20 easy fingerpicking songs
“easy” (read: you already know some basic open chord shapes and can pluck individual strings rather than just strum, so then you can focus on mainly the right hand doing the majority of the fancy work✨)
I’d have to say some of my most favorite songs to play are ones that have fingerpicking in them. Probably because it requires a good amount of technical precision and it gives me great satisfaction when I nail a pattern just right 😎
I’ve included a mix of some famous and some not as well known songs for variety. I’ll include any relevant links to chord sheets, TAB and tutorials below each song.
“My Kind of Man” - Vance Joy
featuring: easy chords, easy right hand picking pattern, great choice!
chords: C, Am, G
UltimateGuitar: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/vance-joy/my-kind-of-man-tabs-1789498
2. “Unchained Melody” - The Righteous Brothers
featuring: easy left hand block chords, very consistent right hand pattern
chords: C, Am, Fmaj7, G, Em
YouTube: https://youtu.be/WTRoCKcGQpI?si=JjMHkVdeRZc5u7-i
3. “Cherry” - Harry Styles
featuring: capo 7th fret, straight rhythm, very pretty, fun and bouncy energy
chords: C, Cadd9, C/B, Am7, Fmaj7
UltimateGuitar: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/harry-styles/cherry-tabs-2927945
YouTube: https://youtu.be/KUuV9e50flQ?si=bj0dg51tlmeSD78N
4. “Distance” - Christina Perri ft. Jason Mraz
featuring: capo 2nd fret, very delicate tone, speed challenge
chords: C, Am7, Em, G, Fmaj7, E, F
UltimateGuitar: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/christina-perri/distance-tabs-1471693
5. “Same Girl” - Jack Johnson
featuring: straightforward chord shapes, consistent right hand pattern
chords: G, Am7, D7sus4, Em, C
UltimateGuitar: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/jack-johnson/same-girl-tabs-649386
6. “Begin Again” - Taylor Swift
featuring: easy chord shapes, repetitive right hand pattern, syncopated rhythm
chords: G, Cadd9, Em, D
UltimateGuitar: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/taylor-swift/begin-again-tabs-1193165
7. “Each Coming Night” - Iron & Wine
featuring: capo 2nd fret, easy chords, repetitive right hand pattern
chords: C, Am, F, G
YouTube: https://youtu.be/DnfE7TOD4K8?si=B72c0BZbTGLG1K28
8. “Wherever You Will Go” - The Calling
featuring: capo 2nd fret, easy chords, repetitive right hand pattern
chords: C, G, Am7, F, Em
UltimateGuitar: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/the-calling/wherever-you-will-go-tabs-147538
YouTube: https://youtu.be/zQeIFLnFYOk?si=d7kzQ2kktMymOnr1
9. “Flightless Bird, American Mouth” - Iron & Wine
featuring: capo 3rd fret, 4 easy chords, repetitive, bass-chord-chord plucking pattern
UltimateGuitar: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/iron-wine/flightless-bird-american-mouth-tabs-600039
YouTube: https://youtu.be/CMLlCGIg1js?si=_H7_UmkiPw1kJOpJ
10. “Landslide” - Fleetwood Mac
*okay so the main part (verse) is the “easy” part because there’s only 3 chords, but the chorus is still pretty manageable (just more chord shapes and changes), capo 3rd fret
chords: C, G/B, Am7, G, D/F#, Em
YouTube: https://youtu.be/GXpxBDs-n4A?si=BPHFoV8hSyUtqu6S
11. “Such Great Heights” - Iron & Wine
featuring: capo 6th fret
UltimateGuitar: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/iron-wine/such-great-heights-tabs-200234
YouTube: https://youtu.be/Pv3RZBCLlAY?si=GjXAt8Sk7DBAiFxY
the more challenging ones:
12. “Marry Me” - Train
featuring: high tempo which makes this one harder, but super repetitive which is nice and satisfying
chords: variations of C, Am7, G, Fmaj7
UltimateGuitar: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/train/marry-me-tabs-1057918
YouTube: https://youtu.be/cMPoUAyHoh0?si=lPqbUoj_kX4MiYrt
13. “Never Grow Up” - Taylor Swift
featuring: capo 7th fret, slower tempo, rapid chord changes and some slurs (hammer-ons and pull-offs)
chords: G, G/F#, Em7, D, Cadd9
UltimateGuitar: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/taylor-swift/never-grow-up-tabs-999344
14. “I Won’t Give Up” - Jason Mraz
featuring: capo 2nd fret, drop D tuning, some open chord shapes and cool syncopated rhythm
chords: G, D, Bm, Asus2, Em, C, E
YouTube: https://youtu.be/xJgZAie3jrg?si=BCG2Xk5YNltUNgut
15. “Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop” - Landon Pigg
featuring: single note melody and open E repeated bass line
UltimateGuitar: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/landon-pigg/falling-in-love-at-a-coffee-shop-tabs-723647
16. “Georgia” - Vance Joy
featuring: capo 4th fret, slides, power chord shapes
UltimateGuitar: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/vance-joy/georgia-tabs-1519825
YouTube: https://youtu.be/v-EsU6N26Ic?si=m7mfejF7s_4JcmqO
17. “Safe & Sound” - Taylor Swift, The Civil Wars
featuring: capo 6th fret, slurs(hammer-ons and pull-offs)
UltimateGuitar: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/taylor-swift/safe-and-sound-tabs-1118288
YouTube: https://youtu.be/lHPGdTRagNg?si=vywi1wBuBMhr2A6j
YouTube: https://youtu.be/fFef8inzC5w?si=RpPKjx5GRonSs5GM
18. “To Whom It May Concern” - The Civil Wars
featuring: alternate tuning, capo 5th fret, slurs(hammer-ons)
UltimateGuitar: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/the-civil-wars/to-whom-it-may-concern-tabs-1066041
YouTube: https://youtu.be/U-r5w_CQM8s?si=8rbXYXklbkNu3b0a
19. “Leave Your Lover” - Sam Smith
featuring: (some versions use barre chords, some use capo 2nd fret), slurs (hammer-ons)
UltimateGuitar: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/sam-smith/leave-your-lover-tabs-1702277
YouTube: https://youtu.be/jmeLHWbCC7Y?si=29MP3XcAmr5D4rM-
YouTube: https://youtu.be/5Hx9DuJHaF4?si=j5pFbmZN9VRWZj4P
20. “Like a Star” - Corinne Bailey Rae
featuring: barre chords (i know barre chords can be a challenge but if you’re up for it, this song has a few that are partial barres instead of entire shapes), percussive slapping, consistent repeated rhythm
UltimateGuitar: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/corinne-bailey-rae/like-a-star-tabs-850358
