How I Use Free Online Chord Charts to Learn 2 New Songs a Week

I set myself a challenge at the start of the year: learn two new songs per week on guitar.

Not "noodle around with the intro" — actually learn the full song, start to finish, chords and lyrics together.

24 weeks in, I have ~45 songs down cold. Here is the system that made it work.

The Problem With Learning Songs the Old Way

My old approach was:

1. Google "[song name] chords"
2. Click the first result
3. Get hit with ads, pop-ups, and three different chord versions
4. Give up after the second verse

The friction was killing my momentum. I needed one clean source I could trust.

What Changed

I found chordroom.com — a free chord chart site with 260,000+ songs. No login wall, no ads, clean layout. Two things made it stick for me:

Browse by decade. When I run out of ideas, I go to a decade page (like 1970s or 1990s) and just scroll until something catches my eye. Way better than searching for something specific.

Browse by genre. The rock and folk sections surface songs I would never have found on my own.

My Weekly Routine

Monday: Pick two songs. I alternate between something I know (to build confidence) and something new (to stretch my skills). Scan the chord chart to make sure it is doable — if there are more than 2 chords I have never played, I save it for later.

Tuesday–Thursday: Practice each song 15 minutes per day. Day 1 is chord shapes and transitions. Day 2 is strumming pattern. Day 3 is singing while playing.

Friday: Record myself playing both songs on my phone. Even a rough voice memo works. This is the accountability piece — if I cannot play it through without stopping, I need another day.

Weekend: Free play. Revisit old songs, jam with friends, or explore new ones.

Songs That Surprised Me

A few picks from my list that were easier than expected:

• Tears In Heaven by Eric Clapton (chords) — the fingerpicking version sounds hard but the chord progression is very approachable
• House Of The Rising Sun (chords) — Am, C, D, F, Am, E. Beautiful arpeggiated pattern, sounds impressive, not that hard
• Back In Black by AC/DC (chords) — power chords and attitude. Great for electric guitar beginners

Tips If You Want to Try This

1. Start with 3-chord songs. Seriously. G, C, D covers hundreds of songs.
2. Use a capo. It is not cheating. A capo on the 2nd fret lets you play in harder keys using easy chord shapes.
3. Print the chord chart or use a tablet stand. Looking down at your phone on the floor is terrible for your neck and your playing.
4. Record yourself. You will cringe. That is the point. You will also hear yourself improve week over week.
5. Browse, do not search. Some of my favorite songs to play are ones I stumbled across, not ones I went looking for.

The Compound Effect

45 songs in 6 months means I can sit down at any gathering and play for an hour without repeating a song. That is the real payoff — not mastering one song perfectly, but building a wide repertoire that makes guitar actually fun.

If you are stuck in a practice rut, try the two-songs-a-week challenge. The easy songs page is a great starting point.

Happy playing.