Guitar Song Tutorials for Beginners

How do you learn a song on guitar?

Learn a song on guitar in layers: first each chord on its own, then the chord changes with one strum each, then the strumming pattern on one chord, then everything together at a slow speed. Speed up only when every change lands on the beat.

1. List the chords and check each one rings cleanly, string by string.
2. Practise the changes in the order the song uses them, four slow strums each.
3. Learn the strum on one chord until you do not have to think about it.
4. Put it together with the strum-along at 60–70 beats per minute.
5. Learn the melody from the tab, so you can play the tune as well as the chords.

How do you play Mary Had a Little Lamb on guitar?

Play the melody on the G and B strings: B string open, G string fret 2, G string open, then back up. The whole tune uses four notes – G, A, B and D – and the chords are just G and D7.

e|------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|------------|------------|------------|---------|
B|-0----------|-0--0--0---|-----------|-0--3--3---|-0----------|-0--0--0--0-|-------0----|---------|
G|----2--0--2-|-----------|-2--2--2---|-----------|----2--0--2-|------------|-2--2-----2-|-0-------|
D|------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|------------|------------|------------|---------|
A|------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|------------|------------|------------|---------|
E|------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|------------|------------|------------|---------|

How do you play Ode to Joy on guitar?

Ode to Joy fits on the top two strings: high E open, fret 1 and fret 3, and B string frets 1 and 3. That gives the notes E, F, G, D and C. Strum C and G for the chords.

e|-0--0--1--3-|-3--1--0----|----------0-|-0---------|-0--0--1--3-|-3--1--0----|----------0-|-----------|
B|------------|----------3-|-1--1--3----|-----3-3---|------------|----------3-|-1--1--3----|-3---1-1---|
G|------------|------------|------------|-----------|------------|------------|------------|-----------|
D|------------|------------|------------|-----------|------------|------------|------------|-----------|
A|------------|------------|------------|-----------|------------|------------|------------|-----------|
E|------------|------------|------------|-----------|------------|------------|------------|-----------|

How do you play Amazing Grace on guitar?

Amazing Grace is in 3/4: count “1 2 3” in every bar. The first line of the tune uses only open strings and two fretted notes, and the chords are G, G7, C, Em, D and D7. Strum a waltz: down on 1, down-up on 2 and 3.

e|---|---------|--------|--------|-------|
B|---|------0--|-0------|--------|-------|
G|---|-0------0|------2-|-0------|-------|
D|-0-|---------|--------|------2-|-0-----|
A|---|---------|--------|--------|-------|
E|---|---------|--------|--------|-------|

The strum-along switches to its 3/4 waltz beat for this song. For more waltz rhythms, see the guitar strumming patterns.

How do you fingerpick Greensleeves on guitar?

Fingerpick Greensleeves in 6/8 with six notes per bar: the thumb plays the bass note, then the fingers pick the G, B, high E, B and G strings. Hold Am, G, Am and E in turn; the pattern stays the same for every chord.

e|-------0----|-------3----|-------0----|-------0----|-0-----|
B|-----1---1--|-----0---0--|-----1---1--|-----0---0--|-1-----|
G|---2-------2|---0-------0|---2-------2|---1-------1|-2-----|
D|------------|------------|------------|------------|-------|
A|-0----------|------------|-0----------|------------|-0-----|
E|------------|-3----------|------------|-0----------|-------|

Use the thumb (p) for the bass note, the index finger (i) for the G string, the middle finger (m) for the B string and the ring finger (a) for high E. Greensleeves is in 6/8, so it is not in the strum-along; to play its melody in full, search for it in the guitar tab play-along.

How do you work out the chords of other songs?

Most songs use the three main chords of their key (I, IV and V), often with the minor chord vi. Find the key from the first and last chord, then try these.

A capo clamps across a fret and raises every open chord: with a capo at the 2nd fret, a G shape sounds as A. That lets you sing in a comfortable key and still use easy shapes.

Why are popular chart songs not taught here?

Most songs from the last 70 years or so are still in copyright, so Classfern does not copy their chords, tabs or words. Licensed songbooks and official sheet-music sites are the right place for those. Everything you learn here – chord changes, strumming, reading tab, using a capo – works the same way in any song.

Classfern’s free guitar tools on lessonplanner.info run in your browser. For more songs, see 12 easy guitar songs with chord charts; for the reading skills, how to read guitar tabs.