17 Easy Four Chord Songs for Guitar Beginners With G, Em, C and D7
Guitar may take a lifetime to master–but unlike the harpsichord and trombone, beginning guitar players can start making beautiful and awesome music RIGHT AWAY.
Of course, as a beginner, it can be hard to find songs that match your level. This blog post is written EXPRESSLY for students who know D, G, A7 and/or G, Em, C and D7, and who are getting into simple alternate strumming. I’m giving you a list of 17 songs which can be played with only those chords, and which sound great with a steady down-up-down-up strumming pattern–aka “alternate strums” or “alternate eighth notes strums.” And I’m even giving you links to the audio and music charts, and sometimes even links to video tutorials. This is guitar platinum!
If you DON’T yet know these chords or alternate strums, FEAR NOT! Immediately either click this link for FREE and easy online tutorials on how to play those chords or sign up for a lesson or class right away at NYC Guitar School.
If you DO know D, G and A7, and/or G, Em, C and D7, and are ready to get into alternate strumming then I SALUTE YOU. You, guitar player, are ON YOUR WAY! Grab your guitar and get ready to start playing along.
Keep in mind:
- Sometimes I transposed the song in order to avoid chords like F, Bb, Qrelative, and Zsharp minor 7th! Let’s stick with our great beginner chords for now!
- If that means that you need to transpose a chart, the notes on the song will tell you how many half-steps to transpose the song–sounds tricky, but it is easy, just hit the “transpose +” or the “transpose -” button on the song until you know all the chords.
- If that means you need to use a capo, the notes on the song will tell you what fret to put the capo on.
One more quick tip: it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing! In music, rhythm rules. Keep your alternate strum going even when you are changing chords–if you are strumming during a transition, that is not only cool, it even sounds cool. But if you stop strumming to change chords, it sounds super clunky and weird. So keep that hand strumming down-up-down-up!
OK, take it away! Here’s the list of songs, along with where to place your capo (if applicable) plus links to the song, tutorials and charts. For super convenient playing along, grab your guitar, then check out our YouTube Beginners 4 playlist or our Spotify playlist. How convenient is that?
(Do you want to play more guitar or better guitar? Or both? We invite you to join our friendly guitar community at NYCGuitarSchool.com. If you’re not in NYC, you can still get the step-by-step goodness at guitarlessons.nyc.)
***Every once in a while, links break…please let us know if you notice a broken one!
Pumped up Kicks – Foster the People
YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDTZ7iX4vTQ
TUTORIAL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aOYXJcG77A
CHART: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/foster_the_people/pumped_up_kicks_chords_1098165
Em – G – D – A7 (capo 1)
Indie Rock (2011)
Medium
Try – Pink
YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTCDVfMz15M
TUTORIAL: (Oh no, we don’t have a good tutorial to share! Let us know if you find one.)
CHART: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/pnk/try_chords_1181779 (transpose -5) Em – C – G – D; C – G – D – Em (capo 7)
Pop (2012)
Medium
Sympathy for the Devil – Rolling Stones
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jke7e8C2XfA
TUTORIAL: (Oh no, we don’t have a good tutorial to share! Let us know if you find one.)
CHART: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/the_rolling_stones/sympathy_for_the_devil_chords_1720348
D – C – G – D ; D – A7 (capo 2)
Classic Rock (1973)
Easy
Boulevard of Broken Dreams – Green Day
YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Soa3gO7tL-c
TUTORIAL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtgI2UOG_Fc
CHART: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/green_day/boulevard_of_broken_dreams_chords_146744
Em G – D – A7 (capo 1)
Rock/Pop (2004)
Difficult
Say – John Mayer
YOUTUBE:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQtGqmi2O2U
TUTORIAL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ7qgJ0dLS0
CHART: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/john_mayer/say_what_you_need_to_say_chords_1181539
G – C – Em – D (capo 3)
Pop (2007)
Difficult
Diamonds – Rhianna
YOUTUBE:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWA2pjMjpBs
TUTORIAL: (Oh no, we don’t have a good tutorial to share! Let us know if you find one.)
CHART: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/rihanna/diamonds_chords_1185082 (transpose +5) C – Em – D (capo 7)
Pop (2012)
Easy
Perfect – Pink
YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BIye98Ryic
TUTORIAL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_q8YgoEPBQ
CHART: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/pnk/fuckin_perfect_chords_1023109
G – D – Em – C (no capo)
Pop/Rock
Easy
I Gotta Feeling – Black Eyed Peas
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSD4vsh1zDA
TUTORIAL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjPVnyWNIhs (part 1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krcYnjbRjsY (part 2)
CHART: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/the_black_eyed_peas/i_gotta_feeling_chords_832775
G – C – Em – C (no capo)
Pop
Easy
First Cut is the Deepest – Cat Stevens
YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBccr-aLu4I
TUTORIAL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3gJgQgNxLo (part 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nzc_jqUwqGI (part 2)
CHART: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/sheryl_crow/the_first_cut_is_the_deepest_chords_97085
D – A7 – G – A7 (no capo)
Folk
Difficult
Winter Hymnal – Fleet Foxes
YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrQRS40OKNE
TUTORIAL: (Oh no, we don’t have a good tutorial to share! Let us know if you find one.)
CHART: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/fleet_foxes/white_winter_hymnal_chords_932697 (transpose -2)
Dx4 – Gx2 – Dx2 – Dx4 – Emx4 – Gx2 – A7x2 (capo 2)
Indie Rock
Easy
I Can Tell That We Are Gonna Be Friends – White Stripes
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKfD8d3XJok
TUTORIAL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeuuLjkVqbg
CHART: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/the_white_stripes/were_going_to_be_friends_chords_22094
G – G – C – G – D – C – G – D – C – G (no capo)
Folk/Rock (2005)
Easy
Zombie – the Cranberries
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G29A4ijuzU
TUTORIAL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wdYqdV6WLg
CHART: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/the_cranberries/zombie_chords_844902
Em – C – G – D (no capo)
Rock (1994)
Medium
My Name Is Jonas – Weezer
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZj3QQOdRIo
TUTORIAL: (Oh no, we don’t have a good tutorial to share! Let us know if you find one.)
CHART: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/weezer/my_name_is_jonas_chords_1698583 (transpose -5)
G – D – Em – C
Rock (2014)
Difficult
Friday – Rebecca Black
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfVsfOSbJY0
TUTORIAL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6MagDsYYsY
CHART: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/rebecca-black/friday-chords-1038099
G – Emin – C – D (transpose +8)
Pop (2011)
Medium
Joey – Concrete Blonde
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdpTcvSn8HQ
TUTORIAL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUPs92NXLzg
CHART: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/concrete-blonde/joey-chords-63783
G – Emin – C – D
Pop/Rock (1990)
Easy
We Are Young – Fun
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv6dMFF_yts
TUTORIAL: (Oh no, we don’t have a good tutorial to share! Let us know if you find one.)
CHART: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/fun_/we_are_young_chords_1108578 (transpose +2)
G – Emin – C – D (capo 12)
Pop (2011)
Medium
Try – Pink
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv6dMFF_yts
TUTORIAL: (Oh no, we don’t have a good tutorial to share! Let us know if you find one.)
CHART: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/pnk/try-chords-1181779 (transpose +7)
G – Emin – C – D
Pop (2012)
Medium
(And don’t forget–if you want to play more and better guitar, we invite you to join our friendly guitar community at NYCGuitarSchool.com. If you’re not in NYC, you can still get the step-by-step goodness at guitarlessons.nyc.)
