampy, and it feels incredibly rewarding to lock into that iconic rhythm.

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The Ultimate Classic Rock Riff

If you’ve just bought your first overdrive or fuzz pedal, congratulations—you are now legally required to learn "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction."  

The beauty of this Rolling Stones anthem lies in its genius simplicity. The legendary three-note main riff is played almost entirely on a single string, making it the perfect milestone for players looking to transition from strumming chords to playing lead lines.

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The Power-Chord Pop-Rock Anthem

Ready to put those newly learned power chords to the test? The Cars’ “Just What I Needed,” which you can find in their Guitar Anthology Series, is a masterclass in tight rhythm playing. The chugging progression is straightforward, but nailing the timing and that punchy stop-start dynamic will instantly level up your rock rhythm skills.

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The Iconic Earworm

Sometimes you just want to play a melody that everyone in the room recognizes the second you pluck the first note. The "James Bond Theme" is a fantastic exercise for beginners because it helps you master single-string picking and navigating the lower frets. It’s slinky, it’s undeniably cool, and it’s a highly addictive riff to play.

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The Pinnacle of '90s Alt-Rock

Radiohead’s “Creep” (available in the Pablo Honey sheet music collection) is a modern rite of passage for guitarists. The song is built around a beautifully slow, four-chord progression that repeats for the entire track, making it an excellent workout for practicing smooth chord transitions. Plus, when the chorus hits, it gives you a great excuse to step on your distortion pedal and play as loud as you can.

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The Heavy Metal Introduction

Wait, Pantera for beginners? Hear us out. While Dimebag Darrell is famously known for his face-melting solos, the main riff of "Walk" is actually remarkably approachable. It’s a rhythmic, swaggering groove built around the lowest strings. If you want to practice your palm muting and timing while sounding incredibly heavy, this is your riff.

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The 2000s Pop-Punk Ballad

Green Day tracks are the holy grail for newer guitarists, and the live version of "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" is a fantastic study in basic strumming patterns. The acoustic-driven verses use standard open chords that you likely already know, while the electric chorus lets you unleash big, ringing power chords. It’s dynamic, emotional, and an absolute blast to play along with.

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Keep up the momentum! The first few weeks of guitar are always the toughest. Click the links above to grab the official sheet music, or if you’re looking for some more suggestions, take a look around shop.makemusic.com!