by Philip Brown

Created on: April 17, 2008

Here are some simple yet fun to play songs that I used to help me learn the electric guitar. I tried to pick a few songs that people may not have heard of before but are definitely worthy of learning. Most of them are rock / alternative rock from the 1990's with some older stuff sprinkled in.

Iron Man - Black Sabbath
This song has a simple and solid melody line that you can start by playing as single notes and as you build strength you can use power chords. This is the very first thing I can remember learning on the guitar.

About a Girl - Nirvana
This is from their first album "Bleach" and is also on the unplugged album. Very simple to play and isn't as overplayed as smells like teen spirit.

Say it ain't so - Weezer
The basic chord progression is simple and it sounds cool since its in a minor key.

Bulls on Parade - Rage Against the Machine
Simple to play and will help you with your right hand rhythm on the wah wah parts.

Zero - Smashing Pumpkins
This song will help you with learning natural harmonics and octaves.

More easy and fun to play songs...

Sex Type Thing - Stone Temple Pilots
Beautiful Disaster - 311
Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne
Go with the Flow - Queens of the Stone Age
Wish - Nine Inch Nails
Santeria - Sublime
Badfish - Sublime
Sabotage - Beastie Boys
Friend is Four Letter Word - Cake
I Will Survive - Cake
Lovesong - The Cure
Aneurysm - Nirvana
Everlong - Foo Fighters
Ashes - Pepper
Night Goat - Melvins
High - Jimmies Chicken Shack
Wild Thing - Jimi Hendrix
New Skin - Incubus
Violet - Hole
Basket Case - Green Day
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots pt. 1 - Flaming Lips
Space Oddity - David Bowie
Have You Ever Seen the Rain? - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Pay No Mind - Beck
Cherub Rock - Smashing Pumpkins
You - Radiohead
Sweat - Tool

This list should get you well on your way to learning some fun new songs to rock out to. I tried not to repeat bands too much and picked what I thought were the choice songs from each band but all of these bands have many good songs for you to check out and learn. Most of these songs are in standard tuning with a few in drop D so you should easily be able to play along to recordings to get the timing right.

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