5 Easy Arctic Monkeys Songs to Play on Guitar

When you start playing guitar the need of learning entire songs and showing them to people is such an intense feeling that must be fulfilled. 

That’s why today we will be discussing which are the easiest Arctic Monkeys songs to play on guitar.

This British group has strongly influenced players from the last decades, their simple way of composing encouraged first learners to get into the world of music. 

In general terms, most of their pieces are easy to play but the ones mentioned here are the most famous and the best for beginners.

Needless to say, each song is explained in detail, the techniques used are described and what is even better, every song has links to tabs and lessons. 

In addition, they always use standard tuning so take your guitar and give a look at the list! 

The 5 easiest Arctic Monkeys Songs to play on guitar are:

  1. Teddy Picker
  2. Fake Tales of San Francisco
  3. Cornerstore
  4. 505
  5. Do I Wanna Know?

1. Teddy Picker

To begin with, we have a well-known song from their second album Favourite Worst Nightmare which has a really catchy melody. 

As with many Arctic Monkeys songs, this one is mainly composed of simple rhythmic riffs.

The intro starts with a bouncing riff in A, using its seventh as a pivot note and playing a chromatic line with the fifth and the fourth which makes it pretty easy to play due to the few frets involved. 

The second part of the intro plays a similar line but uses some open strings and both lines are played giving downstrokes.

When we reach the verse we realize that is the same as the first section of the intro. 

After that, comes the chorus that is a melodic line plus some simple fifth chords in the end (A5 in the first part while Eb5 in the second one)

For the second verse, things change a little but not so much. 

The first four bars vary the rhythm and omit the seventh as a pivot but after that, the second verse becomes a clone of the first one.

Then we go back again to the chorus but this time the second part leaves everything prepared for the solo. 

To play this line you won’t suffer at all, you use just the higher strings, a bit of slide, and repetitive melodic patterns.

When the solo finishes the song goes to the chorus again but after that, it plays a progression of power chords twice but the second time changes the last chord: F5 – E5 – A5 – A5 and F5 – E5 – A5 – Eb5. 

The end of the song is exactly the same as the intro, play again that part and that’s it!

Here’s the song:

Link to tabs

Here’s a lesson:

2. Fake Tales of San Francisco

On this occasion, we will be discovering a song from Arctic Monkeys’ first album Whatever People Say What I Am, That’s What I’m Not. 

Fake Tales of San Francisco is a perfect song for beginners because it only has two significant sections.

The song is in B minor and as in the previous, the intro starts with a riff which is kept during the whole verse as well. 

It is a quite simple line because plays simple pentatonic patterns repeatedly, you can play applying alternate picking or by down stroking and both options will sound excellent. 

Simultaneously, there’s a guitar in the background which plays just an easy line on the first and second strings containing a few notes. 

It gives such a funky tone to the verse.

During the chorus, both guitars disappear so in this part you don’t have to play anything. 

If you feel that section is kind of empty what you can do is follow the bass line which is uncomplicated.

When we reach the bridge, some furious power chords change the chilling mood of the piece. 

It is a simple progression made of four chords: B5 – G5 – E5 – B5.

They repeat this four times, both guitars play the same chords except for the E which is played lower in one of them. 

Then, the funky guitar from the verse appears again to lead you to the end.

As it doesn’t have a solo, complicated parts, or difficult techniques involved, this will be such an easy song to play. 

Besides, you can invite a friend and try to play it along with him or her.

Here’s the song:

Link to tabs

Here’s a lesson: 

3. Cornerstore

Humbug, the third Arctic Monkeys’ album brought a new sound to the band and Cornerstore truly shows that. 

This sweet romantic ballad can be easily played on acoustic guitar to make your girl fall in love with you.

The song is in A major key and consists of a bunch of simple chords, not seventh, not ninth, just regular major and minor chord shapes. 

It begins with a plucked line and then starts with the chords of the verse.

Although it varies during the verse, the chords are only four: A – D – Bm – F#m. The first verse is composed of two parts, the first one plays A – D – Bm two times then, the following section has some variations; continues with F#m – A – F#m – A then moves to D – Bm which leads to an instrumental part containing again the pattern F#m – A – F#m – A.

After a plucked melodic line, begins the next verse which is almost equal to the first one, the only difference found is that at the end an E chord appears to work as a passing note. 

At that point, the chorus appears and it consists of a smooth chord progression: D – Bm – F#m – D – Bm – E – A – D – E, six chords in total.

After that, we have the third verse that is partly identical to the first one but it has some differences at the end. 

Instead of playing the pattern F#m – A – F#m – A in the last part it plays just a C#m and then leads you to the bridge.

The following section consists of four more chords played in the next order: A – C#m – A – C#m – F#m – Bm – E. 

Then is combined with the chorus but on this occasion has a different ending, the full progression would be: D – Bm – F#m – D – Bm – Dm.

We are reaching the end but before finishing the song there is a solo, a plucked line that involves just three adjacent strings, and a bit of slide technique, short and sweet. 

Finally, the piece finishes with a new verse but, as it is the end, the last chord that plays is the key of the song, A major.

Cornerstore is perfect for practicing simple chord progressions and melodic lines. 

What is more, if you are a beginner and you’d like to impress people you should try to learn not only how to play this song but also the lyrics to sing it along.

Here’s the song:

Link to tabs

Here’s a lesson:

4. 505

This song belongs to the second album just like Teddy Picker but this piece has a slower tempo and the emotion evoked in it is completely different. 

The interesting thing about this song is that only uses two of the most common chords Dm and Em.

They are played along with the entire piece, they vary the strumming through the various sections but in the end, they will compose the whole structure of the song. 

A remarkable aspect is the melodic lines.

Although the song is made of two chords, there are some plucked segments but don’t worry, they are comfortable to play. 

The patterns played are simple and what is more, mainly in the same string, applying a bit of slide to add emotion.

Try to learn this song, it won’t take you longer than a day. In addition, as you need to play two single chords, is an easy song to sing while playing.  

Here’s the song:

Link to tabs

Here’s a lesson:

5. Do I Wanna Know?

Last but not least, we have a song from the prizewinning album AM, the fifth of the band. 

I bet that you have listened to this song a thousand times and you never realized how simple is.

This piece consists of the main riff that works as the intro and it is played through the whole verse. 

When you reach the chorus something similar happens, a new riff occurs, it is played twice and defines the first part of this section.

The second segment of the chorus simply plays the main riff twice and then finishes, leaving a softer second verse without a guitar at least, in the beginning, just bass, beat, and vocals. 

After an entire bar of silence, the guitar comes up with the main riff again.

After that, we have the final chorus that repeats the same order that we explain in the first chorus but this one is longer, is played three times until the song finishes. 

Do I Wanna Know? doesn’t have major difficulties, just two sections pretty easy to learn.

Here’s the song:

Link to tabs

Here’s a lesson: