Fun Songs to Play On Guitar: Different Genres and Skill Levels

• October 13, 2016
• Guitar Lessons

Walk into any guitar store and you’ll hear up and comers wood shedding their favorite guitar classic. Fact is, we all like knowing fun songs to play on guitar. It doesn’t have to be complicated, it just has to sound good to us playing it.

There are literally thousands of songs that are guitar friendly. Your age might determine what songs you like to jam on but there are some guitar classics that just about every guitarist pulls out of the box of tricks.

It’s funny. At sound check, even the pros drift from their own music and start jamming on some old song they learned when they were learning to play. It’s part of the charm. Let’s look at some of the fun songs to play on guitar.

“Smoke on the Water” - Fun Songs to Play on Guitar

This one has to be up high there on the list. It’s such an easy movement on 2 strings and you can basically do it with 1 finger. It’s also a very lyrical riff. Deep Purple made this one popular in the early 70’s. About the same time, Argent had a killer guitar riff in “Hold Your Head Up.”

Usually, the songs you can play the rhythm or foundation to are the best fun songs to

play on guitar. It’s kind of hard to make an impression with just the licks or the guitar solo.

Sometimes you might not even recognize the song by fills or solos.

You want to strike up “Sweet Home Alabama,” for example, by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Everybody would recognize that and it’s fun to play with the chords and the riffs. Watch out, though, there are other Skynyrd songs that are fun to play on guitar but are not so easy, like “I Know A Little.” You should try that one.

“Folsom Prison Blues” - Fun Songs to Play on Guitar

Reaching back a little further, this classic from Johnny Cash is another iconic song to add to your list. It has a simple bass line that embodies the 12-bar blues format. “Folsom” also has a super easy solo that anyone can play.

Your fun song needs to sound authentic. You need to make it sound like the record man.

“Wipeout” - Fun Songs to Play on Guitar

Alright, so this instrumental song has been played by the Ventures, the Beach Boys and others. Again, it has a simple but quick bass line and it is definitely a fun song to play on guitar. You’re not really trying to play the fastest here, you just want it to sound right.

“Purple Haze” - Fun Songs to Play on Guitar

We couldn’t really make a list of guitar songs and not throw one in there from Jimi Hendrix. This one’s very fun to play and everyone will recognize it. You may not sound like the legendary guitarist on your first try, but keep it up. Also, try “Foxy Lady.”

The Beatles - Fun Songs to Play on Guitar

One of our favorite “fun songs” has to be “Come Together” by the Beatles. In fact, the Beatles have several songs that you should learn to play on guitar. As one of the most iconic bands of all time, it just seems like the right thing to do. You must learn “Black Bird,” “Hard Day’s Night,” “I Feel Fine,” and a dozen other songs that we won’t get into here.

These songs make the list because they are what we call “hooky.” While you might learn some songs for the challenge alone, these are some tunes that just pull you in right when you start playing. You walk around humming and playing air guitar to them even when you’re doing something else. Who knows if Paul or George set down to write a hooky guitar part. They may have just been having fun.

“Cake by the Ocean” - Fun Songs to Play on Guitar

The best music is usually the simplest thing to play. Seems like the average listener leans that way too. We all like a hooky intro. Take for example “Cake By the Ocean,” by DNCE, a more current song. Make sure you get the edited radio version for language purposes, but man what a sweet guitar riff in the beginning. You do want to have something new and something old in your bag of tricks. Talk to me, baby.

Electric and Acoustic - Fun Songs to Play on Guitar

Guys, there are so many great fun songs to play on guitar. Let’s throw in, “Tush,” “LaGrange,” and “Legs” by ZZ Top. These are all killer guitar songs and fun to play on guitar. Don’t forget about acoustic guitar songs too, like “More Than Words” by Extreme or reaching back, how about “Dust In the Wind” by Kansas. These are classics you’ll hear in almost any acoustic room at Guitar Center.

Beginner Level - Fun Songs to Play on Guitar

Now if these are all over your head, you're probably sitting there thinking, “Man, I’m just getting started.” GREAT! Let’s keep it super simple.

Learn to pick out the melody of “Amazing Grace,” or maybe “Love Me Tender” by Elvis. It doesn’t have to be complicated to be fun or even impressive, just do it well.

There are tons of very easy fun songs to play on guitar, like “Wildwood Flower” by Johnny Cash. You can strum some songs and sound convincing like “Freebird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd or “Simple Man.”

Praise and Worship - Fun Songs to Play on Guitar

If you’re into Christian music, there are hundreds of popular worship songs that only require four chords for you to play. But, remember, we’re going for what can be recognized. Not everyone listens to worship music. “Holy Spirit” by Kari Jobe has a great guitar line throughout the song. Go for the ones folks will know.

And if you’re looking for tutorials on how to play worship and CCM songs, we have a library of them at Pro Lessons that are being updated all the time.

Rock n Roll Classics - Fun Songs to Play on Guitar

Finally, we’ll close out with a few memorable pieces of rock history.

“Enter Sandman” by Metallica, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns and Roses, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana, and Ozzy’s “Crazy Train,” are all very recognizable pieces. Go for it!

The more you can pull out of the hat, the better. Just don’t get bogged down in these, shall I say, “pieces of candy” and leave off the meat.

I think the average lifespan of a sales clerk in your local music shop is probably only about 18 months, because after you’ve heard “Crazy Train” played 101 times (and most of them poorly), you hop on the crazy train yourself and hightail it to Lowe’s or Home Depot.

Fun songs to play on guitar should include a wide and sweet variety of tunes. And if you’re in the round and everyone is playing the obvious, play something soft and soothing. You’ll be surprised at the comments you’ll get.

You should learn “Blue Bossa” and some other jazz classics and you’ll be prepared. Fun songs to play on guitar should be just that and don’t over do it. You’re gonna get the girl either way, man. You play guitar. So, build a list of fun songs you can play very well.

So now that you have an idea of what songs you should learn how to play, why not give yourself the resources to play your best music? At Pro Lessons, we offer affordable guitar lessons and song tutorials brought to you by the professional guitarists making music today. With lessons for players of all skill levels, it’s hard to say “no.”

For more information on how we can help you become a better guitarist, click on the link below.