Starting with easy songs is the best way to build confidence and get comfortable with the guitar. Here are some beginner-friendly songs that use simple chords and strumming patterns:

**Take Me Home, Country Roads** – John Denver (G, Em, D, C)

**Sweet Home Alabama** 

Lynyrd Skynyrd (D, C, G) 

**Wonderwall**

Oasis (Em7, G, Dsus4, A7sus4) 

 **Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door**

Bob Dylan (G, D, Am, C) 

**Let It Be**

The Beatles (C, G, Am, F)

**Three Little Birds**

Bob Marley (A, D, E)

**Brown Eyed Girl**

Van Morrison (G, C, D, Em)

The above songs are great for practicing chord transitions and strumming. 

So, If you’re just starting out with guitar strumming, here are some beginner-friendly patterns to get you going:

1. **Four-Count Downstroke Strum** Simply strum down on each beat (D D D D). This is the easiest way to get comfortable with rhythm

2. **Down-Up Strum** – Alternate between downstrokes and upstrokes (D U D U). This helps build fluidity in your playing

3. **Down-Down-Up Strum** – A slight variation that adds an upstroke after two downstrokes (D D U)

4. **Down-Up Miss Up Strum** – Strum down, then up, skip a beat, and strum up again (D U – U). This introduces a bit of syncopation

5. **Calypso Strum** – A classic pattern used in many songs (D D U U D U). This one adds a nice groove to your playing