100 songs with easy chords

The following 100 songs each contain just a handful of chords. For singers who are learning to accompany themselves at the piano, songs with simple chords are a valuable part of your ongoing practice.

Compared to songs with more complex chord progressions, songs with easy chords can be:

☑️ Leaned more quickly
☑️ Memorised more easily
☑️ Played more spontaneously

If you’re a beginner, learning songs with easy chords will help you get a few songs under your belt quickly and easily.

If you’re an improver, you can learn the basics quickly – and then spend more time getting creative with your piano part – or learning new piano accompaniment tricks.

How to choose a song

The most important thing is that you choose a song you love to sing. Don’t worry if the original key is too high or low for your voice – we can change the key to suit you.

When you’re covering a song, bear in mind that you have the option to completely re-imagine it. So if you love the melody and lyrics of a song, but aren’t sure how to replicate the original groove, or feel of a song, don’t worry. Your goal isn’t to copy the song exactly. Songs that were originally performed by a rock or funk band can work incredibly well on the piano. Of course, if you’d like some tips and tricks to help you bring some of the song’s original vibe into your interpretation – I’ve got plenty of those for you too.

Which songs would you love to accompany yourself singing at the piano? You can let me know by leaving a comment in the box below!

Soul / R&B / Neo-Soul

Stand By Me – Ben E. King
Lean On Me – Bill Withers
Ain’t No Sunshine – Bill Withers
Heard It Through the Grapevine – Marvin Gaye
I Feel Good – James Brown
Hit the Road Jack – Ray Charles
Son of a Preacher Man – Dusty Springfield
Higher and Higher – Jackie Wilson
Young Hearts Run Free – Candi Staton
Back to Black – Amy Winehouse
Waterfalls – TLC
Fallin’ – Alicia Keys
Empire State of Mind (Part 2) – Alicia Keys
Human – Rag ‘n’ Bone Man
Ex-Factor – Lauryn Hill
Rise Up – Andra Day
Coming Home – Leon Bridges
Colours – Black Pumas
Teardrops – Womack & Womack
Unstoppable – Lianne La Havas
I’d Rather Go Blind – Etta James
Do I Move You – Nina Simone
Make It Rain – Foy Vance

Jazz / Blues / Soulful Classics

Summertime – Ella Fitzgerald
I’ve Got To See You Again – Norah Jones
Blue Moon – Elvis Presley
Morning Sun – Melody Gardot
Come Away With Me – Norah Jones
Dance Me to the End of Love – Madeleine Peyroux

Indie / Alternative Rock

Let It Be – The Beatles
Come Together – The Beatles
Purple Rain – Prince
With or Without You – U2
Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
You Can’t Always Get What You Want – The Rolling Stones
Yellow – Coldplay
I Want to Break Free – Queen
(Simply) The Best – Tina Turner
Zombie – The Cranberries
Iris – Goo Goo Dolls
Everybody Hurts – R.E.M.
Mad World – Gary Jules
Wicked Game – Chris Isaak
Little By Little – Oasis
Maria – Blondie
Save Tonight – Eagle-Eye Cherry
Uninvited – Alanis Morissette
That I Would Be Good – Alanis Morissette
Into My Arms – Nick Cave
Tender – Blur
One Day Like This – Elbow
Wild Horses – The Rolling Stones
What’s Up? – 4 Non Blondes
Goodnight Moon – Shivaree

Folk / Acoustic / Singer-Songwriter

Imagine – John Lennon
The Sound of Silence – Simon & Garfunkel
Blowin’ in the Wind – Bob Dylan
Fast Car – Tracy Chapman
River – Joni Mitchell
Suzanne – Leonard Cohen
Harvest Moon – Neil Young
Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
Skinny Love – Bon Iver/Birdy
Vincent – Don McLean
Read All About It Pt. III – Emeli Sandé
Cannonball – Damien Rice
Trouble – Ray LaMontagne
Whether You Fall – Tracy Bonham
Amazing Grace – Traditional

Contemporary Pop / Art Pop

Halo – Beyoncé
Royals – Lorde
Chandelier – Sia
What Was I Made For – Billie Eilish
Summertime Sadness – Lana Del Rey
Pink Pony Club – Chappell Roan
I’m Not the Only One – Sam Smith
Ocean Eyes – Billie Eilish
Not About Angels – Birdy
Like a Bird – Nelly Furtado
Only Love Can Hurt Like This – Paloma Faith
You’ve Got the Love – Florence + The Machine
She Used To Be Mine – Sara Bareilles
Woman – Neneh Cherry

Synth-Pop / Dance

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) – Eurythmics
Tainted Love – Soft Cell
Get Lucky – Daft Punk

Country / Americana

Jolene – Dolly Parton
You’re Still the One – Shania Twain
Me and Bobby McGee – Janis Joplin

Reggae

No Woman, No Cry – Bob Marley
Three Little Birds – Bob Marley
Redemption Song – Bob Marley
I’m Still in Love With You – Marcia Aitken

Latin

Havana – Camila Cabello
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps – Doris Day

Trip-Hop / Downtempo

Teardrop – Massive Attack
Glory Box – Portishead
Pure Shores – All Saints
The Sea – Morcheeba

UK Garage

Flowers – Sweet Female Attitude