Top 15 Guitar Campfire Songs People ALWAYS Love (Easy To Learn Too)
The best sing-along, crowd pleasing acoustic guitar campfire songs to learn. Most are simple to learn & beginner friendly, all are well known and loved!
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"Play us all some songs around the campfire on your guitar will you?" If that question makes your heart race with anxiety, this post is for you.
We've found 15 of the best most popular guitar campfire songs to play on your acoustic guitar.
Easy for your crowd to sing-along to and a blast to learn, these songs will make you more popular than an 18 tog duvet on a chilly night.
Most of the acoustic campfire songs on this epic list are:
The Best Campfire Songs To Learn On Guitar
1. "Don't Look Back In Anger" by Oasis
You know it, I know it. Wherever there is a campfire and a guitar player, there's a massively high probability you'll hear an Oasis tune banged out. If you describe yourself as a competent beginner guitar player, Don't Look Back In Anger is a great song to learn. It's pretty hard not to have everyone singing at the top of their voices when the chorus hits.
As always, a song is only 'easy' once you know how. As you know, it requires practice, good from and technique to make even the simplest of songs sound good on guitar.
Be sure to work on the chord changes as most of them in this song are played for half a bar (2 beats). We also have an F Major barre chord and F minor barre chord to boot, so get limbering up.
2. "Horse With No Name" by America
Guess what? This timeless folky acoustic rock song has only two chords. And even if you're a complete beginner, I bet you know one of them; it's E minor. Am I right, or am I right? The second chord has a frightful name that never seems to be the same between two chord sheets (D6add9 on some, D6add9F# on others) but it's actually pretty simple to play; 200200.
The song is in common 4/4 time (four beats per bar) with both chords lasting one bar each. There's an interesting strumming pattern used in Horse With No Name that features mutes that'll require some work to nail if you're a beginner.
With only a little practice, you'll be quickly and cleanly changing between these chords and getting everyone singing along.
3. "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman
"You've got a fast car, is it fast enough so we can fly away..." If you want to learn a song on your guitar that sounds impressive from the first few notes - Fast Car is it.
The song uses fingerstyle with a combo of picking and strumming that sounds gorgeous played on an acoustic guitar well.
If you're competent enough to play and sing, make sure you try and learn the lyrics to this one off by heart - relying on looking at chord sheets for all the songs you play isn't the best way to go. If you're squeezed for time before that get together, it's okay sometimes to go the lazy route.
4. "Hey Jude" by The Beatles
We don't think any campfire sing-along would be complete without this classic from Paul, John and the lads. If you've been playing guitar for a while, it won't have escaped your attention that contrary to what most people think; even the simplest sounding Beatles song can make a beginner come out in a cold sweat.
So, if you're looking for an easy (ish) Beatles song to play on the guitar, Hey Jude is perfect to whip it out at parties, BBQ's, campfire gatherings, the whole caboodle.
Hey Jude is a song I often teach guitar pupils who want to improve their barre chords, because it contains two. You can use the E-Shape F Major barre chord, and the A-Shape Eb Major barre chord in this song. In a pinch you could also get away with using a power chord shape to sub in for the barre chords.
TOP TIP: You can't dodge barre chords forever. I don't recommend indefinitely relying on 'cheat chords' as this holds back your potential for improving yourself.
5. "Hotel California" by The Eagles
This song needs no introduction. If you're looking for a song to learn on your guitar that helps you improve your picking and strumming at the same time; this epic song by The Eagles is the one. A favourite at many an open-mic night, played properly Hotel California is a real hairs-on-the-back-of-the-neck song.
From chord arpeggios to techniques such as hammer-ons, Hotel California sounds equally great played on an electric guitar as it does an acoustic. And if you're not at the stage to play the song exactly as it is on the recording, a common strumming pattern such as D/D/U/U/D/U will cut the mustard.
6. "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen
This upbeat grooover from Queen is a great one to get everybody's toosh swaying. Crazy Little Thing Called Love is the perfect song to learn on guitar if you're looking to improve your rhythm and get smooth quick chord changes.
I wouldn't call this an easy beginner song, as the chord changes are fairly quick, especially in the section break that bridges the chorus back to the verse: D5-C#5-C5 || A5-G#5-G5 || E7 x 6 A7 (riff A A G F# E) ||. However, if you describe your skill level as competent beginner upwards, you're good to go.
That iconic opening strumming pattern is instantly recognisable. I recommend (as with any song you learn on guitar) you practice playing along with the song recording. You're only guessing if you don't and making it harder work for yourself.
7. "Someone You Loved" by Lewis Capaldi
If you want a good tear jerker with an extremely catchy melody to pull out the bag at your next party or campfire sing-along; Someone You Loved is a great choice.
Great for beginner guitar players and experience alike, you can play this song with a basic strumming pattern, or arpeggiated picking pattern. The original song key is played in standard tuning with a capo on the first fret. If you haven't got your capo to hand, just play it without, all that will change is the pitch will be a semitone down.
8. "I'll Stand By You" by The Pretenders
Can I get a hands in the air from the female guitarists in the audience. If you love playing the guitar and singing, this is the one for you to play and sing around the campfire, as it'll likely be in a comfortable key for your voice.
This isn't one just for the ladies though. Fellas, get learning this song and get your friends and family to sing along. If your vocal range can handle it in the original key of D Major, I salute you.
I recommend you play this one as the lights go low and there have been a few bevvies consumed; a real "I love you guys" moment awaits...
Related posts that will help you learn these songs on guitar easier:
1. The 7 Chords Every Guitar Player Should Know
2. 10 Step How To Change Chords Faster, Easier & Smoother
9. "American Pie" by Don Mclean
This is a top song to learn on your guitar - campfire or no campfire. Just make sure you put the hours in memorising the lyrics to this one, there's a lot!
This is one of those songs that guitar players get asked to play the most often, so it's a smart one to add to your guitar repertoire.
Be sure to get the dynamics down when you play this on your guitar. We're talking light and shade with the strumming volume and playing with a driving rhythm to get them all in the mood.
10. "Livin' On A Prayer by Bon Jovi
This rocker from Bon Jovi is another song that falls in the category of the most likely requested songs at a get together. Fair warning, that cheesy key change towards the end of the song may cause drink spillages as everyone sings throws their hands in the air and plays air guitar.
If you’re wondering if it's easy to sing and play the guitar playing on this one, if you're already comfortable with playing and singing; you'll find this a walk in the park. You can play it with a chugging driving rhythm or a simple strumming pattern such as the ol' favourite D/D/U/U/D/U.
5 More Quick Recommendations Of The Best Songs To Play On Guitar Around The Campfire
11. "Umbrella" by Rihanna
An easy one to play on the guitar, Umbrella is a crowd-pleaser surprisingly loved by all ages in my experience playing this at parties.
"When the sun shines, we'll shine together, told you I'll be here forever,
said I'll always be your friend, took an oath, I'ma stick it out 'til the end..."
12. "Best Of You" by Foo Fighters
For the rockers in the crowd, Best Of You is a break from your more predictable campfire guitar songs that happens to sound epic on acoustic guitar.
"Is someone getting the best, he best, the best, the best of you? Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?..."
13. "Hand In My Pocket" by Alanis Morissette
This hit from the 1995 (yes, it was that long ago) is super easy to play on the guitar as it only has a handful of chords (see what I did there?). I
"'m broke but I'm happy I'm poor but I'm kind I'm short but I'm healthy, yeah..."
14. "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd
If you're looking for a song to show off your guitar skills and please the dads in the crowd, Wish You Were here is it. Make sure you have your guitar pick with you as the intro melody sounds best with alternate picking and a plectrum.
15. "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
We wrap up this list of best songs to play on the guitar around the campfire or at a party with Bad Moon Rising. Based around D Major, A Major and G Major chords this is a pretty easy beginner level song as there's not a barre chord in sight.
So, tell us what you think. Are there any songs on the list you already know, and which of the songs are you planning to learn on guitar you can play at your next shin-dig?
Have fun, and keep doing what you love.
