Do you want to play nursery rhymes on guitar for your child or are you just looking for some easy guitar songs for kids for your next guitar lessons? In this article you will find a list of kids songs for guitar that are easy and fun to learn. Most of the songs are popular nursery rhymes that most kids already know.
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star is one of the most popular lullabies in the United States. Most parents have sung it to their children at bedtime. And that’s why most children know this song so well. Whether for parents or children, it’s a great and easy song to learn on the guitar. It only requires a few basic guitar chords.
Chords Required: G, C, D7
Chords, Tabs and Sheet Music for Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
The ABC Song
The Alphabet Song is a great nursery rhyme for preschoolers. It is sung in kindergartens to teach children the English alphabet. If you are a kindergarten teacher, for example, this is your song to learn. It only requires four chords and even the fingerpicked version of the song is a good start for beginners.
Chords Required: C, F, G
Chords, Tabs and Sheet Music for The ABC Song
Frère Jacques/ Are you Sleeping?
Frère Jacques is a French nursery rhyme that has been translated into most of the world’s languages. It is definitely the easiest guitar song for kids to play on the guitar. You can play it with just one chord. Of course, there are other guitar versions with more chords. Knowing your first song on the guitar is a great motivation to keep going.
Required Chords: C
Chords, Tabs and Sheet Music for Frère Jacques/ Are you sleeping?
Happy Birthday To You
Happy Birthday To You is a very catchy and easy song to sing. It’s the most popular song in the English-speaking world. Everyone knows the words to this song, and that’s a good foundation for learning a song on the guitar. Thanks to its brevity and the simple chords used, it has to be on our list of easy guitar songs for kids.
Chords Required: C, G, F
Chords, Tabs and Sheet Music for Happy Birthday
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Baa Baa Black Sheep is a short and old nursery rhyme that is easy to play on the guitar. The melody is the same as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and the Alphabet Song. Only three basic guitar chords are needed for this beginner song.
Chords Required: G, C, D
Chords, Tabs and Sheet Music for Baa Baa Black Sheep
Old MacDonald Had a Farm
Old MacDonald is one of the most popular children’s songs in kindergarten and school. It’s also a perfect song for any guitar class with kids because you only need three guitar chords and you can build other activities around the content of the song.
Chords Required: G, C, D
Chords, Tabs and Sheet Music for Old MacDonald Had a Farm
Mary had a little Lamb
Another very popular nursery rhyme is Mary Had a Little Lamb. The song, which has several verses, tells a really nice story about a girl and her sheep that she takes to school. It’s actually based on a true story. It’s a great song for beginners on the guitar because you only need two basic chords.
Chords Required: C, G
Chords, Tabs and Sheet Music for Mary had a little Lamb
Wheels on the Bus
The Wheels on the Bus is one of our favorite children’s songs. It’s so popular that it’s sung in many other countries, either in English or in a translated version. It has seven verses, but it’s very easy to remember because of its simple structure.
Chords Required: C, G
Chords, Tabs and Sheet Music for Wheels on the Bus
Row, Row, Row your Boat
Row, Row, Row your Boat is a very short children’s song, but it is also one of the easiest songs to play on the guitar. Sure, Frère Jacques is easier to play, but thanks to the shortness of the song, Row, Row, Row your Boat is not too much more difficult. It’s also a great activity song to play on the guitar while the kids imitate rowing a boat.
Chords Required: C, G
Chords, Tabs and Sheet Music for Row, Row, Row your Boat
Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty is a nursery rhyme with a lot of background and theory behind its origin.The lyrics don’t even mention a human-like egg, but that’s what we have in mind today when we warm up this nursery rhyme.This song is a very good practice for fast chord progressions.
Chords Required: A, D, E
Chords, Tabs and Sheet Music for Humpty Dumpty
Five little Ducks
Five Little Ducks is a cute little nursery rhyme that teaches children numbers and counting backwards.It’s also pretty easy to play on the guitar.It requires one more advanced chord, but the changes between the chords are easy to learn. Most kids have a lot of fun with this nursery rhyme.
Chords Required: C, G, G7
Chords, Tabs and Sheet Music for Five little Ducks
Yankee Doodle
Yankee Doodle is a traditional American patriotic song that originated during the Revolutionary War. Initially, the song was sung to make fun of the disorganized colonial “Yankees”.But over time, the song has become an enduring symbol of American patriotism and a popular nursery rhyme!
Chords Required: G, D, C
Chords, Tabs and Sheet Music for Yankee Doodle
Itsy Bitsy Spider
Itsy Bitsy Spider tells the story of a spider’s journey to overcome weather obstacles while climbing a waterspout. The song’s repetitive structure, coupled with accompanying hand movements, provides an engaging and interactive musical experience for children.Since it can be played with only two basic chords, it’s also a perfect song for beginners on the guitar.
Chords Required: C, G
Chords, Tabs and Sheet Music for Itsy Bitsy Spider
Jingle Bells
Jingle Bells is a huge Christmas classic, not only in the United States and the United Kingdom, but all over the world. It’s still a beginner song, but it requires a few more chords than most easy guitar songs.However, this classic Christmas song is not to be missed!
Chords Required: C, F, G, D7
Chords, Tabs and Sheet Music for Jingle Bells
O Christmas Tree
O Christmas Tree, also known as “O Tannenbaum” in its original German version, is a beloved Christmas carol with lyrics celebrating the beauty and faithfulness of the Christmas tree. This timeless holiday classic has transcended its German roots to become an internationally recognized carol, with translated versions in many languages.
Chords Required: G, D7, C
Chords, Tabs and Sheet Music for O Christmas Tree
Silent Night
Silent Night is a Christmas carol known and loved throughout the world. Its origins can be traced back to a small village in Austria, where it was first performed in a church at Christmas in 1818.Thanks to the itinerant Austrian workers and singers, the carol quickly gained popularity and is now one of the most translated songs!
Chords Required: G, D, C, Em
Chords, Tabs and Sheet Music for Silent Night
More Input for your Guitar Lessons
If you are a guitar teacher, then find more tips on how to make your guitar lessons better.
