Discover the ultimate collection of acoustic guitar campfire songs that will get everyone singing and create lasting memories.
“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:
- Crowd pleasing guitar songs people love to loudly sing along to
- Quick and easy for you to learn the chords and strumming patterns
- Simple for you to memorise the lyrics on the fly
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 to play on the guitar. It’s pretty hard not to have everyone singing at the top of their voices when the chorus hits.
A song is always ‘easy’ once you know how. It requires practice, good form, and technique to make 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? The timeless folky acoustic rock song Horse With No Name has only two chords. And even if you’re a beginner, I bet you know one of them: 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 pretty simple to play; 200200.
The song is in common 4/4 time (four beats per bar), with both chords lasting one bar each. An interesting strumming pattern used in Horse With No Name features mutes that’ll require some work to nail if you’re a beginner.
With only a little practice, you’ll quickly and cleanly change between these chords and get 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 gorgeous combination of picking and strumming. 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 the classic Hey Jude from Paul, John and the lads. If you’ve been playing the guitar for a while, it won’t have escaped your attention contrary to what most people think; even the most straightforward 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 for whipping out at parties, BBQs, 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. In this song, you can use the E-Shape F Major barre chord and the A-Shape Eb Major barre chord. You could also get away with using a power chord shape to sub in for the barre chords in a pinch.
TOP TIP: You can’t dodge barre chords forever. I don’t recommend relying on ‘cheat chords’ indefinitely, 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 piece to learn on your guitar that helps you improve your picking and strumming, this epic song by The Eagles is the one.
A favourite at many an open-mic night, Hotel California is a real hairs-on-the-back-of-the-neck song when played correctly.
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 groover from Queen is excellent to get everybody’s toosh swaying. Crazy Little Thing Called Love is the perfect song to learn on guitar to improve your rhythm and get smooth, quick chord changes.
I wouldn’t call this an easy beginner song, as the chord changes are pretty 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 a competent beginner, 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 more challenging for yourself.
7. “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi
Someone You Loved is an excellent guitar song choice if you want a good tear-jerker with a highly catchy melody to pull out of the bag at your next party or campfire sing-along.
Great for beginner guitar players and experienced alike, you can play this song with a basic strumming pattern or arpeggiated picking pattern.
The original song key is in standard tuning with a capo on the first fret. If you haven’t got your capo to hand, 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 hand in the air from the female guitarists in the audience? If you love playing the guitar and singing, I’ll Stand by You 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 a few bevvies have been consumed; a real “I love you guys” moment awaits…
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 to memorise the lyrics to this one; there’s a lot!
American Pie 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.
Remember 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
The rocker Livin’ On a Prayer 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 and throws their hands in the air to play 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 like 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 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 the best songs to play on the guitar around the campfire or at a party with Bad Moon Rising. Based on D Major, A Major and G Major chords, this is a pretty easy beginner-level song as there’s no barre chord in sight.
Summing it Up
So, tell us what you think. Are there any songs on the list you already know, and which songs are you planning to learn on the guitar you can play at your next shin-dig?
Have fun, and keep doing what you love.
