Looking for easy guitar chord songs (mostly dad rock?) that sound great
June 17, 2022 9:59 AM Subscribe
What are your go-to easy guitar songs that have great lyrics and are just awesome songs? Super bonus points if you link to the chords.
I am a mediocre guitar player at best. I can't do bar chords, but can play the basics: G, C, A, Am, D7, B7, etc. Throw at A-flat or anything up the fretboard and I freeze like a deer in headlights. So the other day I was playing Sin City by Graham Parsons and the Flying Burrito Brothers, because I listened to an Evan Dando cover. It just hits this sweet spot of having great lyrics, being easy to play and was covered by Evan Dando, giving it some indie cred. I am 55 so I like a lot of dad rock and 90s indie stuff. I wish I could play Elliot Smith.
I have ADHD and can't do anything consistently, but I'll take tips for improving my playing, although I am 55 and the clock is ticking.
I am a mediocre guitar player at best. I can't do bar chords, but can play the basics: G, C, A, Am, D7, B7, etc. Throw at A-flat or anything up the fretboard and I freeze like a deer in headlights. So the other day I was playing Sin City by Graham Parsons and the Flying Burrito Brothers, because I listened to an Evan Dando cover. It just hits this sweet spot of having great lyrics, being easy to play and was covered by Evan Dando, giving it some indie cred. I am 55 so I like a lot of dad rock and 90s indie stuff. I wish I could play Elliot Smith.
I have ADHD and can't do anything consistently, but I'll take tips for improving my playing, although I am 55 and the clock is ticking.
There's a secret to playing chords like A flat without barring: a capo. Seriously, it changed my playing. It opens up a whole new world on your guitar. An A flat chord is just a G chord with a capo on the first fret, or an E with the capo on the fourth fret. Seriously, I can't recommend a capo enough. I have pretty small hands, and so I mostly play open chords, and wow is it so much easier to finger a D chord halfway down the neck than it is in open position. It's like a smaller instrument.
One thing I've been doing recently (coincidentally, inspired in part by Evan Dando) is to look up some non-guitar songs with lyrics or melodies I like to find the chord progression ("chord progression", in some cases), then kind of creating my own strumming pattern. I'm not good enough to actually like the output yet, but it's been interesting intellectually. One example is "Open Your Heart" by Madonna, which sounds much different with loud distorted chords than it does with 80s synths in the background. I also did "My Boyfriend's Back" by the Angels, mostly because I think the vocals are fun to sing in a 90s alt-rock style.
posted by kevinbelt at 10:24 AM on June 17, 2022 [2 favorites]
One thing I've been doing recently (coincidentally, inspired in part by Evan Dando) is to look up some non-guitar songs with lyrics or melodies I like to find the chord progression ("chord progression", in some cases), then kind of creating my own strumming pattern. I'm not good enough to actually like the output yet, but it's been interesting intellectually. One example is "Open Your Heart" by Madonna, which sounds much different with loud distorted chords than it does with 80s synths in the background. I also did "My Boyfriend's Back" by the Angels, mostly because I think the vocals are fun to sing in a 90s alt-rock style.
posted by kevinbelt at 10:24 AM on June 17, 2022 [2 favorites]
Ultimate Guitar, the site blob linked to above, has all the chords for a zillion songs, and links to the tabs from that article (I prefer chords to tabs, YMMV). Try Take It to the Limit by the Eagles. I picked up ukulele two years ago and now I'm playing it with my band (not THAT well, but well enough) at age 47. Enjoy it!
posted by wellred at 10:31 AM on June 17, 2022
posted by wellred at 10:31 AM on June 17, 2022
Words of Wisdom by Jump Little Children (look for it on album 'Vertigo')
http://jumplittlechildren.net/matchboxwhistler/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b81lnSIxRns
posted by 4midori at 11:22 AM on June 17, 2022
http://jumplittlechildren.net/matchboxwhistler/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b81lnSIxRns
posted by 4midori at 11:22 AM on June 17, 2022
Wreckless Eric - Whole Wide World. It's two chords and so fun.
posted by thebots at 11:28 AM on June 17, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by thebots at 11:28 AM on June 17, 2022 [1 favorite]
Do you know the basic flow for standard tuning: ie : E F F# G G# A A# B C C# D ?
If you understand that, then you can move your A or Am up the neck to play those chords in each position. For example B is at the 2nd fret same shape, C is 3rd and so on. It works great with chords with no open strings in the middle (ie: no G & C, though it works there too if you are careful). Just strum the strings you are pressing down, not the rest.
Also learn to play an open E, and you can play bared chords. Add some distortion, and you should be able to play a lot of Ramones songs, which are really fun with lots of changes.
Every Rose has it's Thorn by Poison doesn't have much indie cred, but it's a G to C (only move 2 fingers if you do the rocker C).
posted by The_Vegetables at 11:39 AM on June 17, 2022
If you understand that, then you can move your A or Am up the neck to play those chords in each position. For example B is at the 2nd fret same shape, C is 3rd and so on. It works great with chords with no open strings in the middle (ie: no G & C, though it works there too if you are careful). Just strum the strings you are pressing down, not the rest.
Also learn to play an open E, and you can play bared chords. Add some distortion, and you should be able to play a lot of Ramones songs, which are really fun with lots of changes.
Every Rose has it's Thorn by Poison doesn't have much indie cred, but it's a G to C (only move 2 fingers if you do the rocker C).
posted by The_Vegetables at 11:39 AM on June 17, 2022
I'm not the biggest Elliott Smith fan, but Bled White is just basic chords and is fun to play.
posted by The_Vegetables at 11:41 AM on June 17, 2022
posted by The_Vegetables at 11:41 AM on June 17, 2022
There are lots of lemonheads songs on-line, like it’s a shame about ray. In the same vein, maybe dinosaur jr.’s wagon, and here is a list of easier to play elliott smith tunes.
posted by umbú at 11:44 AM on June 17, 2022
posted by umbú at 11:44 AM on June 17, 2022
little-known fact: the D in AC/DC stands for "dad."
You Shook Me All Night Long is a four-chord banger.
I am neutral-to-positive on AC/DC as a listener but damn they are fun to play live.
posted by Sauce Trough at 4:31 PM on June 17, 2022
You Shook Me All Night Long is a four-chord banger.
I am neutral-to-positive on AC/DC as a listener but damn they are fun to play live.
posted by Sauce Trough at 4:31 PM on June 17, 2022
Highway to Hell too. that transition from the tiny chugchugchugchugchug pre-chorus into the chorus feels magnificent to play.
posted by Sauce Trough at 4:38 PM on June 17, 2022
posted by Sauce Trough at 4:38 PM on June 17, 2022
I'd recommend signing up for Justin Guitar and then going through his lesson archive. They are videos, but well-organized by skill level and he covers a lot of the classics that are fun to play and instantly recognizable around a camp fire or at a backyard barbecue. You don't need to follow his lessons or anything—you can just pop around and find songs that you like.
I think Ultimate Guitar is helpful, too. It's got just about everything and if you filter by their official tabs they are generally pretty accurate. You can view just the chords as well if that's your thing and I think they have some other filtering capabilities (e.g. by difficulty level).
posted by synecdoche at 4:39 PM on June 17, 2022 [3 favorites]
I think Ultimate Guitar is helpful, too. It's got just about everything and if you filter by their official tabs they are generally pretty accurate. You can view just the chords as well if that's your thing and I think they have some other filtering capabilities (e.g. by difficulty level).
posted by synecdoche at 4:39 PM on June 17, 2022 [3 favorites]
Also fairly new player here… Justin Guitar (his website) is great, and he also has some good songs to incorporate as you progress.
Some I’ve learned (or can play okay):
One by U2
Green Eyes by Coldplay
Stand By Me by Ben e King
Redemption Song by Bob Marley
Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
Bob Dylan - Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door
Maybe a bad thing to recommend to someone with ADHD, but I really like some YouTube channels too:
Play Song Notes with David Potts does a good job, and he has a list of his beginner friendly songs here.
Anyone Can Play Guitar
Eric Haugen
The last two are a little more advanced, but I find them inspiring.
posted by backwards guitar at 6:28 PM on June 23, 2022
Some I’ve learned (or can play okay):
One by U2
Green Eyes by Coldplay
Stand By Me by Ben e King
Redemption Song by Bob Marley
Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
Bob Dylan - Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door
Maybe a bad thing to recommend to someone with ADHD, but I really like some YouTube channels too:
Play Song Notes with David Potts does a good job, and he has a list of his beginner friendly songs here.
Anyone Can Play Guitar
Eric Haugen
The last two are a little more advanced, but I find them inspiring.
posted by backwards guitar at 6:28 PM on June 23, 2022
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For instance, Ultimate Guitar has a list of 25 Ultimate Dad Rock Songs which is just titles, but it's a starting point. If you find a song you like, use a search such as "(SONG I LIKE) chords" to get the chords, e.g. "Sweet Home Alabama chords".
Enjoy, and don't worry about being 55. I know plenty of people who just started out playing at that age. You're doing this for enjoyment, not as a future career.
posted by blob at 10:18 AM on June 17, 2022 [1 favorite]