[Western Rock Edition] Recommended Practice Songs for Beginner Bands [2026]

The House of the Rising SunThe Animals

House of the Rising Sun

They’re a band that epitomized the British Invasion of the ’60s.

Although they’re from the UK, many of their songs have a strong blues influence, and this track is also a cover of an American folk song.

Their member Chas Chandler is also famous for discovering Jimi Hendrix.

t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l (ft. Travis Barker)Willow

WILLOW – t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l ft. Travis Barker (Official Music Video)

Willow Smith is an American singer and the daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, who has also been active as an actor since childhood.

The song she released in 2021 drew attention with its pop-punk sound featuring Travis Barker.

Released as the lead single from the album ‘lately I feel EVERYTHING,’ the track takes aim at hypocritical friendships.

Willow incorporates punk energy into her music, inspired by accompanying her mother’s nu-metal band on tour when she was young.

Both the guitar and bass use simple phrases and are relatively easy, making it approachable for beginners to cover.

The drums can be challenging at first to keep up the speed, but it’s a good idea to practice by slowing down the tempo and gradually increasing it.

Last NiteThe Strokes

The Strokes – Last Nite (Official HD Video)

Known as pioneers of the early-2000s garage rock revival, the American rock band The Strokes released this track from their debut album, Is This It, which is characterized by its simple yet powerful guitar riff and energetic sound.

The opening riff—said to be inspired by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers—helped the song become one of the band’s signature hits.

Released by RCA Records, it achieved commercial success, peaking at No.

14 on the UK Singles Chart and earning a platinum certification.

In 2002, they also appeared on MTV’s live program $2 Bill, which significantly boosted The Strokes’ profile.

Its straightforward structure and catchy melody make it an ideal piece for band practice and easy to break into sections.

Louie LouieKINGSMEN

The Kingsmen – Louie Louie

In the United States, this is a song that often comes up as a band practice piece.

It’s a standard among rock standards, with reportedly as many as 1,600 covers.

Since it’s structured around endlessly repeating just four chords, even someone who’s never touched an instrument could master it in a day.

When Doves CryPrince

Prince When Doves Cry Backwards

The first single from the soundtrack to the movie that launched Prince, Purple Rain, and his first major hit.

It uses only four chords.

Unless you sing it like Prince, it’s hard to make it listenable, but the playing itself is easy.

Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)The Offspring

The Offspring – Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) (Official Music Video)

A song by The Offspring, a U.S.-born pop-punk band beloved by listeners around the world.

With its memorable guitar riffs and bass lines that stick in your head, it’s a quintessential Offspring number that naturally makes you want to move.

Every part is catchy yet built from simple phrases, making it an easy track for beginner band members to cover.

It’s a rock tune you’ll want as a live staple—one that lets you hype the crowd in sync with the song’s energy without stressing over difficult techniques on stage.

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Born in the U.S.A.Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen – Born in the U.S.A. (Official Video)

A smash hit by Springsteen.

In addition to this, the album of the same name produced a string of number-one hits.

Amazingly, the song uses only two chords.

Among the countless hit songs out there, it’s rare to find one with so few chords.

It’s easy to play, but it falls apart if the vocals are weak.