Green Day is one of the most known alternative punk rock bands ever! They always conserved their attitude and vibe fashionably and successfully. And they elevated their music and quality.
The band comes from East Bay, California, and has represented punk music for a wide audience since 1987. They have been working on the Warner sub-label Reprise for a long time and releasing amazing albums since then.
With Billie Joe Armstrong in the front, Mike Dirnt, and Tré Cool, Green Day has won many hearts and become a popular rock band worldwide. You already know them if you are into pop punk, skate punk, and alternative rock music.
They mostly stick to their musical roots over the years as punk arrangements. Still, we sometimes see them making beautiful ballads or alternative rock anthems. Learning their great compositions and strengthening our repertoire with Green Day’s music is always very fun.
Here is a list of the best songs of the band and tabs to learn them properly. In the early days of the band, they were using half-step-down tuning. Pay attention to that. I hope you’ll have fun learning these Green Day tracks, as I had before.
Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
The most-known Green Day song, the tune, was released in 2004. Their famous album American Idiot covers the track. This song is like a description of the band’s style and genre.
Have a capo on the 1st fret of your guitar. With only 6 chords, you can easily play this tune. Also, having a mildly distorted electric guitar perfectly matches the original sound. There are 4 different strumming patterns to play it.
Boulevard Of Broken Dreams Guitar Chords
21 Guns
The 2009 single of the famous band was released by the label Reprise. You can find it on the band’s album 21st Century Breakdown. Butch Vig was behind the producer’s table for this arena rock, pop-punk tune.
The tune is based on a 4 notes melody. It was written in the key of Am. And to play this song with mostly open chords, have a capo on the 5th fret. 2 main chord progressions create the composition.
Basket Case
Another popular GD song is coming from 1994. The band got a decent crowd with their third album and affected the future of the pop-punk genre. They recorded this song in Fantasy Studios, California.
The song has a classic punk structure. With an electric guitar and intelligently set distortion, you are good to go to play it. It just requires fast strumming patterns and beginner chord progressions.
American Idiot
The song was recorded in Studio 880 in 2004. And it appeared on the same-titled album by the band. They worked with the great music label Reprise on this release as well.
The tune is played in a half-down-step tuning setup. Especially the rhythm guitar composition is for beginners and easy to follow. If you want to jam with it, there are 3 strumming patterns and 5 basic chords to learn.
Wake Me Up When September Ends
Here is one of my favorite Green Day songs. The tune is from June 2005. It is the fourth track of the band’s album American Idiot. Billie Joe has written this tune for his father’s death.
To match the original record, have a capo on the 7th fret. Here is a simplified version of the song. Once the beginners figure out this composition, they can get into more advanced progressions and tricks to sound richer.
Wake Me Up When September Ends Guitar Chords
When I Come Around
The band’s third album Dookie covers this tune from 1995. They were playing it even 3 years before the album, but many listened to it the first time when the album came out.
The tune has a main riff and progression, and the song is based on this. It is played on half-step down tuning. The bass guitar riff is on the front in this composition, and the electric guitars follow and strengthen it.
When I Come Around Guitar Chords
Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)
Here is one of the rare acoustic songs from the band. It was released in 1997 and appeared on the album Nimrod. It also has a great music video; you should check.
The song starts with an acoustic chord progression. It has an easy strumming pattern with little arpeggios. How Billy Joe strums differently between sections, but the general chord progression goes the same. Every guitarist can easily play this.
Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) Guitar Chords
Brain Stew
The tune is a combination of two songs and was released that way in 1996. The last part of the song is called Jaded. You can find it on the album Insomniac. The record is completed in Hyde Street Studios in San Fransisco.
First, tune your guitar down a half step. Set a mild distortion closer to the original sound and boost the middle. The same progression must be played throughout the song with different strumming patterns.
Know Your Enemy
The band’s 2009 21st Century Breakdown is a great album—some like the earlier records of Green Day better. I think the late ones are also pretty good. And this tune is considered to resemble older releases.
The tune has a very simple chord progression with distortions. It can be played with only 3 chords. Standard Tuning would sound just right. The chord progression only changes at the bridge and solo parts.
Still Breathing
The 2016 release of the band is an energy booster. The tune appeared on the album Revolution Radio the next year. It can be a great motivation through difficult times and hardships in life.
The song has a main progression that is played with power chords. I like the sound of the guitar on this one. It has a mildly bright and distorted side and a certain cleanliness. Don’t miss this tune.
Welcome To Paradise
Here is a strictly punk rock tune from the band’s early releases. It appears on the 1991 album Kerplunk first. It was then recorded again for the 1994 album Dookie 3 years later. -A very fun song to learn.
You need to go a half step down to play this one. You can see the musical experimental side of Green Day in this song. They tried more stuff in the 90s, and I like them more musically. This tune has great bass compositions as well.
Welcome To Paradise Guitar Chords
She
Another beautiful pop-punk tune is coming from the album Dookie. The record was completed in 1993. It is considered to be one of the best tunes of the band. It also became popular with the nude performance of Billy Joe Armstrong.
The track is a very fun song to play in half step-down tuning. It is an absolute beginner song you can play with only 3 chords. You only need the punk attitude and a fast strumming technique at 178 bpm!
Macy’s Day Parade
The song is from the band’s 2000 album Warning. The album was the band’s least commercial and successful release because it leaked onto the web before its release, back when Napster was a serious issue for musicians.
The tune has a more folky style of composition with punk elements. It requires a half-step-down tuning as well. With 4 simple chords, you are good to go to play it. An acoustic guitar would be a better choice to play this rather than an electric guitar.
Macy’s Day Parade Guitar Chords
Warning
The band recorded this tune in Studio 880, California. The same-titled album sold more than 3.5 million copies in the world. Bob Dylan’s music influenced the band when they were writing this album.
The tune is based on one of the easiest chord progressions in the world. Using only 3 chords still makes this song fun to learn and play. Listen carefully first to get the tempo and how they strum.
Stay The Night
Here is a 2012 release recorded in Oakland, California. This power pop song appears in the album Uno. We see Rob Cavallo as the producer on this one too.
The song has a very fun punk rock composition. Power chords, two-note chords, and fast strumming are a must to play this song. The chords are changing fast, but they are very easy. So warm up a little, then go into this beautiful track.
Give Me Novacaine
Another release from the album American Idiot is here. This album was a major shift in the band’s career and received many awards. It includes many messages politically, and it has beautiful arrangements musically.
The tune requires a capo on the second fret of your guitar. Take your electric guitar and start learning the easy chord progression. And add your most punk attitude to the mix. You’ll be great!
Give Me Novacaine Guitar Chords
Whatsername
Here is one of the most beautiful songs in the 2004 album of the band. It has a more alternative rock-pop side in a very qualified way. You can find it as the last track of the album.
The song is a true beginner song you can easily learn. It requires only 5 basic chords to play and an electric guitar to match the original sound. Loosen your hands and warm up to strum comfortably.
Ordinary World
The song is the softest and most emotional one from Green Day. Ordinary World was released in 2016 and appeared on the album Revolution Radio. It is the last track on the album.
Have your capo on the 7th fret. The mellow track is played with a simple and beautiful chord progression. Billy Joe is playing this one with fingerpicking. Don’t miss this beginner Green Day song!
Geek Stink Breath
Welcome to 1995 again! The song represents the true punk rock style of the band. The album Insomniac covers it. You can hear the early punk influences from the 70s.
Tune your guitar onto half step-down setup. Get the most punk sound from your guitar and take a pick. You’ll play progressions with power chords the whole song. Have fun!
Are We The Waiting
The song is from American Idiot again and unified with the song St. Jimmy. It is like a punk anthem to the fans. This 2004 release is worth checking. The production quality of this album is magnificent.
The tune starts with an arpeggio progression. Later the rhythm guitar with basic chords was added to it. Together they create this perfect anthem. So, take your guitar and start learning this amazing Green Day tune!
Are We The Waiting Guitar Tabs
Burnout
Another fun punk tune is coming from 1994. The album Dookie is the most fun Green Day record ever, I think. Try this one if you are into the fun punk rock vibes.
All you have to do is to learn the power chord progression to play this song. Also, tune down a half-step. The progression is easy, and the strumming patterns are easy. Don’t forget to have fun!
Hitchin A Ride
Let’s check the great tune from the band’s 1997 album Nimrod. The song has a different rockabilly punk style and feels a little grunge. Both the vocals and the guitars feel great, believe me!
The violin start gives you a little buzz then the song goes into strict guitar progressions. Easy two-note chords are the base of the composition. It is amazing to be able to create such a sound with only two note chords. The solo part is worth listening to as well.
Viva La Gloria
The 2009 album of the band received a Grammy for being the Best Rock Album the next year. The song is the 4th track of this record. The producer was Butch Vig on this one. And he is known for producing Nirvana’s most famous album Nevermind in 1991.
The tune has a goth vibe, especially in the intro part. The piano plays a spooky composition at the start. The song then goes into rock guitar and drums immediately. Have your capo on the 4th fret. You can play this song with open or power chords to be more accurate.
Pulling Teeth
Here is a skate-punk track from Dookie. 1994 was a great year for lots of music genres. Green Day, they also got to another level that year. They recorded this in Fantasy Studios, California. This album might be the roots for bands like Sum 41, Fall Out Boy, or Blink-182.
Like the whole album, Pulling Teeth is also played in half-step-down tuning. If you are good at power chords and punk strumming patterns, you’ll get this song in no time. You can also play the whole chords for an acoustic or different possible vibe of this tune.
The Grouch
The song was recorded in Conway Recording Studios, Los Angeles, in 1997. Imagine Sex Pistols had a baby with Green Day. This song is like that. It adds a powerful touch to the album as the third track.
Besides two notes and power chords, the song has a very easy solo guitar part to learn. You can easily add this Green Day song to your repertoire in an hour or so if you are into the band’s more punk side.
Conclusion
I hope you like the selected GD songs and enjoyed playing them. It is unbelievable that Green Day has been ripping it since 1987! They have a very long musical career, and they are still active. You’ll see how great they are through this journey of 25 songs from them.
This list of Green Day songs is picked as the easiest. So guitarists from different levels can easily learn and add them to their repertoires. If you are not familiar with their style of music, listen to their songs first to get an idea of their style.
You can also learn every song here without having an electric guitar. They sound amazing as an acoustic version, either. So, pick your guitar, give your best, warm up enough and get into the world of Green Day’s music!
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