When you start playing guitar, you often go for the simple acoustic tunes for practice. Although these common guitar songs can be great to play, it might not be your cup of tea. If you are looking for something a bit different, but which would still teach you the basics, check out these easy to play alternative guitar tracks.

Interstate Love Song –Stone Temple Pilots

Interstate Love Song by Stone Temple Pilots is one of the best rock songs of all time. The song was released back in 1994 and it has become one of the most known songs for this American band. It’s also a great song to play with guitar.

The song is not too fast, although it will put your knowledge of chord progression to test. It will teach you all the basic chords and you can easily just start at a lower pace and increase the speed as you improve your skills.

You Oughta Know – Alanis Morissette

Alanis Morissette was one of the biggest artists of the 90s and her songs are very suitable to play with guitar. You Oughta Know is from her third studio album ‘Jagged Little Pill’ and it’s perfect song for an acoustic guitar.

If you’ve been browsing online tabs, you’ve probably noticed that some versions are harder than others. This is true for this Alanis Morissette song, as some version are better for trying once you’ve improved your skills a lot. But the simple acoustic versions are perfect for beginners, so make sure you browse tabs before you find a suitable version for your skill set.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Deep Blue Something

The American rock band, Deep Blue Something, recorded this famous song in 1993 and there’s been countless other versions of the song. It is definitely a good tune for beginner guitarists, as the chords are simple and the song is fun to play.

The song uses just the basic chords, although it can get a bit fast. It’s a good idea to slow down the pace a bit and add more speed as your skills develop.

Hurt – Nine Inch Nails

Nine Inch Nails’ Hurt was nominated for the Best Song Grammy in 1996, but it lost to another song on the list, You Oughta Know. It’s still a very good song to play with an acoustic guitar.

If you want to add a bit of a twist to the song, then it’s a good idea to consider practicing the famous Johnny Cash version of the song. It was one of Cash’s last songs before his death and the guitar composition in his version is perfect for beginners.

1979 – Smashing Pumpkins

1979 proved to be a big hit, even though the song was different from the usual Smashing Pumpkins’ songs. The song has featured in many games over the years and you can even play it on the Guitar Hero World Tour game.

But it’s also a great song to play with a real guitar. It’s not necessarily the best song for a complete beginner, but if you’ve mastered all the basics, you should definitely give this song a go.

The Distance –Cake

You can always tell when a guitarist writes a song and The Distance was clearly written by a guitar player. Cake’s Greg Brown is the man behind the song and The Distance was one of the most popular songs from the band in the 90s.

The chords are nothing too difficult to master and the song fits an acoustic guitar well. You can also play this song with an electric guitar if you want to add a bit of kick to it.

When you are starting to play guitar, it’s essential to find songs you like to play. If you are a fan of alternative music, then the above songs will teach you the basics and make learning to play a bit more fun!