If you’re like me and enjoy Dave Matthews music, you’ve probably wondered what the easiest Dave Matthews songs to play on guitar are.
I wrote this post to answer that exact question!
Let’s get to it!
1. Crash Into Me
“Crash Into Me” is easily Dave Matthews’ most popular song.
At the same time, it’s also a pretty simple one to learn on guitar. If you’re a beginner on the instrument, you’ll want to give this one a try.
However, know that Dave doesn’t rely on regular chords all the time. He uses more than just open minor and major chords. You’ll have a few so-called slash chords in there. And there’s even one minor 7th chord. But with enough practice, you should get a hang of it.
Check out the “Crash Into Me” guitar tab here.
Also, if you need learning strategies to help you master these songs, check out my post about how to learn guitar songs quickly and effectively.
2. Satellite
“Satellite” is another one of his most popular tunes. Coming from the 1993 record “Remember Two Things,” it has an interesting main riff. It’s, of course, played on an acoustic guitar. And it seems a bit tricky, but it’s a great exercise for beginners.
If you want to make it really beginner-friendly, then you can also just play the chord progression. Then again, I wouldn’t recommend this song to an absolute beginner. It’s a practice towards getting to the intermediate level.
Check out the “Satellite” guitar tab here.
3. Crush
Another one of his popular tunes, “Crush” is also not that hard to play. There are, however, different chord changes throughout the song. And these are also somewhat unconventional.
Another great thing about it is that it has a very catchy bassline. It just adds to the song’s overall jazzy vibe. Then we also have a bit of a funky rhythm. This comes with an unusual strumming pattern to combine with it. Although relatively straightforward, you’ll get the chance to learn something new with “Crush.”
Check out the “Crush” guitar tab here.
4. Too Much
Then we also have “Too Much” which has somewhat of a grungy vibe to it. Nonetheless, it still retains David Matthews’ classic style.
Just like with most of his songs, it would be challenging to get it all completely the way it was recorded. However, the song’s structure isn’t that hard. If you want a great electric guitar song, this is a great choice to learn. For the most part, it just alternates between G and F chords.
Check out the “Too Much” guitar tab here.
5. Grey Street
With “Grey Street,” you’ll get to learn different chord fingerings. Sure, there’s always the option to just play the song’s chord progressions the simples way. However, I see this one as a great opportunity to take things to a new level. It shouldn’t be that hard. But it’s still enough of a challenge as an intermediate-level song.
Check out the “Grey Street” guitar tab here.
6. Here on Out
If you’re looking for an easy song by the Dave Matthews Band, then “Here On Out” is an obvious choice. It will not just teach you some basic fingerpicking. You’ll also get the chance to learn how to sing while playing.
Technically, the song has only four chords. And, for the most part, we just have three chords. These are D major, B major, and G major.
Check out “Here On Out” guitar tab here.
7. Dancing Nancies
It seems that “Dancing Nancies” is one of those songs that never got the praise that it deserves. It’s an awesome song that’s pretty simple to learn to play on the guitar.
Sure, there is a slightly longer list of chords used in this song than usual for this list. But, on the other hand, it’s not that hard to learn. This is especially true if you’re generally into Dave Matthews’ music.
Check out the “Dancing Nancies” guitar tab here.
8. Gravedigger
Sure, “Gravedigger” isn’t exactly the song name you’d expect from Dave Matthews. And it’s also a pretty dark and melancholic one. But at the same time, Dave somehow managed to keep it within his signature style.
Despite its overall darkness, it’s not a difficult one to learn. And it’s also pretty catchy. But there’s only one issue that you should be aware of. Once you learn “Gravedigger,” you won’t be able to stop playing it.
Check out the “Gravedigger” guitar tab here.
9. Ants Marching
On the other hand, “Ants Marching” is a more cheerful-sounding one. Sure, it may have a somber note to the lyrics. But the song itself feels brighter. And, above all, it’s very fun to play. Especially because it’s not that hard.
Once again, we have a few spots with so-called slash chords. But for the most part, you’re playing standard chords.
And there are two pretty awesome things about this song. Firstly, Dave plays some short fills in between the chords. Secondly, there are some interesting chord voicings. Along with them, you can learn more about voice leading.
Check out the “Ants Marching” guitar tab here.
10. Big Eyed Fish
“Big Eyed Fish” is easily one of Dave’s catchiest songs. When you learn how to play it, you just can’t seem to stop jamming on it. For the most part, you have a simple chord progression. It goes E minor, C major, G major, and B minor.
It’s also not too hard to learn how to sing over chords with “Big Eyed Fish.” I also appreciate how easily you can solo over this song. It’s super easy and fun.
Check out the “Big Eyed Fish” guitar tab here.
11. The Space Between
Lastly, I’d like to mention “The Space Between” from the 2001 album “Everyday.” It was one of Dave’s breakout songs. And, to this day, it remains one of his crowd favorites.
I really appreciate this song’s simplicity and catchiness. You just can’t help and hum along to it as you play it. You’ll have a few different chord changes as the song goes by. But, once again, it’s not too hard to figure out.
Check out the guitar tab for “The Space Between” here.
Conclusion
I hope this article has helped you realize Dave Matthews has some simpler songs to learn on the guitar!
Even though he is an amazing guitarist and his work can be intimidating, there are still songs for a beginner to learn!
And if you have more questions about this or another guitar topic, feel free to let me know in the comments below!
