Queen are easily one of the world’s most famous bands and they made songs everyone knows. Freddy Mercury fused his talents with Brian May to belt out some amazing vocals and a superb guitar solo or two. This is easily one of the best bands to play guitar to.
If you love playing guitar and want to learn a Queen song or two, we’ve got the list for you. These songs come with the guitar tablature you need to learn the song on an acoustic guitar or electric guitar. They are great as a first song for beginners. Have fun reading our list of easy Queen songs on guitar.
1. Bohemian Rhapsody
How can any list of Queen songs start if not with their number one hit, Bohemian Rhapsody. This song is indicative of everything this band was about and made its way into music history. Freddy Mercy took around ten years to put this piece together and is one of the few pieces that was written by him and not by the band as a whole.
In Bohemian Rhapsody you will experience a six-minute song that combines rock opera with prog rock. It was the lead single of their fourth album titled A Night at the Opera which was released in 1975. Upon its release, many critics and the music industry itself believed that the song would never make the epic impact that it has because of its length.
When you first take a look at the guitar tablature you will see that the guitar part is written in the key of Bb. Although the song is centered mainly around the piano, the solos from Brian May will be a great addition to your electric or acoustic guitar playing.
2. Don’t Stop Me Now
Don’t Stop Me Now is also a piano-driven song like Bohemian Rhapsody but Brian May killed it on the guitar and it’s one of the bands most critically acclaimed songs.
The piece was featured on the Jazz album and was the third song on there. In terms of musicality, the main elements featured in this song are all on the piano. There is also a drum and bass combo that combine well with those trademark harmonies that Queen are famed for.
Once again, the song wasn’t thought to be an instant hit in the world of music. It didn’t go that high in the charts when it was released as a single. However, it’s been used over and over again through the years in shows, films and commercials. This lead to the piece being one of the biggest songs in Queen’s career.
You will play this guitar tablature in the key of F. There’s a really good blues solo in it as well that you can get your teeth stuck into.
3. Another One Bites the Dust
When you first hear this song you can tell that the lead person in terms of composition was the bassist from Queen, John Deacon. It’s got probably the most iconic bass line of any rock song in music history, and it’s instantly recognizable to most people.
The song comes from the eighth studio album from the band titled The Game. Unlike other songs in their catalog, it did become an instant hit. In fact, it ended up being the number one best-selling single that the band had in their entire career.
At the time the song was written both funk and disco music was all the rage. These inspirations can be seen in Deacon’s work, but with a rock twist. Another interesting thing about the piece is that John recorded almost every instrument you hear in it. Brian May came in with his guitar chords but the main riff is completely Deacon’s creation.
You’ll play the guitar part for this song in Fm. If you listen to the live versions you will hear that they are in Em. We would recommend using a capo on the first fret which will make it pretty easy to follow along.
Another One Bites the Dust Guitar Tab
4. Killer Queen
Next up in our list of easy Queen songs on guitar is Killer Queen. This was a song from their third studio album titled Sheer Heart Attack. Freddy Mercury was the man behind the music in this song and it quickly became the bands first ever hit in the US. It reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100.
When Freddy was asked about Sheer Heart Attack and this song in interviews, he said that he wrote the lyrics before penning the melody. This was unusual for him. He also said that the song was all about a high-class woman. When you look at the overall composition of the song you will notice the multi-track guitars and complex vocals which were a trademark of Queen as a band.
In interviews with May, he told the press how proud he was of the song and how it shaped a big part of their career. He stated that it ‘was the song that best summed up our kind of music’ and that ‘we desperately needed it as a mark of something successful happening for us’.
You will play Killer Queen in the key and using the chords of Eb major. There’s definitely a lot of great guitar parts in here.
5. Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Another song from Queen’s eighth album, The Game, is Crazy Little Thing Called Love. The song was written in the year prior to the album’s release, only taking frontman Mercury ten to 15 minutes to pen it. It’s such a well-known song because it went on to become the first number one single in the US for the band.
When asked about the song in interviews, Mercury stated that it was a piece intended as a tribute to Elvis Presley. It’s also a song that he would go on to perform using an acoustic guitar during live concerts which was unusual for the band.
In terms of the guitar parts featured in this piece, there are licks here and there that add to the overall song. The solo guitar part is pretty easy, even for a beginner. Crazy Little Thing Called Love is played using the key of D and you can pick up some good skills from it.
Crazy Little Thing Called Love Guitar Tab
6. I Want to Break Free
This is a song that came off the eleventh album from Queen – The Works. There are three different versions of the song. The biggest part of the song’s success was from the music video where the boys are portraying stereotypical housewives. It was the bassist that proposed this concept, which is actually very funny.
An interesting thing to look at in this song is the way that it’s structured. You will see that it follows the traditional style of the 12-bar blues using the key of E major. The concept behind the lyrics is that intense feeling of love and wanting to break free from it.
Brian May used multi-track guitars for the song so there’s a lot of harmonies to follow. To record, he used his Red Special guitar which was an instrument that he designed and built himself.
I Want to Break Free Guitar Tab
7. Seven Seas of Rhye
Queen’s first album, aptly title Queen, featured Seven Seas of Rhye as the last song. However, when it appeared on this album it was only an instrumental piece which they then went on to develop into a full song that was featured on their second album, Queen II. It is considered to be the first hit single for the band.
When you listen to the song you will hear the arpeggiated line which is very distinctive – a part that is played on the piano. Even though the most prominent part uses the piano, a big part of the song is driven by the guitar, featuring a strong riff. Mercury said that the song was written as a figment of his imagination.
You will play the song in the key of D.
8. We Will Rock You
We Will Rock You is probably the most commercially successful song from Queen. It was written by Brian May and then released on their 1977 album, News of the World. On Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, this song ranked at 330. It also has a place in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
The interesting part of this song is the ending where Brian May shows off his skills. It is completely acapella which is unique. over the years it has been covered and remixed many times and used in sport’s events around the world.
You will play We Will Rock you in C major. Focus on that ending because the guitar solo is stellar.
9. Somebody to Love
A lot of bands find inspiration in gospel-style music and Queen did the same with Somebody to Love. It was included in their 1976 album A Day at the Races. It uses much the same style of guitar solos and harmonies that were featured in Bohemian Rhapsody.
The song was intended to be a soul-searching piece written by Freddy Mercury. He questions both his life and love, taking inspiration from Aretha Franklin who was one of his favorite singers.
You will play the song in the key of Ab. If you want to play the song using the chords then place a capo on fret one.
Conclusion
There’s a reason why Queen are considered one of the best bands of all time. From pretty easy songs to more advanced pieces, there’s too much love for Queen. If your guitar is your best friend, you will find loads of chords from beginner to advanced which spans a huge range of skills.