Whether or not you play the guitar, it makes a great backing instrument for a vocalist and there are lots of good songs to sing with it. There are so many different songs from so many different eras that work very well sung alongside a guitar.
Singing with a guitar is a popular choice of instrument for many artists, whether they play it or not. Acoustic songs are a unique type of music and there are lots of different songs out there that you can practice singing from all different genres and eras.
Singing an acoustic version of a song really helps your voice to stand out. It enables you to focus on the melody, harmony and lyrics of the piece, making your creative cover sound unique. Here are our suggestions for good songs to sing with guitar accompaniment.
Good songs to sing with the guitar
To inspire you to sing with the guitar as your accompaniment, we’ve made a list of some of our favourite songs to sing with the guitar.
- Everything I wanted by Billie Eilish
- Dance Monkey by Tones & I
- The Suburbs by Arcade Fire
- Times Like These by Foo Fighters
- I’m Yours by Jason Mraz
- Fast Car by Tracy Chapman
- Circles by Post Malone
- Video Games by Lana Del Rey
- Blinding Lights by The Weeknd
- Without Me by Halsey
- Strong by London Grammar
- The Wolves by Ben Howard
- All I Want by Kodaline
- IDGAF by Dua Lipa
- Time of your Life by Green Day
- Viva La Vida by Coldplay
- Die Young by K$sha
- All of Me by John Legend
- Let it Go by James Bay
Why is it a good idea to sing with a guitar?
Singing alongside the guitar is a dream for many artists. If you play well, it is a great way to showcase both talents and prove that you have a musical ear.
There is something distinctly enjoyable about singing with only the soothing background of the guitar to accompany you.
Best acoustic guitar songs
1 Everything I wanted by Billie Eilish
One of the most popular female singers around at the moment, this song is a great choice when it comes to singing with a guitar.
2 Dance Monkey by Tones & I
Tones and I unveiled an acoustic music video for her hit Dance Monkey last year, with singers choosing to be creative with their covers.
3 The Suburbs by Arcade Fire
An indie rock classic and a great way to show off your vocals.
4 Times Like These by Foo Fighters
This song has often been performed with only the guitar and it’s a powerful track that is enjoyable and easy to sing with the guitar.
5 I’m Yours by Jason Mraz
If you’re looking for a ballad, this is a great choice. It’s a slow song that is packed full of emotion.
6 Fast Car by Tracy Chapman
This song was rerecorded back in 2016 by Swedish record producer Tobtok, featuring the vocals from British singer River. It introduced the song to a whole new audience and this is a really enjoyable song to sing alongside the guitar.
7 Circles by Post Malone
: Another good choice, this has easy chords to sing along with and is really enjoyable to experiment with, especially if you’re looking for an acoustic song to show off your vocal talents.
8 Video Games by Lana Del Rey
Lana is known for her ballads and this is a track that you can really mix up and experiment with in so many different ways. Try speeding up the song and see how it sounds. It could turn out that your own version is a lot more lively and exciting to perform.
Modern acoustic guitar songs
9 Blinding Lights by The Weeknd
A current track which has done really well in the charts, this is upbeat and lively making it good fun to sing with the guitar. It’s also a great choice of track if you’re looking for a song to strip back and make it your own.
10 Without Me by Halsey
This works well for both female and male vocalists and gives you the chance to perfect your vocal skills alongside the guitar. We also like this one because it’s an easy song to sing and you can really make it your own by mixing it up a bit.
11 Strong by London Grammar
Ballads also work really well sung with a guitar and this is a great choice because it’s an easy option to sing with a guitar, not too many chord changes and a fairly easy harmony to learn.
12 The Wolves by Ben Howard
British singer-songwriter Ben Howard often performs Wolves with just an acoustic guitar.
13 All I Want by Kodaline
This is a good choice if you’re looking for a slow track that you can sing acoustically and experiment with in many different ways.
What’s the easiest song to play on the guitar?
There are some songs that are less challenging than others when it comes to playing the guitar. As you are looking to take on the challenge of singing and playing at the same time, it’s best to start with something that’s easier that will be quick to pick up and get the hang of. Here are a list of some of the easiest songs to play on the guitar.
Easy songs to play on guitar for beginners
Best sing along acoustic guitar songs
14 IDGAF by Dua Lipa
Allie Sherlock is a teenage street busker from Cork, Ireland whose YouTube videos of her performing on the street have landed her a record deal. Check out her age-appropriate cover of IDGAF below and find the chords to play it yourself here.
15 Time of your Life by Green Day
A slow paced song which enables you to practice your skills on the guitar while also belting out strong vocals. It’s a beautiful song and one that sounds great sung acoustically.
17 Viva La Vida by Coldplay
A really fun song to sing and one that is easy to get to grips with when learning to play the guitar. It’s an easy song to play on the guitar with a great rhythm.
18 Let it Go by James Bay
Another ballad but another popular track that musicians find easy to learn on the guitar. It’s also a really beautiful song to sing.
Easy pop songs to learn on guitar
19 Die Young by K$sha
A great pop song which is nice and easy and fun to play on the guitar. It’s good to have a good variety of songs to play and this is a real pop track.
20 All of Me by John Legend
A nice slow ballad to introduce you to the guitar, this is a beautiful song which is a popular choice to sing.
Should I learn to play the guitar?
You shouldn’t feel any pressure to play the guitar or to play any musical instrument for that matter. You need to be the kind of artist you want to be or you won’t get the best out of your abilities. If playing a musical instrument and singing at the same time isn’t something you want to take on, that’s fine. Lots of artists are happy to just focus on their voice and put all their efforts into their vocal performance.
But if you fancy more of a challenge and you want to learn how to play the guitar and how to read music, then it could really help you as you move forward in your musical career. It can be a great skill and many aspiring singers find that they fall in love with playing the guitar and that they can’t imagine performing without it.
Songs to learn on guitar
The guitar is also a great instrument to play while singing because you’re not restricted to one place on stage. You can move around and interact with your audience more and get more involved.
There are so many advantages to playing a musical instrument, not least that it will enable your creative juices to flow. It will mean you are likely to come up with more ideas and inspiration when it comes to writing your own songs. It will help you to understand how to compose a song.
Also, a huge advantage of singing alongside the guitar (or any musical instrument) is that it helps to ensure you are singing in tune and it helps to improve your vocal ability.
And of course, singing with the guitar means that you don’t need to have anyone accompanying you when you sing. You provide the accompaniment yourself and you are in full control.
Can I teach myself to play the guitar?
Some people pick up a guitar and teach themselves how to play but others find it helps to take lessons and have instructions from a professional. It’s entirely up to you but as with anything, there are advantages to both.
Teaching yourself how to play means that you can learn it at your own pace. For some people, learning to play by themselves is the only way to do it. It also might be the only option simply because guitar lessons costs money and they can be expensive.
If you are looking for a cheap way to learn to play the guitar, then you can’t beat teaching yourself to play. There are so many books and videos out there to help you on your way to becoming a top guitar player.
How do I teach myself to play the guitar?
As with many instruments, it can be a challenge playing an instrument and singing at the same time. You might wonder how you can cope with so much going on at the same time and what to focus on first. It’s tricky because you’re multitasking by playing two instruments at the same time – the guitar and your voice.
Ed Sheeran may make it look easy, but he’s had years of practice. It’s something that artists all over the world do on a daily basis so give yourself plenty of time and patience to practice and you’ll nail it. Just set aside lots of time for practice.
Tips for learning guitar by yourself
Follow these steps and eventually you’ll find playing the guitar is just a part of your daily life and part of your career as a musician.
- Learn how to tune your guitar: It sounds obvious but this is something you will need to truly master if you’re going to be playing your own guitar. Get yourself a digital tuner so you begin to understand how to tune your guitar.
- Learn some chords: There are some chords which are more commonly used than others so to give yourself the best chance of being able to learn the guitar quickly and to be able to pick up more songs fast, it’s a good idea to learn some of the basic and common chords.
- Pick some of your favourite songs to learn: Once you have mastered the common chords, pick some of your favourite songs to play and sing along to. It’s best for you to pick songs which you are familiar with and enjoy performing as it will be easier for you to play and you will pick it up faster.
- Practice on a daily basis: You’ve heard it before, but practice makes perfect. So the best way to improve your abilities as a guitar player is for you to practice as often as you can. This gives you the best chance of becoming not only the best singer but the best guitar player you can be as well.
- Invest in a good guitar: Spend some time researching the sort of guitar you want to buy and make sure you are comfortable with it. You will be spending a lot of time with it so you need to get it right.
Ready to practice singing with the guitar?
By now you should have lots of ideas about different songs to sing with the guitar.
Do you have any tips about the best song to sing with a guitar or perhaps the easiest songs to play on the guitar? Share your suggestions below!
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