Disney movies have entertained millions of families from all walks of life for decades. There have been literally hundreds of movies and shows produced by Disney since its founding in the 1920s. The songs in these movies are so catchy they will get anyone singing along.
If you are a Disney geek like me, then you may want to learn to play some of these childhood classics on guitar. Luckily, most songs from movies are incredibly easy to play! To save you some time, I’ve compiled a hotlist of 25 of my favorite easy Disney songs on guitar. So, pull up the tabs and get ready to play along to some of the best songs from Disney movies or shows!
Check out my top easy pop songs on guitar if you are looking for catchy radio hits to play on guitar.
1. Under The Sea – The Little Mermaid
Check out the tab for “Under The Sea’’
“Under The Sea” is the most popular song from the film The Little Mermaid. The song was also included in the 2023 live-action remake. In the song, Sebastien tries to convince his mermaid friend Ariel to stay with him and their friends under the ocean instead of exploring the land “where the people are” (I know, wrong song).
The verses of this song switch back and forth between two chords: C Major and G7. The 7 chord is similar to the major chord and can easily be learned. The chorus uses a slightly more complex chord progression, but it is perfect for guitarists looking to learn to switch quickly between chords.
2. We Know The Way – Moana
Check out the tab for “We Know The Way”
The Disney movie “Moana” gained lots of praise from critics and fans alike for breaking down cultural stereotypes and bringing diversity to the animation world. Moana lives a happy island life with her friends and family, but she must find the demi-god Maui to help her save her island from a great threat. Moana learns to harness the strength of her elements and her ancestors to save the island. “We Know The Way” is a featured song from this movie.
This song has a big, triumphant feel on the original recording, but it can become a very sweet composition when you play it solo on a guitar or ukulele. The arrangement consists of 3 open chords for the verses, and there is an additional F Sharp Minor barre chord played at the 2nd fret. “We Know The Way” sounds great at a very laid-back tempo, which makes it even easier to learn.
3. Un Poco Loco – Coco
Check out the tab for “Un Poco Loco”
Coco is a beautiful tale that many musicians will relate to. The movie’s plot centers around Miguel, a young Mexican boy who dreams of being a famous musician one day. But unfortunately, his family has banned music. On Dio De Los Muertos, Miguel accidentally ventures into the underworld and finds his ancestors. He hopes to convince them to allow him to play music so that he can pursue his dream.
Beginner guitarists should not be intimidated by the fancy flamenco playing that Miguel uses in the original recording of “Un Poco Loco”. In fact, the song is a very easy Disney song to learn on guitar. The song is constructed using a very basic chord arrangement, and you can play these chords using slower strums before trying to figure out the more complex right-hand movements. Once you’ve got the hang of the strumming, give the fancy lick in the intro a try! Trust me, it is easier than it sounds.
4. All I Want – High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
Check out the tab for “All I Want”
High School Musical stole the hearts and attention of nearly every tween from the early 2000s. The original series was so popular that in 2019, Disney launched a reboot called High School Music: The Musical: The Series, which helped launch the career of talented pop star and actress Olivia Rodrigo. During the first season of the mockumentary reboot, 16-year-old Olivia Rodrigo wrote “All I Want” in just three days.
“All I Want” is a sweet, sober song about heartbreak and self-love. The chord changes used in the verse are quick and follow the lyrics. The chorus also uses a slightly complex series of chords and a two-chord resolution. If it seems overwhelming at first, break the arrangement down into pieces and learn each part separately before chaining the whole thing back together.
5. I Just Can’t Wait To Be King – Lion King
Check out the tab for “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King”
The Lion King is an absolute classic Disney movie and follows the adventures of a young lion named Simba. The movie is filled with emotional ups and downs, as well as a healthy selection of great Disney songs to learn on guitar. One of my favorite tracks in this movie is the uplifting “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King”.
You’ll need to play this song with a capo on the 4th fret if you want it to sound like the movie version. Most of the verses switch between D Major and Dsus, which is very easy for beginner guitarists to play. There is also a key change about two minutes into the song to give the arrangement an extra lift.
6. The Best Of Both Worlds – Hannah Montana
Check out the tab for “The Best Of Both Worlds”
Before Miley Cyrus became an international pop superstar, she honed her craft working on the Disney television series Hannah Montana, acting as an international superstar! In the series, Miley plays herself, who also doubles as fictional popstar Hannah Montana, and tries to balance fame and the adventures that come with growing up as a teenage girl. “Best Of Both Worlds” is the theme song from the television series.
This song uses a straight rocky groove and a 4/4 time signature. There’s a very simple four-chord progression used in the verse and the chorus and an easy bridge with three chords.
7. Sally’s Song – The Nightmare Before Christmas
Check out the tab for “Sally’s Song”
The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of my all-time favorite Disney movies and uses a unique animation known as claymation. The film revolves around Jack, The Pumpkin King, who is in charge of running Halloween for humans every year. One year Jack gets bored and decides to hijack Christmas, with some hilarious and scary results. “Sally’s Song” is sung by Jack’s love interest, Sally, during the movie.
Most of the chords in this arrangement are standard open chords that should be familiar to beginner guitarists. Though, there is a unique D7 chord voicing in the verses that uses F# as the root at the second fret. You can do this by holding a regular D chord and fretting the root note using your thumb on your left hand.
8. I Wanna Be Like You – The Jungle Book
Check out the tab for “I Wanna Be Like You”
The Jungle Book is a timeless story detailing the adventures of Mowgli, a young boy lost to the jungle at a young age and raised by animals. All of the major characters get a chance to sing throughout this film. While searching through the jungle for his friends, Mowgli discovers and meets the chimpanzee King Louie, who expresses his envy for Mowgli in the song “I Wanna Be Like You”.
“I Wanna Be Like You” uses a sequence of open chord shapes that can also be played in a barre shape higher up on the neck of the guitar. Make sure to pay close attention to the song’s tight strumming rhythm and start at a slow tempo while you get a feel for the song.
9. Let It Go – Frozen
Check out the tab for “Let It Go’’
Frozen is one of the most successful Disney movies of the modern era and smashed box-office records during its time at the cinema. One of the songs from this movie, “Let It Go” has been viewed over 3 billion times on Youtube. “Let It Go” is a song about escaping your past, ignoring doubt and insecurity, and rising above challenges.
There are four primary sections in this song’s arrangement: verse, chorus, pre-chorus, and a bridge. Each section has a unique but simple chord progression, so try to learn each section separately. The chord progression is relatively easy, but it does include some slightly challenging chord shapes that beginners may not be aware of, such as Cadd9 and D/F#.
10. Hakuna Matata – The Lion King
Check out the tab for “Hakuna Matata”
Another popular song from Disney’s The Lion King is “Hakuna Matata”. During Simba’s adventures, he befriends a meerkat named Timon and a warthog named Pumba. These two animals try to convince Simba to let go of the responsibilities of everyday life and to try to be more carefree. “Hakuna Matata” is a Swahili phrase meaning “no worries”.
Despite its easygoing intentions, “Hakuna Matata” can be slightly tricky to play if you are a beginner guitarist, but it is an excellent song for improving your playing. The song uses a reasonably large set of chords that can be hard to memorize in the first few tries. My recommendation is to learn the song at a slow and steady pace, taking time to memorize each chord shape before you dive into playing the progression.
11. It’s A Small World – Disneyland
Check out the tab for “It’s A Small World”
If you’ve ever been lucky enough to visit a Disneyland theme park, there is a very good chance that this song has entered your ears while waiting for a ride, buying some ice cream, or hanging with Mickey Mouse. “It’s A Small World” is one of the earliest Disney compositions and is used in every Disneyland globally in some capacity to this day.
Most beginner and novice guitarists should be able to learn and play this song within an hour of seeing the tablature. The entire arrangement is made up of a single chord progression that switches between C and G7 for the opening bars. You can play this song at slow or more upbeat tempos, and it should sound great on guitar, ukulele, or even piano!
12. I See The Light – Tangled
Check out the tab for “I See The Light”
Tangled is a modern Disney movie based on the classic fairy tale Rapunzel. In the movie, Rapunzel plans to escape a tower that she has lived in her entire life and uses her hair as a superpower to help save her and her friends from trouble throughout the movie. “I See The Light” is one of the feature tracks from this film.
I tend to view “I See The Light” as two songs in one. There are separate parts for the male and female vocals in this song, each with its respective chord progression that you can learn separately. A third section also combines Rapunzel and her love interest Flynn’s vocals, and you can sing this on your own or with a fellow player/singer.
13. You’ve Got A Friend In Me – Toy Story
Check out the tab for “You’ve Got A Friend In Me”
Toy Story was the original Pixar movie and follows the adventures of a group of toys owned by a kid named Andy. The toys are led by cowboy Woody and space pilot Buzz Lightyear. The two main characters enjoy a colorful life following their owner Andy, and try everything they can to stay a part of his life. Randy Newman’s “You’ve Got A Friend In Me” is the heartwarming theme song from this film series.
The original recording of “You’ve Got A Friend In Me” uses a capo at the 3rd fret, but you can play the same progressions without a capo, and it should still sound fine. There are a few more advanced chords to learn in this composition, like the C9 and G Augmented, so make sure you learn and understand these chords before tackling the entire arrangement.
14. A Whole New World – Aladdin
Check out the tab for “A Whole New World”
One of the greatest animated movies of the 1990s is Aladdin, which tells the story of a poor boy that falls in love with a princess. Aladdin discovers and befriends a genie, who turns him into a prince in hopes of winning the princess over. During his first date with the princess, Aladdin takes her on a magic carpet ride and sings “A Whole New World” to her.
“A Whole New World” is definitely not the easiest Disney song on guitar; it will take some time, focus, and practice. But it is still possible for beginner guitarists to learn. A considerable number of chords are used in the song’s composition, but each progression is relatively straightforward. The progression features suspended and diminished chords, so this is a good chance to learn some new, complex chord shapes.
15. The Bare Necessities – Jungle Book
Check out the tab for “The Bare Necessities”
In The Jungle Book, the lead character, Mowgli, relies on two animals for friendship and support. One of these animals is a laid-back black bear named Baloo, who tries to spend most of his day in a relaxed state of mind. While looking around for food, Baloo introduces Mowgli to his “Bare Necessities” philosophy, which helps to lift the boy’s spirits while he is hungry.
The Jungle Book has a lot of classic jazz tendencies in its songbook, and this song sits in an enjoyable jazz swing groove. The song is very easy to play and is a great case study for learning the difference in application between a regular major chord and a dominant 7th chord.
16. Once Upon A Dream – Maleficent
Check out the tab for “Once Upon A Dream”
The movie Maleficent is a live-action twist on the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty. Traditionally, Sleeping Beauty focused on a princess who falls asleep as part of a curse placed on her by the witch Maleficent. The movie of the same name centers around the witch in question and shows her heartbreaking origin story that led her to become the evil witch that we know of from Sleeping Beauty. In Maleficent, Lana Del Rey reprised the classic Disney song “Once Upon A Dream” into a sultry and dark ballad.
Certain song compositions tend to wrap their rhythms around the vocal and melodic phrasings. The easiest way to navigate the chord changes in “Once Upon A Dream” is to closely follow the timing of the lyrics in the arrangement. The words are written in a way that allows you to anticipate the chord changes throughout the song.
17. We Don’t Talk About Bruno – Encanto
Check out the tab for “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”
“We Don’t Talk About Bruno” is the feature single from the relatively new Disney movie Encanto and was one of the surprise smash hits of 2021 and 2022. The song took Adele’s place at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and spent over a month in this spot, a common trend for several iconic Disney songs.
The verses of “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” consist of a rotating two-chord progression that resolves on B Minor. The rest of the composition is almost as simple, and the challenge of the song lies in mastering the salsa rhythms of the arrangements with your right-hand movements.
Fun Fact: “ We Don’t Talk About Bruno” has been translated into over 46 different languages for listeners from all over the world.
18. Beauty And The Beast – Beauty And The Beast
Check out the tab for “Beauty And The Beast”
“Beauty And The Beast” is the title track from the popular animated Disney love story from the 90s. The story centers around Belle, a young girl who discovers an enchanted castle with a seemingly frightening monster guarding its grounds. It turns out that the monster is a prince who has been cursed into this state until he finds true love. The title track is a duet between Belle and the Beast toward the end of the film.
“Beauty And The Beast” is a pretty easy Disney song on guitar, as the tempo of the song is slow and steady, and the chord changes aren’t overly complex. There is a key change just beyond the halfway mark, which will change some of your open chords into barre chord shapes.
19. Try Everything – Zootopia
Check out the tab for “Try Everything”
Zootopia is a lesser-known Disney movie from the modern era that tells the story of a fantasy city where all the inhabitants are walking, talking animals, much like a regular human metropolis. The story centers around the first rabbit to join Zootopia’s police force and her attempts to prove her worth by saving the city from threats of all shapes and sizes.
I recommend “Try Everything” to many new guitar players for two reasons. Firstly, the song uses a straightforward four-chord progression throughout its arrangement and is very easy for new players to learn as it uses mostly open shapes. The second reason is that the song itself is very encouraging and is the perfect motivation for practice or creative sessions.
20. Life Is A Highway – Cars
Check out the tab for “Life Is A Highway”
Cars is a fast-paced Disney animation that centers around Lightning McQueen, a young hotshot race car that gets ahead of himself and is forced to return to humble beginnings. It is back at these beginnings that McQueen rediscovers himself and his love for racing, which motivates him to give it a second try. “Life Is A Highway” is the most popular song from the movie and is performed by the band The Rascal Flatts. This song was originally released in 1991 by Tom Cochrane.
“Life Is A Highway” should be played on an electric guitar to give it the same rock feel as the original recording from the movie. The verses use an easy, well-spread series of open chords, where the chorus switches to a punchy power chord riff that plays call-and-response with the lead vocal.
21. Remember Me – Coco
Check out the tab for “Remember Me”
“Remember Me” is a sweet and dreamy lullaby from the Pixar movie Coco. Just about anybody will tear up when Miguel plays this song to Mama Coco at the end of the movie.
The song won an Academy Award for Best Original Song and is about being close with your family members and the value of relationships. “Remember Me” is played four times throughout the movie by different characters from the cast and story.
The composition of “Remember Me” is made up of a series of fairly simple open chord shapes, though there is an interesting F6 chord used in the progression that is great for beginner players to absorb. The entire arrangement is short but can be repeated several times to turn it into a longer song.
22. The Phony King Of England – Robin Hood
Check out the tab for “The Phony King Of England”
Disney’s Robin Hood is an animated adaptation of the classic children’s novel. The story revolves around Robin Hood and his band of merry men as they attempt to overthrow the corrupt Prince John of England. “The Phony King Of England” is a song sung by the band of merry-men in the movie.
“The Phony King Of England” feels a lot like “I Wanna Be Like You” from The Jungle Book, but with a slightly more country twist. The song uses two chords throughout the entire arrangement A G Major and D Major. The challenge in the song lies in nailing the right-hand strumming pattern that gives the song its catchy rhythm.
23. Lava – Lava
Not many Disney fans know about the short animated musical “Lava” created by the Disney-owned Pixar studios. The short film tells a wondrous story centering around the famous real-life volcanic islands off the coast of Hawaii and is essentially a love story that takes place over millions of years of natural evolution.
Extremely easy to play, “Lava” sounds terrific when played on an acoustic guitar or ukulele. The arrangement rotates around three chords C Major, F Major, and G7. You can play these chords in open shapes for the right sound, and be sure to watch out for the slight tempo changes that drift in and out of the song.
24. A Spoonful Of Sugar – Mary Poppins
Check out the tab for “A Spoonful of Sugar”
Mary Poppins was one of the earliest live-action Disney movies and starred acclaimed actress and singer Julie Andrews (who also starred in The Sound Of Music). The movie’s plot centers around a magical housekeeper, Mary Poppins, who tends to the needs of a home with some impressive superpowers. “A Spoonful Of Sugar” is Poppin’s method for getting children to take their medicine.
“A Spoonful Of Sugar” is a very easy classic Disney song to play on guitar. Once you get a grasp of the polka rhythm used for the right-hand movements, the chord changes are pretty easy to navigate. You can play this song using hybrid picking, which combines thumb-picking and finger-strumming techniques.
25. How Far I’ll Go – Moana
Check out the tab for “How Far I’ll Go”
Written by songwriter Lin Manuel Miranda, “How Far I’ll Go” is another one of the feature tracks from the movie Moana. This song is a chance to get to know the lead character’s thoughts and emotions as she expresses her dedication to saving the island that she lovingly adores. The song is a slow but powerful ballad that is great to learn on guitar.
“How Far I’ll Go” consists of three sets of chord progressions used in different sections of the arrangement. Most of the chord changes are quite easy to follow, but certain sneaky chord shifts pop up to catch specific lyrics.
Wrapping up
So, there you have it, 25 of the best easy Disney songs to play on guitar. In no time, you’ll be jamming and singing along to some of these classic movie and TV show songs.
If you are looking to build up your guitar repertoire, make sure to check out my list of the best beginner electric guitar songs.
