Beginner

5 Easiest Fingerstyle Songs for Beginners

By Rohan Sharma

July 5, 2026

5 Min Read

Fingerstyle guitar is one of the most expressive ways to play. Instead of using a plastic pick to strum chords, you pluck the individual strings directly with your fingertips or nails, allowing you to play chords, basslines, and melodies simultaneously.

However, many beginners get overwhelmed trying to read complex tabs. The secret is to start with simple rolling arpeggio patterns before advancing to syncopated picking patterns.

Understanding Right-Hand Placement (P-I-M-A)

In classical and fingerstyle guitar, we assign specific fingers of your right hand to specific strings. This is known as the **PIMA** system:

P (Pulgar/Thumb): Alternates between the bass strings (6th, 5th, and 4th strings).
I (Indice/Index): Plucks the 3rd string (G).
M (Medio/Middle): Plucks the 2nd string (B).
A (Anular/Ring): Plucks the 1st string (High E).

Standard P-I-M-A Rolling PatternE ||-----------(A)-----------| <- Plucked by Ring finger B ||-------(M)-------(M)-----| <- Plucked by Middle finger G ||---(I)-------(I)---------| <- Plucked by Index finger D ||-------------------------| A ||-------------------------| E ||-(P)---------------------| <- Plucked by Thumb (Bass note) Count: 1 & 2 & 3 &

The 5 Songs to Learn First

1. House of the Rising Sun (The Animals)

Difficulty: Easy•Chords: Am - C - D - F - Am - E - Am - E

A classic 6/8 time signature song. The picking pattern is a straight rolling arpeggio from the bass strings down to the high E and back up (P-I-M-A-M-I). Excellent for building initial finger coordination.

2. Everybody Hurts (R.E.M.)

Difficulty: Easy•Chords: D - G - D - G

A slow, melancholy ballad. Similar to House of the Rising Sun, it uses a 6/8 arpeggio pattern. The slow tempo gives you plenty of time to set up chord transitions.

3. Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)

Difficulty: Easy-Medium•Chords: C - Am - C - Am - F - G - C - G

One of the most famous fingerpicked tracks in history. Uses a rolling 12/8 feel (split into two 6/8 patterns). Features simple open chord changes and builds great right-hand muscle memory.

4. Dust in the Wind (Kansas)

Difficulty: Medium•Chords: C - G/B - Am - G - F - C/E - Dm

The ultimate introduction to Travis Picking—a pattern where your thumb alternates back and forth between two bass strings while your index and middle fingers pluck the treble strings syncopated. It feels tricky at first but unlocks advanced coordination.

5. Fast Car (Tracy Chapman)

Difficulty: Medium•Chords: C - G - Em - D

A beautiful, syncopated riff. Uses double-stops (plucking two strings simultaneously) with a slide. Great for learning how to control dynamics and rhythmic bounce.

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