[Challenge] Practice Songs for Beginner Electric Guitar Players
Have you ever listened to a rock band and thought, “I want to try playing guitar too!”? I bet many people have felt that way.
Still, it’s common to hesitate, thinking “Guitar seems difficult…,” or to buy a guitar but not know which song to start with.
We’ve all been there.
In this article, I’ll introduce plenty of songs that are perfect for electric guitar beginners to practice.
Of course, basic exercises are important, but it’s hard to keep going with just that.
So find a song you like from the ones introduced here, and aim to improve while having fun playing!
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[Challenge] Practice Songs for Beginner Electric Guitarists (21–30)
Smells Like Teen SpiritNirvana
The alternative rock classic with the incredibly famous guitar riff, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Above all, the key to this song is that iconic riff.
If you can play that phrase, you’re just a step away from mastering the whole song! It’s a cool, cutting-driven phrase, so getting comfortable with cutting while practicing this tune is a good idea.
There’s also a guitar solo in the middle, but it’s single-note and not rhythmically too intricate, so with practice you should be able to play it just fine.
While you’re at it, master the brief slide and bending parts too! Once you can handle these techniques, you’ll instantly get that real rock guitar feel.
Heavy rotationAKB48
Recognized as one of AKB48’s signature songs and beloved by a wide range of age groups, “Heavy Rotation” is a perfect rock number for those just starting to practice guitar.
The band sound opens with crisp guitar cutting and unfolds over a driving, fast-paced rhythm.
With rhythm guitar phrases that make extensive use of palm muting and a lead guitar part suited for practicing single-note lines, it also works well for a four-piece band.
In the interlude, there’s a guitar phrase using slide techniques primarily on strings 1 through 3, allowing you to master a broad range of techniques.
Because tight, rhythmic playing is key to this song, be sure to focus on muting and brushing as you practice.
[Challenge] Practice Songs for Electric Guitar Beginners (31–40)
We’re in the car again today.Hump Back
As a next-generation girls’ band, Hump Back is extremely popular.
Among their songs, this one stands out for its especially uplifting lyrics that really hit home.
A great point for guitar beginners is that you can play it with relatively simple chord forms.
Start with power chords and palm muting in the opening chorus, then switch to open chords from the intro through the chorus—if you practice a bit, you’ll get it into shape quickly! One of the challenging parts is the instrumental break that follows.
There’s a single-note guitar solo there, so just practice it steadily! That said, the song’s tempo is slow, so if you go through it little by little while checking your fingerings, you’ll nail it.
From the second verse on, it’s mostly arpeggios, so practice until you can play without looking at your hands.
It might sound difficult written out like this, but these are all essential techniques, making this song perfect for stepping up your skills.
elevated lineELLEGARDEN
The technique of plucking strings one by one is called arpeggio, and this is perfect for practicing it! It’s included on ELLEGARDEN’s 2006 album “ELEVEN FIRE CRACKERS.” This mid-tempo guitar rock track features dynamic shifts in the arrangement and vocalist Takeshi Hosomi’s soaring high tones.
The arpeggio phrase is very simple, making it ideal for beginners.
Also recommended as the first song for a cover band set.
together; along with; bothWANIMA
A three-piece band from Kumamoto Prefecture, WANIMA’s song.
Because it has the driving feel characteristic of punk rock, guitar beginners might find it challenging, but since most of the song can be played with power chords, the guitar parts are relatively simple in structure.
One point to note is that the tempo is fast, so if you focus on switching chords smoothly to avoid cutting off the sound as much as possible, you can play with a similar nuance.
There are many sections—like the interlude riff and the cutting—that benefit from clear dynamics, but overall there aren’t any difficult techniques, so it’s a song that guitar beginners can enjoy playing together as a band.
BasketcaseGreen Day
This is one of Green Day’s signature high-energy songs.
The chords are simple, making it a perfect choice for your first practice.
It also features plenty of phrases that use palm muting—essential for rock band tunes—so if you like rock or punk, definitely give it a try!
Tomorrow as wellSHISHAMO
As a staple artist of girls’ rock bands, SHISHAMO is popular even with general audiences.
This song, known as one of their signature tracks, was also used in a commercial, so many of you may already be familiar with it.
At first glance it looks difficult because you move up and down the fretboard, but it mainly involves shifting positions based on the open F chord shape.
Once you can get the F chord to ring cleanly, give this song a try.
At first, you might find that not all the strings ring out, but you’ll get used to it with practice! Unlike an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar has comparatively thinner and softer strings, so if you’ve struggled with the F chord on acoustic, definitely give it another shot on electric!