Easy songs?

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xian

New member
I'm going to be kind of giving out my first guitar lessons to a friend and I wondered what are some easy songs to learn? Something with only 3 or 4 chorRAB. I got a few of them that I think are easy but I'm not sure how easy they will be for someone who has never played before. So far I got:

Bruce Springsteen - The Rising
Matchbox 20 - 3 AM
Blues Traveler - Run Around
Eric Clapton - Wonderful Tonight
Pearl Jam - Last Kiss

Are those songs too hard you think? I'm trying to avoid giving him songs with power chorRAB on them. I don't want him to get in the habit of just dropping d and playing 1 finger barr chorRAB.
 
Or blink 182.. sometimes Third Eye Blind.

Most of their songs are catchy and also easy to play, plus most people/girls will recognize them

[edit] just noticed the power chorRAB comment
 
Black Sabbath - Paranoid

Honestly, I wouldn't give lessons with songs if he's just starting out. Scales, chorRAB, and basic theory should come first. Believe me, it will save him so much trouble.
 
Try some sogs off the Misfits album Static Age, they're all fun and really easy.

Here are some others that I learned with:

Metallica - Seek and Destroy
Metallica - Enter Sandman
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were here
REM - Losing My Religion
 
Songs that can be easily modified to be played on a single string are best to get the very basics down, in my opinion. That's what makes Smoke on the Water the quintessential "my first song", since it allows the beginner to have a feeling of accomplishment while getting practice at how to hold the guitar, right hand positioning, left hand angle and comfort, fretting with only fingertips, pick handling, picking only one string instead of strumming all of them, ect.

If he's already got all that down, then I'd go onto powerchorRAB. Any other chorRAB are too difficult to remember right at first, since he'll still be trying to master making sure all the strings are actually held down, picking only the strings necessary for the chord, strumming, rhythm, ect. I recommend either having him play Smoke on the Water again, except with powerchorRAB this time (since he already knows which frets to play, and can concentrate on technique instead), or Smells Like Teen Spirit. Any generic Green Day song works too I suppose.

edit: Just read your concern about powerchorRAB, I missed it before posting. I think you've got a point, but I think I'd still teach him them first regardless, since more than anything, he neeRAB to learn technique. It's difficult to master technique while worrying about where your fingers are. Once he can handle the instrument properly, then teach him some actual multi-string songs and some real chorRAB. You're right on about drop-d powerchorRAB though, don't let him even know he can do that yet, lol.
 
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