The guitar is easily one of the most fun and engaging instruments to play. There’s the old saying that we can apply to it: it’s easy to learn but difficult to master. Sure, it will take you years, even decades, to reach the virtuoso status. But in the meantime, you can start building your skills and your repertoire slowly in a very fun way. There are plenty of songs that use exactly the same chord progressions. With this in mind, we’ve decided to bring you a list of 10 songs that you can play with just 4 chords.
However, bear in mind that these songs aren’t all in the same key. You can either transpose them all and play them in the same key, like C major or A minor. However, the best solution here is to get a capo and get accustomed to all the positions on the neck. We’ll write these chord progressions as if they were all written in G major or E minor, but we’ll also explain where you should put your capo on the fretboard.
So here, we’ll have G major, C major, E minor, and D major. Technically, these are I, IV, vi, and V chords. The exact order will change, but you’ll be able to play these songs using these four chords in different positions.
Ready? Let’s get this started!
But first – What Is a Capo?
Some of the material we are about to cover mentions a capo. But what is a capo? Let’s get that out of the way first, shall we? For those who don’t know, a capo is a specialized clamp that you put over your guitar’s neck and fretboard. The main purpose of a capo is to transpose your guitar’s pitch. For instance, you put the capo over the fifth fret, press all of its six strings, and effectively change its tuning. This way, you make it much easier to finger specific chords on various parts of the fretboard. Although it’s a very useful tool for beginners, it’s an important accessory for professional players too.
The way a capo works is pretty simple. The clamp has padding on one of the insides of the clamp. You use this part to press the strings by placing it just behind the desired fret. You have to make sure that your capo is close to the fret. Otherwise, you won’t get the desired sound out of this new tuning.
So in short, a capo is that convenient little gizmo that you might have seen that looks like this…
And you can find some cool capos over on Amazon. Now, let’s dive in!
The Beatles – Let It Be
For The Beatles’ “Let It Be,” you should put a capo on the 5th fret, and play in the key of C. So your E minor chord shape should act as A minor, and G major shape as C major. The chord progression here goes: Em, D, C, G, D, C, G. Of course, the original song has some variations and 7th chords, but you can still play it like this.
Jason Mraz – I’m Yours
Up next, you’ll need to put a capo on your guitar’s 4th fret and play it in the key of B major. Jason Mraz’s legendary “I’m Yours” is pretty easy to play, and most of it features a chord progression that goes G, D, Em, C (if transposed to G major). Of course, some parts of the songs also feature the A7 chord, but you can play most of this tune with these four chords and capo on the 4th fret.
John Denver – Take Me Home, Country Roads
This country music classic is also pretty simple. You’ll just have to take the capo to the 2nd fret, and play it in the key of A major. Then in this position, play these chord shapes: G, Em, D, C. As for the chorus, it goes: G, D, Em, C, G, D, C, G. The first D should be D7, but you can play it is a regular major chord instead.
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Hey Oh (Snow)
For all those who love Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Hey Oh (Snow)” is a song that they’ll want to learn. Although the exact original version is a bit tricky, you can play the chord progression without any of those details. So take the capo, put it on the 4th fret, and play: Em, C, G, D. However, the bridge is a bit different, but you can still play most of the song with these four chords.
Eminem featuring Rihanna – Love the Way You Lie
Although Eminem’s and Rihanna’s “Love the Way You Lie” isn’t a guitar-based song, it still features a catchy chord progression and the main chorus melody. Additionally, it’s pretty easy to learn. All you need to do is put a capo on the 3rd fret, and play these chord shapes: Em, C, G, D. This puts the song in the key of Bb major or G minor.
Train – Hey, Soul Sister
For this pop-rock classic, you’ll have to put the capo on the 9th fret and play the following progression: G, D, Em, C. The chorus is a bit different and it takes some time to figure out. But this is the order of chords you’ll have to play: C, D, G, D, C, D, G, D, C, D, G, D, C, D, G, D, Em, C. With a capo on the 9th fret, this puts it in the key of E major.
Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’
Probably the catchiest rock classic, Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'” can also be played the simple way. Once again, you’ll have to put the capo on the 9th fret and just play G, D, Em, C. It repeats throughout the entire song, so that’s pretty easy. You’ll just have to figure out the overall grove with your picking/strumming hand.
Green Day – When I Come Around
Okay, we’re going to break the rules a little. Most of the Green Day’s “When I Come Around” can be played with a capo on the 11th fret and using the G, D, Em, C chord progression. However, for the chorus, use Am and C. Other than that, the song is pretty simple, and a great addition to every beginner’s repertoire.
Boston – Peace of Mind
Boston’s “Peace of Mind” can also be arranged for beginners. All you need to do is put your capo on the 9th fret. Then, play Em, C, G, D. This covers most of the song. There are certain sections where you’ll have to use the F chord as well. But you can practice it this way.
Joan Osborne – One of Us
Lastly, we’d like to include Joan Osborne’s alt-rock classic from the 1990s “One of Us.” The piece was written by Eric Bazilian in just one night, so it’s a pretty simple one. Most of the song can be played with the capo on the 2nd fret and using the Em-C-G-D progression. The pre-chorus is C-G-D-C-G-D-C-D, while uses the same progression as verses.
If you’re interested in learning some of these songs and much more, check out guitar lessons at Rock Out Loud!
