It has been just over 20 years since the British rock band Coldplay released their first hit, Shiver, back in March 2000. With their unique style of melodic piano riffs and iconic lyrics that mixes joy with sadness, Coldplay is one of the most influential bands of the last decades.
Coldplay released 18 Top 10 hits along with 24 Top 40 hits during this time. They built a huge name and fan groups for themselves, making them one of the iconic bands in music history.
Although the songs feature Chris Martin’s piano riffs as the core, Coldplay tunes offer great partitions for entry-level guitarists as well as experienced players. Some pieces’ guitar parts replicate the piano progression, while others consist of basic strumming partitions. Either way, these are all great songs to add to your repertoire.
Easy Coldplay Guitar Songs
Hymn For The Weekend – Coldplay
Released in 2015, Hymn For The Weekend is one of the most famous songs of the English alternative rock band Coldplay. The song featured American singer Beyonce and reached the top 10 charts in many countries all over the world.
It is a lightly funky track with some R&B hints in a moderate tempo. It is inspired by Blur’s song Sing. It is reasonably easy to play this song as it features 4 basic chords; Dm, G, Am, and F. A traditional strumming pattern would be enough to play the tune.
Viva La Vida – Coldplay
Coldplay’s first chart-topping single was Viva La Vida which was released in 2008. The song is built around a looping string section in unison with a digitally processed piano along with excellent lyrics. The song also won the Song Of The Year Award in Grammys the same year.
With C, D, G, Em, and Bm chords, it is a pretty straightforward song to play. The strum pattern is also relatively easy, consisting of downstrokes on beats and muted strums in between.
If you are liking this list and looking for more easy pop-rock tunes to play, do not forget to check out my list Top 50 Famous&Easy Pop Songs For Guitar – Tabs Included
Sky Full Of Stars – Coldplay
Coldplay’s Sky Full Of Stars from their 2014 album Ghost Stories is yet another great song to learn for entry-level guitarists. Coldplay collaborated with the famous electronic musician Avicii to create the song, and the song charted in the top 10 in more than 15 countries.
The song is played with Am, F, C, Em, and G chords along with a basic down-down-down-up-down-up strum pattern.
Sky Full Of Stars Guitar Chords
Yellow- Coldplay
One of the first successful pieces by Coldplay was Yellow that was released in the album Parachutes in 2000. It was the band’s breakthrough hit internationally, reaching the top five in many countries. It is still one of the most famous songs of the band and has been covered by many artists since then.
The song features a basic progression along with sentimental lyrics. You will need G, D, C, Em, Cmaj7, Dm7 chords to play the piece along with a basic strum pattern with downstrokes on every beat.
If you want to learn more romantic songs to play to your loved ones, this list might just be for you Top 30 Easy Guitar Love Songs To Impress Her/Him – Tabs Included
Clocks – Coldplay
Another one of early Coldplay tunes is Clocks which is the first single off their second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head, in 2003. As in many Coldplay tunes, the song is built around a piano riff and features excellent lyrics about contrasts in life.
There are 7 open chords in the progression of the piece. It is a moderate to high tempo song played with a basic strum pattern of downstrokes. It is a highly entertaining song to learn, play, and sing along with.
In My Place – Coldplay
The lead single of Coldplay’s second album in 2002 was the sentimental tune In My Place. The song had a good success which reached number 2 in the charts. In the 45th Grammy awards, the song won Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal award.
It is one of the songs of the band that is built around thumping drums and chiming guitars. It features slow-tempo basic riffs that sound fantastic along with basic chords. It is a great song to play with an acoustic guitar.
If you like playing sad tunes, you can learn more songs to play from my list Top 45 Sad Guitar Songs That You Must Learn To Play
Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall – Coldplay
Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall is the lead single of the 5th album of Coldplay, Mylo Xyloto, in 2011. The song was well received by the fans and became one of the iconic Coldplay songs.
There are only 4 chords in the song, making it an excellent piece for entry-level guitarists. You can deploy a basic strum pattern to play the tune.
Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall Guitar Chords
Magic – Coldplay
The 2014 Coldplay tune Magic is yet another great song for those who like to learn and play Coldplay anthems. It is a simple, heartwarming love song with hints of Coldplay’s early songs. It is remembered with the delicate falsetto singing of Chris Martin.
The chords you will need for this one are G/B, C, D, and G. The strum pattern differs in the chorus and verses slightly without major changes. But, both of them are quite easy to play.
Speed Of Sound – Coldplay
Speed Of Sound from the X&Y album in 2005 is one of the most famous songs of the British rock band Coldplay. The tune is composed around a piano and guitar riff, while the chorus section features heavy synthesizers creating a great atmosphere. The song achieved number 2 in the charts and was nominated for a Grammy.
A, Em, D, G, and Bm7 are the chords you will need to play the tune. The arpeggiated riff section is also straightforward and fun to play.
If you want to practice the fingerpicking technique, this list might just be for you Top 50 Easy, Intermediate, Advanced Fingerpicking Songs – Tabs Included
Hurts Like Heaven – Coldplay
Another awesome and easy-to-play Coldplay song from the 2012 Mylo Xyloto album is Hurts Like Heaven. The song features great guitar partitions with a nice chord progression. It is truly an inspirational rock tune.
You can play this piece with G, C, D, and Bm chords along with a basic strum pattern. It is an ideal tune to learn for absolute beginner guitarists.
Hurts Like Heaven Guitar Chords
Gravity – Coldplay
Gravity is a song written and performed by Coldplay before being released by the English band Embrace in 2004. After playing the tune in some concerts, Chris Martin decided to give the song to Embrace for their 2004 album. In 2005, Coldplay also recorded their own versions.
It is an easy song to play as it features C/G, Am, Em, and Fmaj7 chords. These are all open chords with comfortable finger positions. The strum pattern is traditional that would not give you a hard time.
A Message – Coldplay
Another great Coldplay tune by the X&Y album in 2005 is A Message. It is one of the guitar-heavy tunes of the band with romantic lyrics about love and companionship. The band also performed the song in the Hope for Haiti Now benefit the campaign for the victims of the earthquake disaster in Haiti in 2010. The song was included in the Hope For Haiti album by iTunes, which gave the song another significance.
The song is played with 6 open chords while 3 of them are 5th chords. It is an ideal tune to practice 5th chords as it has a slow rhythm and enough time for transitions.
If you are looking for more acoustic guitar tunes to learn and master, I recommend you to take a look at my list Top 50 Most Beautiful Acoustic Guitar Songs – Tabs Included
Daylight – Coldplay
Released in 2002 with their A Rush of Blood to the Head album, Daylight is one of the most underrated songs of Coldplay. It features a great guitar partition at the beginning and has a nice chord progression overall with lovely lyrics.
It is a straightforward tune that consists of 4 easy chords and a basic strum pattern. The F# chord may be challenging for beginners, but the song’s tempo leaves enough time for transitions.
Cemeteries Of London – Coldplay
One of the darkest songs of Coldplay is Cemeteries Of London from the Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends album in 2008. The song talks about the Medieval practice of burning witches and resembles a folk song in terms of its sound.
The song’s chord progression has 6 relatively easy chords, which are played in a moderate tempo. The chorus part is utterly entertaining to play and sing along with.
Cemeteries of London Guitar Chords
Rainy Day – Coldplay
Released in 2008 with the Prospekt’s March album, Rainy Day is a beautiful Coldplay song with its lovely lyrics and amazing instrumentation, especially in the final part of the piece.
It is one of the easiest songs to play on this list as it features 4 of the most basic chords: D, G, C, and Em. The song’s strum pattern is also quite standard, making it suitable for absolute beginners.
Advanced Coldplay Guitar Songs
Paradise – Coldplay
Paradise is one of the most successful tunes of Coldplay, which was released in 2011 with the Mylo Xyloto album. The song had a huge place in pop culture, having been used in many movies and events. It was also nominated for a Grammy and topped the charts in the U.K.
The song’s chorus became an iconic moment and was loved by many music enthusiasts. It is played with arpeggiated riffs in a progressive structure. It is not extremely hard to play, but you will need to be comfortable with the fingerpicking technique while your fretting hand changes between many positions on the fretboard.
The Scientist – Coldplay
The piano ballad, The Scientist, is one of the most sentimental songs of Coldplay. It was released back in 2002 with the A Rush of Blood to the Head album and received huge appreciation from the critics. Chris Martin’s iconic falsetto singing is present in tune with lovely piano riffs.
Although the song’s tempo is slow and the strum pattern consists of steady downstrokes, it is not an easy song to play. It features 13 chords, with some of them being odd-shaped.
Fix You – Coldplay
Another great ballad from Coldplay is Fix You, released in 2005 with the X&Y album. Chris Martin composed the song for his then-wife Gwyneth Paltrow to comfort her after the passing away of her father. The piece is built around a great organ riff accompanied by piano and guitar with truly amazing lyrics.
It is a slow-tempo song played with 7 chords. Some of the chords have challenging positions and are not easy to play. So you will have to practice them before playing.
Violet Hill – Coldplay
The 2008 hit song Violet Hill was released with Coldplay’s Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends album. It features a marching tempo along with a repetitive guitar riff accompanied by a piano. The anti-war protest song was a free-to-download tune that was downloaded more than 2 million times.
The song features many great guitar riffs and chord progressions along with a short but lovely solo. The parts are not that challenging individually but can be complex for entry-level players.
Christmas Lights – Coldplay
Christmas Lights is the Coldplay piece released in 2010 as a single digital download. It found itself a place in the top charts and was loved by the fans. As a mid-tempo song, it features great lyrics and beautiful instrumental parts.
The song is played with 6 chords, four of which are odd-shaped. The strum pattern is mid-tempo but not very challenging to play. If you have a bit of experience with different-shaped chords, you will not have a hard time playing this one.
Christmas Lights Guitar Chords
Talk – Coldplay
Talk is the hit song from Coldplay’s 2005 album X&Y. The song was composed of a part of Kraftwerk’s 1981 song Computer Love and peaked number one in many different countries. It was loved by the fans and nominated for a Grammy. The song is remembered for its heavy usage of dark-sounding synthesizers.
The main riff repeated throughout the song is quite easy to play. The challenge of the song comes with the chord progression, as all of them are barre chords which can be challenging for newbie guitarists.
Everglow – Coldplay
One of the newer songs of Coldplay is Everglow from their 2016 album A Head Full of Dreams. The song features Gwyneth Paltrow in backing vocals, who was the wife of Chris Martin back in the day. The slow-tempo tune is created on top of a heartfelt piano riff and features sentimental lyrics.
You can adjust the piano partitions to the guitar and play the song with the arpeggios. As there are many nuances and little licks during the arpeggios, it can be hard to play for beginner players, but with a little practice, you can master the song.
Shiver – Coldplay
One of the first singles and most beautiful songs of Coldplay is Shiver from their first album, Parachutes, in 2000. It was the lead single of the album and received good feedback from the audience. The influence of Jeff Buckley is clearly felt in the song, and the lyrics are a reference to Martin’s unrequited love.
This piece has many parts, from easy to hard. From single-note riffs to chord progressions, from arpeggios to triad chords, the song offers many entertaining sections for players.
Don’t Panic – Coldplay.
Don’t Panic is a song from the debut album, Parachutes, of the British band. It is one of the earliest songs of the band, which was performed even before the album in some live concerts. Even though it was the fourth single of the album, it was the favorite of many fans of the band.
With 7 chords, including odd-shaped ones, and different strum patterns in different parts of the song, Don’t Panic is not an easy song to play. You will need to be both careful with the rhythm and chords to play it correctly.
Lost – Coldplay
One of the most famous tunes of the 2008 album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, is Lost. The song topped the charts in many countries, was covered by famous artists like Jay-Z, and was used in different parts of pop culture, such as the video game NBA. It is an amazing organ-driven song that gets more lively with handclaps and foot stomps.
There are 8 chords in the chord progression of the song, giving it a complex structure. The chords are not traditional chords but are odd-shaped with little alterations on standard positions. The song is a good practice for the fretting hands as it forces you to go out of your comfort zone in standard chords.
Green Eyes – Coldplay
The 7th track of the A Rush of Blood to the Head album is Green Eyes which is one of the most iconic songs of the British band. It is a great love song with a folky style. The song did not receive any chart success but is considered one of the favorites of fans.
It is played with 7 relatively easy chords with different strum patterns in chorus and verses. The strum patterns feature triplets with a complex pattern which can be challenging for some players.
Politik – Coldplay
Politik is the opening song of the 2nd Coldplay album, A Rush of Blood to the Head. It is a different song in terms of the thing it talks about, as the piece draws the line between what is good and what is bad. The song is one of the most philosophical songs of the band, which describes the realization of a man’s mortality and the feelings revolving around that.
The song is played with the barre chords and is not easy if you are not familiar with the technique or if you struggle with it. At the end of the song, there is an easy and short solo played with double stops.
A Rush of Blood to the Head – Coldplay
The 10th track of the same-named album, A Rush of Blood to the Head, is yet another great Coldplay song to learn and master. Chris Martin goes out of his standard vocal style for the song and sings in a low-pitch as the song is an homage to late American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash.
You can add plenty of delay and reverb as well as a bit of overdrive to your tone for this piece. The riffs are played with a slide, and there are many techniques used, like legatos and double-stops.
A Rush of Blood to the Head Guitar Tabs
Swallowed In The Sea – Coldplay
Released in 2005 with the X&Y album, Swallowed In The Sea is the 11th track of the album. It is a lesser-known yet amazing piece that features many entertaining partitions to play.
You will need 5 chords to play the tune, which are B, F#, E, G#m, C#m. All of these chords can be challenging for new players as most of them use the barring technique, which can be hard on your fretting hand. Try to relax your hand while playing to avoid cramps and play the tune properly.
Swallowed In The Sea Guitar Chords
Parachutes – Coldplay
Another lesser-known song from the debut album of Coldplay is the Parachutes which is the song that gave the name to the album. It is a very short song which is around 45 seconds. The song features an acoustic guitar along with the lovely vocals of Chris Martin.
The song is played with arpeggios on a moderately slow tempo. It is one of the rare guitar dominant songs of the band, and that is why it offers great acoustic guitar partitions. The arpeggio pattern is the same while you change between different chords.
Chinese Sleep Chant – Coldplay
Chinese Sleep Chant is the hidden song of the Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends album. It appears after the song Yes ends, which is why it is not a well-known piece. The piece resembles a self-conscious parody of shoegaze and consists of heavily processed guitar-swirl and falsetto vocals through reverb.
The chord progression of the piece is pretty unusual, with odd-shaped chords in different positions on the fretboard. The strum pattern is pretty traditional, so if you get the fingering positions right, it will not give you a hard time in the learning process.
Chinese Sleep Chant Guitar Chords
Conclusion
Coldplay is one of the most famous and successful bands of the last decades. The British band rocked the world charts with almost every album they released and built a unique sound that you can easily distinguish from others.
The lovely falsetto vocals of Chris Martin, along with beautiful piano riffs combined with lovely guitar partitions and drumlines, Coldplay produced many iconic songs that took their place in music history.
Most of their songs have basic structures without complex progressive parts, yet they use many unusual chords and chord progressions. Plus, the dominant organ songs are not always easy to replicate on the guitar.
That is why the band offers many songs for players with different levels. You can choose any of these songs to practice and learn and progress with your technique.
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