About the Author
Danielle Kittleberger
Danielle Kittleberger graduated from James Madison University with a degree in public health education after spending two years doing competitive show choir in high school. She does product research and sometimes writes for Guitar Chalk, usually any time a piano is mentioned.
Christian worship music, even more traditional hymns, are typically handled by an acoustic guitar. And while they tend to sound very complex on the piano, the actual underlying chord progressions are remarkably easy to play on an acoustic guitar, usually only requiring a few chords. In this list, we'll cover eight worship songs that are particularly guitar-friendly. These songs feature simple strumming patterns, straightforward chord progressions, and are perfect for beginners. We'll add lesson and chord sheet links for each one.
Note that all the songs use (at most) G, C, D, and Em chords.
If you need to change the key, you can use our capo chord converter to do so.
Acoustic guitars, easy chords, and simple worship songs all seem to go together.
1. Amazing Grace
Perhaps the most popular hymn of all time can be played with just three basic chords: G, C, and D.
- Video lesson
- Chord sheet (full lyrics)
2. Blessed Be Your Name
I think there are other versions of this song, but this is the Matt Redman rendition (which I believe is the original) with only four chords, G, C, D, and Em. Note that the chord sheet is capo four.
3. Lord, I Lift Your Name on High
Once again, G, C, D, and Em get the job done. This song is always going to have a very '90s Christian vibe, but it's still a popular and very easy worship song on the guitar.
4. Open the Eyes of My Heart
This Paul Baloche song is C, D, Em, and G with a pretty simple strumming pattern. Knowing G, C, D, and Em will get you a ton of mileage when it comes to this genre, and others. The chord sheet is from the Sonic Flood version, but everything is exactly the same.
5. Shout to the Lord
I think Darlene Zschech wrote this song, but a ton of Christian artists have done it. Chord progression is G, Em, C, D. Pretty simple.
6. Mighty to Save
This song is all over the place in a wide range of Christian denominations. It has become somewhat of a classic, and is very easy to play, using a C, G, Em, and D chord progression.
7. Your Grace Is Enough
In the chord sheet I linked to for this song, there are a few complex-looking chords, but they're all basically G, C, D, and Em, and you can play the song all the same.
8. How Great is Our God
Since Chris Tomlin wrote this song it has seemingly made its way into every contemporary church service. Note that in the chord sheet, the Em7 and C2 can simply be played as Em and C.
Acoustic or electric guitar?
Whether you choose to play these worship songs on an acoustic or electric guitar largely depends on your playing style and the context of your church. Acoustic guitars are more accessible and require less setup, making them good for quick and simple practice. However, electric guitars can be easier on your hands, particularly when dealing with songs that have more complex chord progressions. Though it's also worth mentioning that most worship leaders opt for an acoustic guitar, since their responsibility is to lay down a chord progression as structure.
Are these songs written for guitar?
Most of these songs were written on either the guitar or piano, but can be adapted to either instrument very easily. When you're dealing with the root notes and chord progression of a song, the process becomes a lot simpler, so it doesn't necessarily matter if they were written specifically for guitar or not.
What chords do I need to know to play these songs?
As the title would suggestion, you only need the four chords to play these specific songs. We would also recommend learning the Am for when you expand out to other songs. Keep in mind, this does not mean that you would need to use all four chords in each song, just some amalgamation of them.
- G Major
- C Major
- D Major
- E Minor
- A Minor
Mastering these fundamental chords will not only enable you to play the worship songs listed here but will also open up a ton of other songs in a wide range of styles. You'd be shocked at how much music you can play with just these chords.
Conclusion
These eight worship songs are a great starting point, as they're some of the easiest we know to recommend.
Do your best to master them before you branch out into new territory.
If you have additional suggestions or questions about easy worship songs, please feel free to share them in the comments section. We'll consider adding new songs and will do our best to answer questions.
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Written by Bobby Kittleberger on Electrics & Roundups
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