Folk Rock Guitar

54 songs · 31 artists

Folk rock blends acoustic guitar traditions with rock energy. Fingerpicking patterns, open tunings and storytelling lyrics define the genre. It's perfect for acoustic players who want songs with depth and character.

You'll find songs from Neil Young, Kansas, The Beatles and modern folk-rock acts. Many of these songs use simple chord shapes but sound beautiful when played with the right feel.

A
America 1
B
Bob Dylan 1
Bon Iver 1
Buffalo Springfield 1
C
Canco del Lladre 1
Cat Stevens 1
D
Danny Boy For Solo Guitar 1
Don McLean 1
F
Franz Schubert 1
G
George Harrison 1
Gheorghe Zamfir 1
H
Hozier 1
J
James Taylor 1
Jim Croce 1
John Denver 3
L
Leonard Cohen 2
M
Mason Williams 4
Mumford & Sons 1
N
Neil Young 4
P
Passenger 1
R
Rod Stewart 1
S
Shir Lamaalot 1
Simon & Garfunkel 2
T
The Animals 1
The Band 1
The Lumineers 2
The Mamas and the Papas 1
The Pogues 1
Traditional 13
W
What Child Is This? 1
Y
Yann Tiersen 1

Folk Rock Guitar Essentials

Folk rock guitar centers on acoustic strumming, fingerpicking and open chord voicings. Many songs use a capo to change key while keeping familiar chord shapes. Travis picking (alternating bass with melody on top) is a foundational technique you'll use constantly.

Dust in the Wind is one of the best fingerpicking exercises disguised as a song. Ho Hey is a great campfire song with simple open chords. These songs teach you to play with feel and dynamics rather than volume and distortion.

Explore more acoustic-friendly music in the Pop genre, or browse songs in E Standard for the most common folk rock tuning.