The Beatles are undoubtedly one of the most iconic and legendary bands in the history of rock and roll. Their music continues to captivate audiences even after all these years, and their influence can still be felt in the world of music today.
If you’re a beginner guitarist looking to kickstart your journey with some easy and fun songs, what better way to do so than by learning some classic Beatles tunes?
In this article, we’ve compiled a list of 8 easy Beatles songs on guitar that will not only help you hone your skills but also provide an enjoyable and exciting learning experience.
So grab your guitar, put on your favorite Fab Four album, and let’s get started!
When learning to play guitar, you need to master the fundamentals before beginning to learn a song. Most people who are just learning to play learn quicker when applying the fundamental lessons to easy guitar songs.
Fortunately, these easy Beatles songs on guitar fill this need quite nicely!
8 Easy Beatles Songs on Guitar
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, otherwise known as the Fab Four. Although the Beatles have many classic albums, including “Rubber Soul” and “The White Album”, not every Beatles song is good for a beginning guitarist.
That said, there are plenty of Beatles songs with simple chord changes that you can master, even if you’re new to the acoustic guitar. These songs are easier for beginners because they reinforce the fundamentals and quickly improve your playing skills.
If you know your strumming patterns and basic guitar chords, you can quickly learn to master these songs.
1. Love Me Do
Tuning: E A D G B E
Most people are familiar with this song, but you may be unaware of its history. The lyrics were written before the group formed. When playing “Love Me Do“, you are playing an early part of the Beatle history.
This song is easy to learn since it has only three chords. The original song is in G major. The verses have two chords, C major and G. John Lennon added the D major chord to the bridge.
“Love Me Do” is a great song that allows beginners who aren’t comfortable moving through chords and coordinating hand movements an opportunity to learn a song and become more comfortable using these three chords in sequence.
It allows those new to guitar to showcase their skills to family and friends earlier than they may expect.
2. A Hard Day’s Night
Tuning: E A D G B E
This Beatles favorite has 12 chords, but most guitarists play six simple chords, and you can do so easily with a learner’s grasp. Even if six chords feel like too much, remember to begin slowly and work yourself into full tempo.
Once you master the six basic chords, “A Hard Day’s Night” is one of the easiest songs to play. There is a straightforward arrangement to the song, which uses B7, E7, A7, and C major. When you have become comfortable with those chords, you can move faster with alternative strumming techniques to pull the song together.
3. I Saw Her Standing There
Tuning: E A D G B E
Originally written as a take on a folk song from 1912 entitled “17 Come Sunday”, this song lets you show off your newfound skills. The Beatles gave this song a punchier vibe, and Paul McCartney drew inspiration for the song from “Talkin’ About You” by Chuck Berry.
This song allows you to refine and hone strumming skills and aids with hand-to-eye and hand-to-hand coordination. It only requires four chords, which are B7, E7, A7, and C.
Once you master these chords, incorporate an alternate strumming technique for a punchier sound. The upbeat tempo makes it a wonderful party song that makes people want to dance.
4. Don’t Let Me Down
Tuning: E A D G B E
This Beatles hit tends to be the first one a beginner learns to play. Despite some unusual structure, it has a great bluesy feel that makes it enjoyable. The song is in E. However, if you want to learn an easy arrangement, play it in D, as there are only three chords to master. The chords are D major, A7, and E minor.
Using the D major chord makes things easier for novices as it uses three fingers. The E-minor 7 uses only one finger and is an open chord, while the A7 uses two fingers. All chords are on the second and third frets.
Additionally, this song is great for practicing strumming and is exceptionally simple.
5. All You Need is Love
Tuning: E A D G B E
“All You Need is Love” is a song with an upbeat sound accompanied by hopeful lyrics. The message is one of love, and it speaks to everyone.
If you’re just beginning to learn guitar, you may not be familiar with fingerpicking, or it may be a technique that you are currently learning. You might find the introduction a bit challenging as a result, but this isn’t a cause for concern. You can use this song to practice fingering techniques with the right hand while enjoying playing the remainder of the song.
What makes this song enjoyable–despite the fact it is simple–is that the chords used aren’t open chords. Several easy guitar songs contain arrangements that have liberal use of open chords to make the song smoother to play. However, this is not true of this song.
While there are more chords to play (B7, A7, D7, A minor, G major, F sharp major, and E minor 7), you can easily learn this once you master the chords.
6. Eight Days a Week
Tuning: E A D G B E
Eight Days a Week is one of the most widely known Beatles songs. While the song itself is easy, it is more challenging than the others on the list due to the introduction being in a higher register.
Those just learning the guitar tend to find playing higher up the fretboard challenging at first. However, “Eight Days a Week” does not require you to extend your fingers over your guitar’s body, allowing you to practice playing near the body.
If this seems too much of a challenge, it’s fine, as this is only the introduction. The song itself is in D. It uses the chords E major, D Major, G major, A major, G6, and B minor. The rest of your chords are played on frets one to four. There is a great deal of strumming, making the song great to practice playing.
7. Here Comes the Sun
Tuning: E A D G B E
“Here Comes the Sun” is easy to learn on the guitar. Its introduction is very close to fingerings that most beginners practice, meaning there aren’t any awkward shifts in position or stretches that you haven’t yet attempted.
The best part about this song is that it enables you to practice newly learned skills right from the beginning. Plus, there are a few parts of the song where you can do solos if you want to show off your skills.
Beginners can practice strumming skills as the song is set in G major. The chords that “Here Comes the Sun” uses are C major, G major, D major, F major, A7, and B flat major. The B flat major and F major may be the more difficult chords to learn, yet most of the song is a repetition of G, C, D, G, C, and D.
8. Yellow Submarine
Tuning: D C G Em Am
While people may not know this song in its entirety, most have at least heard the chorus or song title. This song is very well-known and often used as a children’s song.
If you have young kids, they may enjoy listening to you as you learn it or can enjoy learning the song themselves if they are just beginning.
There are only five chords to master and six-string strumming, making it appear to be less of a “lesson” arrangement and more like a real song.
The five chords you need to learn are A minor, E minor, C Major, D major, and G major. Most beginners should have no trouble playing this song. Just remember to begin slowly and increase the tempo as you become more familiar with it.
Final Thoughts
Learning songs doesn’t get much easier than these eight easy Beatles songs on guitar. Most arrangements only have four to six chords and allow beginners to practice their strumming techniques. They offer an easy way for new musicians to show off their growing skills.
When you get a little more experience, try more complicated Beatles songs, like “Paperback Writer“, “Eleanor Rigby“, “Day Tripper“, “Hey Jude“, “Helter Skelter” or any other classic songs from the Fab Four.
To accelerate your learning curve, we have also made a list of online guitar lessons you can leverage!
PS – Interesting Insights on Helter Skelter
“Helter Skelter” is a song by The Beatles that was written by Paul McCartney and released in 1968 on their self-titled album, also known as the “White Album”. It is widely regarded as one of the most iconic and influential rock songs of all time.
The song was originally inspired by a fairground ride in the UK which was also called “Helter Skelter“. McCartney reportedly rode the ride as a child and was struck by the excitement and chaos of it all, leading him to use the phrase as a metaphor for the craziness of the world.
However, “Helter Skelter” also has a darker history. In the late 1960s, notorious cult leader Charles Manson became obsessed with the song, believing it to be a coded message about an impending race war. He even used the phrase as the title for his own violent plan, which involved a series of murders in Los Angeles.
Despite the disturbing association with Manson, “Helter Skelter” remains a beloved and influential rock classic. It has been covered by countless artists over the years, and its legacy continues to live on in the world of music.
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