17 Easy Organ Songs For Beginners

“Faded” by Alan Walker

Song year: 2015

Norwegian singer Iselin Solheim provided vocals for Alan Walker’s “Faded,” a ballad disguised as an electro-house tune. Let’s face it – the tempo is slow, it opens with a lone piano, and the lyrical content is emotional – that’s the stuff ballads are made of. Even with the electronic elements.

As of 2023, the music video is the 14th most viewed on YouTube. It probably has more to do with the song than the visuals, because the video is just Walker walking through run-down buildings.

Either way, if you like the song, you’ll probably find it more than agreeable to play on the organ.

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana

Song year: 1991

Nirvana’s “teen spirit” anthem of 1991 signaled the end of an era and the start of a fresh one. Grunge was about to go mainstream, and there would be very little room left for 80s glam metal bands on the charts.

And with the introduction of grunge, it also became very trendy to talk about being a loser, an outcast, or a misfit. Think Beck’s “Loser,” Radiohead’s “Creep,” or Wheatus’ “Teenage Dirtbag.”

The song may seem like an unusual choice for the organ, but that can also be what makes it a fun one. Overall, it’s not too hard to play, either. Just watch out for those black keys.

“Green Onions” by Booker T. & The M.G.’s

Song year: 1962

Released as an instrumental in 1962, Booker T. & The M.G.’s “Green Onions” is one of the most recognizable instrumental rock pieces featuring an organ.

The 12-bar blues utilizing a Hammond M3 organ may sound like it was worked out in advance, but large sections of the song were improvised in the studio.

So far as difficulty is concerned, “Green Onions” is probably about intermediate, but it should make for a great long-term project if you’re open to it.

“Us and Them” by Pink Floyd

Song year: 1974

As one of the longest songs off The Dark Side of the Moon, “Us and Them” opens with a Hammond organ along with a couple of piano tracks.

The power ballad features a jazz-influenced chord progression and is mostly about the senselessness of war and other social justice issues.

For the most part, the song (at least on the organ) is made up of long, sustained chords. That makes it a relatively easy song to learn. That said, learning how to shift between the chords fluidly can take a bit of work.

“Highway Star” by Deep Purple

Song year: 1972

My dad had a compilation album of classic rock he’d purchased from Japan, and one of the first songs on the CD was Deep Purple’s “Highway Star,” which features Jon Lord’s masterful organ playing.

Trying to duplicate everything Lord accomplished with this song as a beginner organist will probably prove difficult if not possible. That said, the intro and verse parts are learnable and worthwhile, especially if you need to work on your staccato technique.

“Roundabout” by Yes

Song year: 1972

Written by Yes guitarist Steve Howe and singer Jon Anderson, the progressive rock tune “Roundabout” ended up a very groovy one. Reportedly, it was written as the band was traveling from Aberdeen to Glasgow, encountering many roundabouts along the way.

There isn’t any organ for longer stretches of the earlier part of the song, but as it progresses, there are more and more parts to be executed.

I’m certainly not promising an easy ride learning “Roundabout,” though if you want to work on your arpeggios, it’s a hard song to ignore.

“In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” by Iron Butterfly

Song year: 1968

Iron Butterfly’s “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” is legendary and groundbreaking for several reasons – one, the song is over 17 minutes, two, it features a classic rock riff everyone should learn, three, it’s the only Iron Butterfly song to break into the top 40, and four, it heavily influenced heavy metal music to come.

“In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” was apparently in the works since the early days of the band and turning it into an extended jam was an idea they’d arrived at relatively early too.

The arpeggios in the intro are anything but easy (though you could probably learn to play that segment one note at a time), but the main riff is something every beginner should be able to get under their fingers.

“Karn Evil 9” by Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Song year: 1973

With over 29 minutes of runtime, “Karn Evil 9” is Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s longest rock / classical fusion song.

That being the case, there is plenty to be learned from Keith Emerson’s masterful organ riffs – some are simpler than others.

But so far as rock songs featuring the organ is concerned, this one is legendary.

Best Organ Songs For Beginners, Final Thoughts

Start slow, start simply. Work on one hand, one note at a time. Begin with songs that primarily feature white keys. Follow these simple tips and you can’t go wrong. And if you want to challenge the harder passages, be our guest!