Get party-ready with 10 easy guitar songs! From classics to modern hits, they’re simple to play and sure to get everyone singing along
My go to list changes up but constants seem to include “The Weight”, “A Little Help from my Friends”, “Comfortably Numb” and “Pigs on the Wing”. Can’t really do the Comfortably Numb solos on an acoustic but it’s still a fun sing along and most people know the basic lyrics for all of these. Some of the ones you shared caught my interest and will make my pick up list. Thanks for sharing!
The background to this is interesting, it turns out Justin is human after all.
I’m going to show my ignorance here… the video starts with The Joker which Justin plays with GDC, all chords I know, looks a good one to learn. When I load up the original recording in Moises it’s a couple of steps down FCBb.
Am I right in thinking I need to tune all of my strings down by 2 steps and then play the chord shapes I know if I want to play along with the recording? The app does give me option of tuning up the song but that obviously sounds a bit weird
Hello mattswain,
While you can tune down a whole tone to play along with the original recording, Justin’s notes on the lesson page for The Joker mention that most people don’t bother with tuning down just to pick up and play the song at a party. Up to you what you’re comfortable doing.
Thanks. I’m thinking more in terms of me learning the song in the first place which I find easiest (and most enjoyable) alongside the original
You could play it in D (D, G and A chords) and capo on 3. That would put you in F.
The Weight
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
Mr Tambourine Man
Big Yellow Taxi (fun & easy to play in open D)
Bad Moon Rising
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Space Oddity
Me & Julio Down by the Schoolyard
Loves me like a Rock
Wild Horses
You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere
For What It’s Worth
Heart of Gold
Hello Justin, hello everbody!
Thanks for another great lesson/ Summary of lessons made and a reminder to update my list. Here are my two cents…
- Love me do
- Wild Thing
- Hey Jude
- Blank Space (maybe, for the kids around)
- As it was (same " )
- Stand by me
- That´ll be the day (maybe)
- About a girl
- Ruby Tuesday
- Into Temptation
- Girl, you´ll be a woman soon
- I want to hold your hand
- Little talks (if anybody knows the lyrics…)
- There ain´t no I in beer (maybe…)
For campfire moments - Hurt
- Sound of silence
I’ll throw in “What’s Up?” by 4 Non Blondes and “Hey Ya!” by OutKast as other sing along songs.
A list of sing-along songs would be highly dependant on the age of the people in the group. Quite often in these discussions, songs I’ve never heard of get listed because I’m old.
Just means you are listening to the wrong stations Lots of good stuff out there, you just need to go looking. But heck, reckon the stuff I am finding on Spotify at the moment won’t be on a lot of folks lists. No pop, no Sheeran, no Swift just good old Blues based solid rock with that Suvern style. :wink.
Local radio is awful. I have SiriusXM. The channels I listen to are Sixties Gold, BB King’s Bluesville, Beatles Channel, Classic Vinyl, and Smokey Robinson’s Soul Town.
Dear Justin, there is another song, very easy to play and inviting to sing along. I tried it many times and the people liked it a lot: Wild Thing by the Troggs!
Coffee House on SirusXM kept us entertained for a >12 hour drive from Nashville, doesn’t have as much repetition as most stations. Some older songs and many newer acoustic artists.
Justin
This is brilliant. Enlightening, encouraging, enthusing, empowering. Thanks.
Brian
I realize this is a bit off topic, but - I listen to WXPN, a public radio station in Philadelphia, on streaming. They play a wide variety of music (including sing-along songs that one might learn on guitar ), both current and classic. The programming is tailored to the local time zone (currently UTC -5) which can be a challenge, but it might work for some! Here’s their Program Guide if you’re interested.
My list would be very close to yours, Justin, with a couple changes:
Brown-Eyed Girl would be #1. EVERYBODY knows that song!
For my Beatles selection, I would substitute an actual “guitar” song, such as Eight Days a Week, or I Want to Hold Your Hand. Both are instantly recognizable, upbeat, sing-along classics. In my brain, Let it Be more of a piano/organ song, not really a “guitar song” except for the solo, which most people aren’t going to try on a loaner acoustic guitar in a party situation anyway.
Britney Who? Does she even play a guitar? How about CCR’s Proud Mary instead, a “guitar song” all the way, known around the world.
Also, I always carry a pick in my wallet, just in case someone hands me a guitar but no pick, or, worse yet, an incredibly heavy one that many players like but which I am not used to.
Great video, Thanks! Cheers!
Somebody put a guitar in my hands and asked me to play Wonderwall only a few days ago. It’d been a while since I’ve played it, so I didn’t. Maybe I should practice it again
LOL Wonderwall is one of those songs I’d never heard of until I started seeing it in these lists. I still wouldn’t recognize it if I heard it.