Fingerpicking or fingerstyle on guitar is, to me, the most rewarding playing technique. Nothing matches the beauty of an acoustic masterfully plucked over a pleasant chord progression, and there’s no better way to quickly add your personal spin to a popular cover song.
Once you’ve got a good grasp on the open position chords, you’ll want to learn fingerpicking patterns so that you can put your chord knowledge to good use. If you’re just starting to learn fingerstyle and are looking for songs to practice with, or if you’re an experienced intermediate fingerpicker adding to your repertoire, this list of the top 30 best intermediate guitar fingerpicking songs with tabs is filled with great jams to help you perfect your PIMA.
From some of the most iconic songs in Western music like The Beatles’ “Blackbird” to modern hits such as “Hey There Delilah” by Plain White T’s, these fingerpicking songs cover a wide range of genres written over several decades. Many are playable with just a few of the basic open chords, while others will test your skills and challenge you to learn a few new voicings. Though the more advanced songs utilize alternate tunings, unusual keys, and the use of a capo, there’s nothing on here a determined player won’t be able to handle.
While this is a list composed for intermediate players, I won’t dissuade a beginner guitarist from trying their hands at a couple of these easier tunes. A few of the first songs I ever learned to play are on this list, so whatever your experience level, if you’ve got a strong desire to learn fingerstyle, here are the top 30 best intermediate guitar fingerpicking songs.
- We’re Going To Be Friends – The White Stripes – Tab
- Blackbird – The Beatles – Tab
- Night’s Sorrow – Becoming the Archetype – Tab
- Sound Of Silence – Simon & Garfunkel – Tab
- Let It Go – James Bay – Tab
- Never Going Back Again -Fleetwood Mac – Tab
- I See Fire – Ed Sheeran – Tab
- Ashamed – Deer Tick – Tab
- Is There Anybody Out There – Pink Floyd – Tab
- Every Breath You Take – The Police – Tab
- Suzanne – Leonard Cohen – Tab
- Streets Of London – Ralph McTell – Tab
- Scarborough Fair – Simon & Garfunkel – Tab
- Hey There Delilah – Plain White T’s – Tab
- Leaving On a Jet Plane – John Denver – Tab
- Candles -Daughter – Tab
- Blindsided – Bon Iver – Tab
- Babe I’m Gonna Leave You – Led Zeppelin – Tab
- The Boxer – Simon and Garfunkel – Tab
- Broken – Jake Bugg – Tab
- Budapest – George Ezra – Tab
- Stranger Things Have Happened – The Foo Fighters – Tab
- Just Breathe – Pearl Jam – Tab
- More Than Words – Extreme – Tab
- Fire and Rain – James Taylor – Tab
- Time In A Bottle – Jim Croce – Tab
- Stop This Train – John Mayer – Tab
- Street Spirit (Fade Out) – Radiohead – Tab
- Tears In Heaven – Eric Clapton – Tab
- Yesterday – The Beatles – Tab
