I just bought an electric guitar! I’ve been playing an acoustic for a while at a beginner’s level—mostly a few 3-chord songs. Looking for popular rock or indie songs that sound good on electric, something people will recognize. I’ve already learned the riff from Seven Nation Army! Any recommendations for songs or good online lessons to get me going would be awesome. Thanks!
Try some Tom Petty songs. They’re simple and very recognizable.
Songs like Refugee, Breakdown, and Even the Losers… They usually have straightforward guitar parts with solos that are smooth and easy to manage.
Also, if you’re interested in Rush, New World Man is about as easy as it gets for guitar—just a fun one to say you can play if you’re into their stuff!
@Sky
Haha, looks like I can officially play a Rush song now!
Emory said:
@Sky
Haha, looks like I can officially play a Rush song now!
Exactly! Meanwhile, the drums and bass on that song are out of control. 
Check out Nirvana’s stuff—they have a lot of songs with easy solos that follow the melody. Smells Like Teen Spirit is a solid one for starting out.
Sam said:
Check out Nirvana’s stuff—they have a lot of songs with easy solos that follow the melody. Smells Like Teen Spirit is a solid one for starting out.
I tried Smells Like Teen Spirit, but I’m struggling to get the tone right… any tips?
@Vale
Try a Boss DS-1 pedal for that classic Nirvana sound.
Black Sabbath, AC/DC, and Nirvana are great for beginners.
They have lots of classic riffs that are fun and pretty easy to pick up.
I’m new too and currently practicing Holy Diver by Dio. It’s a fun one for working on power chord slides and basic rhythm… though I’m still getting the hang of it myself!
Briar said:
I’m new too and currently practicing Holy Diver by Dio. It’s a fun one for working on power chord slides and basic rhythm… though I’m still getting the hang of it myself!
Holy Diver is a classic! Dio had such an amazing voice. Practicing rhythm with this one is a good call.
Who are some artists you like?
You might enjoy learning their songs!
If you know the open chords A, G, and D, you can pretty much play every AC/DC song. Try Long Way to the Top, and if you can, find a friend to handle the bagpipe part—makes it even better!
Santa Monica by Everclear is a good one! It’s not too hard and sounds great.
Green Day is a solid choice with lots of power chords.
If you’re up for it, try Apache by The Shadows—super fun to play.
Iron Man by Black Sabbath! It’s iconic and beginner-friendly.
A bit more challenging, but I’d recommend My Hero by Foo Fighters. Great song to learn!
Try Edge of Darkness by Greta Van Fleet. Really cool song for practice.
Check out Social Distortion!
My Sharona. Easy and catchy.
Civil War by Guns N’ Roses. The intro is mostly open E pentatonics. Look for a simplified tab to start.