These are the songs you’ll hear at any beginner-friendly jam, and most of them sit on three or four chords. Start with the ones you already half-know from somewhere — “You Are My Sunshine,” “I’ll Fly Away,” “Amazing Grace.” The Carter Family material (“Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” “Worried Man Blues,” “Keep on the Sunny Side”) moves at a forgiving pace and gives you room to find the melody. “Blue Moon of Kentucky” and “Footprints in the Snow” are Bill Monroe songs every bluegrass singer learns eventually. “Wagon Wheel” is the modern one, but it gets called often enough that it belongs here.

Pick two or three to start. Learn the words cold before you worry about the guitar part — singing while changing chords is the hard part. Each song’s page on Picker’s Guide has chord charts, lyrics, recordings, and a bit of song history to help you choose what fits your voice.