You want to play guitar that sounds like guitar, and the blues gets you there quick. So many of its classics ride on the same handful of chords and a riff that comes back around.
Once you learn one 12-bar tune, you’ve half-learned the next. The shapes repeat, so your hands build muscle memory fast.
That repetition is also where real technique hides. Working through “Johnny B.
Goode” teaches timing and feel, not just notes.
We rounded up 20 songs, from B.B. King’s smooth licks to a Chuck Berry stomp, to grow your set and your skills together.
Here are the easy blues songs to start with.
Easy Blues Guitar Songs for Beginners
1. Every Day I Have The Blues - B.B. King
This song is a masterpiece of blues. The song’s structure is simple yet expressive, and the guitar picks are catchy.
Plus, B.B. King’s vocals are powerful and expressive.
Overall, it’s an excellent song for beginners. It shows how blues music is structured and what blues characteristics are.
B.B. King is famous for his guitar licks.
They sound unique and different. His guitar playing is full of emotion and musical flavor.
2. Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash
This song is one of the most famous blues songs of all time. It’s known for a strong guitar riff, and Johnny Cash’s powerful vocals and lyrics carry it.
The song’s central message is about a personal struggle, and the song itself conveys that struggle. It’s a catchy song, too.
It reaches a large audience and inspires many people to learn to play guitar.
3. Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry
This song is one of the earliest blues songs ever recorded. It has excellent, simple guitar lines and a great, memorable melody.
It hit several Billboard charts. It shows the progression of blues music from the old-school style to the modern rock-and-roll style.
The song also influenced rock guitarists, who used elements of it in many of their songs.
4. La Grange - ZZ Top
This song has an interesting guitar part, and it’s entertaining. The guitar part is very repetitive, making it easy for anyone to learn.
The song features a strong bass line, and the drums sound good. The instruments complement each other well.
It put ZZ Top on the map in the U.S., and it also brought them a lot of success in Europe. It’s a song that’s popular to this day.
5. Crossroad Blues - Robert Johnson
Robert Johnson was considered one of the greatest artists of all time, and he influenced many other musicians. He was known for his guitar style, and this song has some of the best guitar licks of all time.
This song has a very bluesy sound, and it sounds great. The guitar part is very memorable, and the licks sound great.
The guitar sounds bluesy, and the song has a fun, exciting sound. It’s a fantastic song, and the guitar parts are plentiful.
6. The Sky Is Crying - Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stevie Ray Vaughan was one of the most terrific blues guitar players. This song features some exciting guitar licks and a great tone.
It pushes the envelope and exemplifies what a good blues song should sound like: raw but challenging. Vaughan’s playing is excellent, and the style is perfect for this song.
The solos are fantastic, and the riffs are memorable. It’s one of my favorite blues songs of all time.
7. It Hurts Me Too - Elmore James
Elmore James is known for his blues guitar, and this song showcases his incredible tone and fantastic technique. The song starts with some cool licks, and then Elmore shows his excellent method through the rest.
This is a tremendous performance, and he doesn’t hold back a bit. Elmore’s tone is perfect, and he plays with a lot of emotion.
8. All Your Love - The Bluesbreakers
This song is an excellent example of music theory applied to blues guitar, and it’s one of the best-known songs in the blues guitar canon. The verses are pretty simple, but the bass has a great melodic line.
The riffs are memorable, and the solos are fantastic. The chord progression is beautiful, and it complements the rest of the song well.
9. Mean Woman Blues - Roy Orbison
This is one of our favorite blues songs of all time. It’s simple yet incredibly talented.
The bass has a beautiful melody that’s very memorable. The solos are perfectly judged, and the chord progression is stunning.
Roy’s voice is also incredible, and he brings it home. Listen to this song and pay attention.
10. Blood And Wine - Dustin Kensrue
Another one of our favorite songs by Dustin Kensrue. It’s a bit complicated, but Dustin makes it sound easy.
Plus, the guitar solo is one of the best parts of this song. He brings something extra to the table - creating a great melody and keeping the rhythm interesting throughout the solo.
11. Things That I Used To Do - Guitar Slim
One song by Guitar Slim stands out in our minds, and we’ve probably listened to it a thousand times. Guitar Slim was a fantastic blues guitarist, and this track showcases that perfectly.
Plus, his vocals are spot on. Do you want to play the blues?
If so, you should probably start here. Grab a guitar and start playing some blues songs!
12. Papa Ain’t Salty - T-Bone Walker
Another well-known blues song by T-Bone Walker, Papa Ain’t Salty, is a classic. The song is simple, but the guitar is what makes it great.
Walker doesn’t play any fast solos but instead lets the guitar play the melody while he plays support chords. This song is essentially just a rhythm track, so it might leave you wanting more.
Still, it’s one of the best blues songs of all time.
13. Blues Power - Eric Clapton
Although Eric Clapton has composed many songs over the years, this one was inspired by the blues musicians of the past. The song’s lyrics describe the blues music of Clapton’s generation.
The song is mostly a guitar track, and Clapton’s vocals keep it simple. That’s not to say that you can’t do some improvisation with it.
Grab a guitar and start playing! You can take the initial guitar riff and improvise on top of it, or you could even play it without accompaniment.
14. Trouble In Mind - Lightnin’ Hopkins
Trouble in Mind is a blues song associated with Lightnin’ Hopkins. Hopkins is a blues musician, so it makes sense that he’d play a song about the blues.
The guitar riff is repetitive, and Hopkins’ vocals are slow and steady. One critic described the music as “the bossa nova of blues.”
Still, it’s an exciting song to play. Listen to it a few times and pick up on the changes.
15. Little Red Rooster - Howlin’ Wolf
This blues song was written in 1961 and made famous by Howlin’ Wolf, known for his hard blues guitar playing. It’s an excellent example of blues music.
Listen to the beginning, which starts with the sound of a harmonica. There’s a harp throughout the song, but the rhythm shifts.
It’s a slow blues that gives you plenty of room to feel the groove.
16. Before You Accuse Me - Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley was a famous blues musician, and this is one of his most famous songs. This song has incredible guitar licks and rhythms, and people can easily dance to it.
The lyric is a plea - before you accuse me of anything, listen to what I’ve to say. If you like the blues, I’m sure you’ll like this song.
17. T-Bone Shuffle - T-Bone Walker
This wonderful blues musician is best known for the song above, but the T-Bone Shuffle is another standout. This song is an excellent example of Walker showing off his outstanding guitar skills and riffs.
The guitar riffs are what keep this song interesting. Walker also brings emotion into his vocals.
You can hear him singing about his life and why he’s playing music.
18. Ain’t No Sunshine - Bill Withers
Another soulful, blues-tinged classic. Bill Withers is known for his incredible songwriting, and this song is no exception.
The guitar line sounds great throughout the whole song. Withers’ music is also very unique - you can hear a lot of soul and folk influences here.
His voice, guitar, and bass all come together to create a relaxing, bluesy tune.
19. Red House - Jimi Hendrix
Another great blues song, this time by Jimi Hendrix. Many of Hendrix’s songs have a strong blues influence, and people hear a little bit of jazz and funk in a lot of his music.
This song starts off sounding like a straight blues, but Hendrix shows the talent he’s known for toward the end. The guitar solo and bass line are incredible, and the drums are crisp and loud.
20. Born In Chicago - The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
The blues sound shines through in this band’s music, and this song is no exception. The guitar riffs are fantastic, and the song is filled with catchy lyrics.
It’s hard not to enjoy it. It gives us a bit of insight into the Chicago blues scene.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the blues a good genre for a beginner guitarist?
Yes. The blues is one of the best genres to start with because most songs are built on a few chords and repetitive 12-bar progressions.
Once you learn that basic framework, you can play along with a huge number of songs and even start improvising.
It also teaches feel and timing, which carry over to every other style of music you might want to play later.
What chords do I need to know to play blues guitar?
Most beginner blues songs use dominant 7th chords, such as E7, A7, and B7, arranged in a 12-bar pattern. Learning the open positions of these chords will get you through the majority of the songs on this list.
From there, adding a simple shuffle rhythm and the minor pentatonic scale will let you play both rhythm and basic lead parts.
Do I need an electric guitar to play the blues?
No. Plenty of classic blues, including songs by Robert Johnson and Lightnin’ Hopkins, was played on acoustic guitar.
An acoustic is a great way to learn the chords and fingerpicking patterns.
That said, an electric guitar makes it easier to reach the tones and sustain heard in songs by players like B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughan, so many beginners enjoy practicing on one.
How long does it take to learn a beginner blues song?
With regular practice, many beginners can play a simple blues song in a week or two. Songs with one main repeating riff, like La Grange or Folsom Prison Blues, often come together fastest.
Songs with faster solos or more complex picking, such as Red House, take longer, but the basic chord parts are still within reach early on.
Final Thoughts
These songs will get you started on learning blues guitar. After you’ve mastered a few of them, you’ll naturally want to try others and start experimenting with your own licks and improvisation.
The blues is a genre that’s fun to learn, and it’s one you’ll encounter often as your playing develops.
Start with the simplest riffs, focus on timing and feel rather than speed, and build from there. Take notes, play along with the originals, and most of all, have fun learning the blues!
