It sucks being a beginner, eh? More so if you’re an anime fan. I say this because I picked up guitar a few years ago wanting to play anime songs, but it becomes very apparent very quickly, that most songs are out of your skill level. What can you do if you want to learn and grow, but can’t find riffs and solos that are easy enough to get through? Don’t worry, I got you!
Below, I have gather 15 songs with solos that should be easy enough for anyone with at least 6 months experience playing guitar, or 3 months if they have been focused on lead and they are pretty good with spider exercises.
I didn’t just look for easy solos, but the whole song, whether you’re just playing riffs or chords, should be easy enough for the average beginner. This way, you’ll be more open to learning the whole entire song instead of just 15 seconds here and there. Learning to play songs from beginning to end has certainly helped me grow and advance a lot as a beginner, so I highly encourage it!
If you’re pretty new to guitar tabs, definitely check out My Ultimate Guide To Guitar Tabs where I discuss setup, tunings, techniques, and even things like theory and timing. It’s your all in one resource to understand anything you’ll see when reading guitar tabs 🙂
When you’re done with this, be sure to check out 50 Power Chord Anime Songs, 25 Anime Songs With Epic Riffs & Licks, 20 Fun & Funky Anime Songs for Rhythm Guitar, 10 Easy Anime Songs To Practice Fingerpicking, and 15 Intermediate Anime Songs To Practice Barre Chords. You can also refer to my article with 8 Resources for Anime Chords, Tabs and Tutorials.
And if you love Japanese music and would like to learn and understand it more, please check out My Japanese Music Resources Page, and consider subscribing to My J-Music Progressions Membership Club!
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Again
Fullmetal Alchemist
Tabs| BPM = 145 | Solo at * / Bar 104
One of the OG anime classics. This song has a nice minor sound and feel, and while upbeat, it’s actually at a pretty chill pace. The solo has notes within the same box shape and some notes repeat which also makes it easier. The intro riff and the solo has a few bends and vibrato for you to practice as well. Definitely the perfect beginner song to work on.
Blue Bird
Naruto
Tabs | BPM = 151 | Solo at 2:19 / Bar 90
Here’s another classic that is at a slower pace. Throughout the song, you have some pretty slow riffs to work on. The solo picks it up just a bit, but it’s still simple enough that I think one can learn it within a few days or a couple weeks max.
Hitohira no Hanabira
Bleach
Tabs | BPM = 140 | Solo at 2:32 / Bar 86
Don’t let the tuning scare you off. You can play this song in standard tuning with the original track just by moving all the numbers on the tabs up by 1. If you see 3, play on the 4th fret and so on. All the guitar parts can be played in original tuning, and it was probably changed to match the bass that had some 0s on it’s chart.
Anyways, what I love about this song is that there are so many melodic guitar parts. I added tabs for the main lead guitar, which has quite a few pretty riffs to play, but definitely check out the second Lead Guitar for a groovy riff you can play through the chorus, and the Fill Guitar for some funky rhythm and arpeggios!
Rewrite
Fullmetal Alchemist
Tabs | BPM = 180| Solo at 1:57 / Bar 90
This whole song is a lead guitarists dream. You’ll get a variety of riffs and licks, containing single notes, octaves and chords. A good 1/3 of the song is an instrumental interlude where you get to show off. If you’re not comfortable with hammer-ons, bends and vibrato, or just want to get all your fingers moving without the tricks, I think this is a great song to work on. It may take some time to get through the whole song due to the variety and it’s speed, but it’s definitely within late beginner level. I believe in you!
Period
Chemistry
Tabs | BPM = 126| Solo at 0:03 and 1:18
Yes, this is the 3rd FMA song on this list, but it’s cause this show has a low of slower paced rock songs with some slower riffs. Don’t hate the messenger! Anyways, this song isn’t on Songsterr, but if you listen you should be able to learn the timing for the riffs and solos very easily with the Ultimate Guitar tabs.
Moon Prism Power Make up
Sailor Moon
Tabs | BPM = 150
Here’s a pretty simple and cool theme. The guitar has a noticeable guitar riff in the back, but you can definitely play the melody for other parts of the song to make it more rock. If you feel comfortable with box shapes right now and want to practice moving to new parts in a comfortable setting, definitely try this one out for size.
Shunkan Sentimental
Fullmetal Alchemist
Tabs | BPM = 170| Solo at 2:15 / Bar 95
This song has a pretty epic (and short) intro and ending riff for you to practice playing at a faster while working in some bends. As for the actual solo, it starts with some octave strumming and slides, followed by a simpler melodic riff and some bends. If you’re trying to learn harmonics, this song has a couple randomly placed throughout the song where you can focus on playing just that at the right time.
Hologram
Fullmetal Alchemist
Tabs | BPM = 152| Solo at / Bar 102
You really thought I was done with FMA, didn’t ya? 😛 This is song number 5. To be fair, I thought this may have been from Naruto but I was mistaken. This is the last one though, I promise!
Anyways, this has a really slow and chill riff throughout a lot of the song, along with some dyads and octaves at other parts. The solo utilizes some longer notes along with bends. There’s a few other tricks throughout the song like bends and hammer-ons, but not much. Be sure to check out the rhythm parts if you got nothing going on.
L’s Theme A or B
Death Note
Tabs | BPM = 107
Probably one of the most well known background songs from animes. These themes have pretty repetitive melodic riffs. Since it is an instrumental, you can pretty much consider the whole track a solo. Definitely a great way to get all your fingers moving and ensure your beats are even.
Complication
Durarara!!!
Tabs | BPM = 137| Solo at 3:00 / Bar 63
This solo has a bit of variety. Some strumming, quick picking, bends. After the actual solo which may take a few days to bring up to speed, it also has a nice slow melodic part right after which is really nice. While not playing this solo, definitely check out the other guitar parts to fill up the song.
Tsukiakari no Michishirube
Darker Than Black
Tabs | BPM = 132
While this song doesn’t really have a direct solo section, I think it has enough riffs and licks that will certainly help you grow as a lead guitarist. You got solo notes, you got power chords, you got bends, and octaves, you got arpeggios, you got palm muting etc. It’s also at a pretty comfy pace, sticking to quarter and eighth notes, and the notes aren’t too far from each other, so I really think this is a great track to work on.
My Love Is A Stapler
K-ON!!
Tabs | BPM = 130| Solo at 3:10 / Bar 104
Don’t let this show fool you. You may think the songs are easy cause Yui is a beginner and they’re a newer band, but naw. I remember trying to learn some of their songs in my first few months and I’m like…..but there’s still hope. I have made a list of easy K-On! songs, but when it comes to solos, this is definitely one of their easy going ones. The solo is also the same as the intro riff. The rhythm for the rest of the song can be difficult, so I’m just adding this one for the solo.
My Boy
Shugo Chara
Tabs | BPM = 210 | Solo at 3:55 / Bar 155
This song is on the faster side, but don’t you fear! This is a great song for those who love power chords and want to create more melodic riffs with them. The song doesn’t go beyond eighth notes, and the notes are relatively close to each other, allowing you to work on speed without flying all over the fretboard. There are some melodic riffs as well, one part utilizes open strings, and the other has quarter notes, so I’m anyone can tackle this song if they slow it down and build up to the original speed.
Inner Light
Hajime no Ippo
Tabs | BPM = 168| Solo at 3:04 / Bar 71
This is another song that has a pretty fun melodic lick throughout, along with some pretty badass power chords. Note that the solo in the song is a bit different from the one in the tabs, but it’s a good solo to learn regardless.
Tell Me Why
Berserk
Tabs | BPM = 120| Solo at 1:59 / Bar 60
What I like about this song is that, it already sounds kinda messy and sloppy, so if you make mistakes or your bends aren’t perfect…it will actually sound like you meant to do that. The song is a pretty slow pace, so while there is some picking and bends, you will have the time to do them properly.
Conclusion
That’s all I got for you guys. This actually took a lot of digging and analyzing, and took a while just to find 15 songs, but I hope it helps! There are definitely a lot of Easy TV-length Anime Songs, and I also have 50 Songs with Power Chords for those who want to work on rhythm, but easy solos are hard to come by. So, if you appreciate this list, please consider leaving a me a tip on Ko-Fi!
Definitely check out other articles on my blog. I got lots of beginner tips for guitarists and bands, along with music theory lessons. You can also find all my anime music blog posts on my Japanese Music Resources page. If you have other ideas for articles, feel free to leave a comment below! <3
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