Justin Bieber started his music career in 2007, he signed a deal in 2008, and the debut EP came out a year later, and people all over the world loved it. Starting as a teen pop star wasn’t easy. But Bieber still managed to get numerous awards and become the youngest male performer to top charts in so many countries.
If you are a guitar player and a fan of Justin Bieber, you are probably interested in learning how to play some of his songs. Fortunately, there are plenty of options you can find today.
Justin Bieber released six studio albums, two EPs, and seventy-six singles. So, the only thing left to do is find your favorite song and start learning. And why not start with the best ones? This way, you will have a better insight into his career and ways to play some of his most popular songs.
Sorry
Sorry was released in 2015, and it was on Bieber’s fifth album called Purpose. The upbeat tropical rhythm is perfect for playing on guitar, and the simpler version of the song is based on open chords.
You will need to place a capo on the third fret, but you can play the shorter version of F major if it’s more comfortable. Sorry was written by Bieber, Julia Michaels, Justin Tranter, BloodPop, and Skrillex.
I Don’t Care (With Ed Sheeran)
I Don’t Care is a song released in 2019, and it was a part of Ed Sheeran’s No.6 Collaborations Project album. Justin Bieber is one of many guests that appeared on this record. Since Ed Sheeran and Bieber wrote the song together, you can be sure that it sounds amazing on guitar.
One of the best things for beginners is that it is an easy song to learn. The version here is played without a capo, and it includes four chords. These chords are G major, E minor, C major, and D major.
What Do You Mean?
What Do You Mean is a song from the 2015 album Purpose. While the original version of the song doesn’t have a guitar, the acoustic version can sound quite nice. Even if you are not an experienced player, you can still play simple chords to make your own version.
It is worth noting that you will need a capo on the first fret, and there are only four chords in the entire song. You can also replace the last C major chord with Cadd9, which is a shape similar to open G major, but with the first two notes moved one string down.
What Do You Mean Guitar Chords
Love Yourself
For many fans, Purpose is the best album by Justin Bieber. And there are so many great songs on it. It isn’t surprising that Love Yourself is on the list as well. If you are familiar with the song, you know it starts on a guitar, and that it sounds complex.
But in reality, you will need to learn a few chord shapes and follow a simple fingerpicking pattern. The only challenging thing will be to nail the timing on those slaps that make the song so special.
Where Are Ü Now? (With Jack Ü)
Where Are Ü Now? is a song that appeared on the Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü album from 2015, and Justin Bieber was a guest on one song. If you are not familiar, Jack Ü members are Skrillex and Diplo, and this was their first album.
If you want to play this tune on your guitar, you will need to know just a few chords. It is a simple progression, and it’s great for beginners. And one of the things all beginners will love is that there are no barre chords.
Where Are Ü Now? Guitar Chords
Stay (With The Kid Laroi)
In 2020, the Kid Laroi released his debut mixtape and it was called F*ck Love. The re-release came out a year later, and it included seven new songs. Among these songs was Stay, which had Justin Beiber as a guest artist.
The intro to the song is played on synthesizers, but you can easily play it on your guitar as well. You will need a capo on the first fret, and there are several new chords you might need to learn. The song is not too complex, but it has a few tricky parts.
Cold Water (With Major Lazer)
Cold Water was released in 2016, and it was a part of Major Lazer Essentials album. Justin Bieber was a guest vocalist, and it is another song you can learn how to play on guitar. Of course, the original version doesn’t include guitars, but it can be a fun little adaptation to try out.
The song uses a capo on the second fret, and it will allow you to avoid playing barre chords. Naturally, it is possible to play it without a capo, but this is a better option for all the beginners out there.
Let Me Love You (With DJ Snake)
Let Me Love You is a DJ Snake song, and it appeared on the Encore album from 2016. Justin Beiber is a guest on the record, and he is credited as one of the songwriters. The original version of the song is in C minor, but you can play it with a capo on the third fret.
The original progression is Cm7, Eb, Eb/G, Ab, Eb/G, and Ab. However, you can always go for a simpler version with a capo that will eliminate the need for many barre chords.
Stuck With U (With Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande is one of the greatest singers of her generation, and this is her second duet with Justin Bieber. The song follows a simple progression, and it’s played with a capo on the first fret. Another thing worth mentioning is that it is possible to avoid playing a few chords.
Naturally, it is always great if you can play it properly, but there is no reason for you to torture yourself if you are not yet on the level. So, you can try both versions and see which one suits you the best.
Peaches (With Daniel Caesar And Giveon)
Peaches was released as a fifth single for Bieber’s album Justice. Both the single and the album came out in 2021, and the song was recorded with Daniel Caesar and Giveon. There are several different ways you can learn how to play this song.
You can go for a simpler version with major and minor chords, or you can experiment with seventh chords. Either way, you might need to learn a few chord shapes before you are able to play it correctly.
Baby (With Ludacris)
Baby is one of the first songs released by Justin Bieber, and it was a collaboration with Ludacris. The single came out in 2010, and it quickly earned him global fame. And while this wasn’t the first single Bieber released, it is probably the most popular one.
Learning how to play it on guitar is quite simple. You will need to place a capo on the third fret, and there are four main chords. One thing beginners will hate is that F major chord, but you can always play a shorter version if that’s more comfortable.
Friends (With BloodPop)
Friends is a song from 2017, and it was written with an American producer BloodPop. The original version is not played with a guitar, but there are so many interesting things you can do if you decide to learn it.
Firstly, you will need to place a capo on the first fret, and there are three main chords. If you are not too fond of playing Bsus chord, you can play B minor instead. The primary focus should be on the unique strumming pattern.
Holy (with Chance the Rapper)
Holy is an interesting song to play on a guitar. It was released in 2020, and it features Chance the Rapper as a guest vocalist. The song was a part of Bieber’s sixth album Justice, which was released in 2021.
So, the first thing to know is that this song needs a capo. You will need to place it on the second fret, and there are a few unusual chords you might encounter. What is interesting about Holy is that it is a pop song with elements of gospel.
Boyfriend
Boyfriend is a single from Bieber’s third album Believe, and it was released in 2012. There is also an acoustic version you can check out, but the live version is without a capo. The studio one has a capo on the first fret and a simple chord progression.
The studio version uses A minor, D minor, G major, and C major, and there are no barre chords. This makes it quite easy for beginners, and the only challenging switch is the one from G to C.
2U (With David Guetta)
2U is a part of David Guetta’s album called 7, and it was released in 2017. Justin Bieber is a guest vocalist on the song, and the song has noticeable EDM elements. As a result, it might not be easy to play on guitar.
There are several things you will need to play this song without any issues. The first one is a capo on the fourth fret, and the second one is smooth chord changes that shift between a couple of open chords (as well as a few barre chords).
Conclusion
Justin Bieber became a teen pop star, and the entire scene changed when he released his first few singles. If you are a fan of his music, there are so many songs you will need to learn on guitar.
One of many things you will notice is that Bieber’s songs rarely include the guitar, but at the same time, they are quite guitar-friendly. It won’t take you long to learn how to adapt his tunes and make them unique with your play style.
As for the difficulty, you can safely say that there is a song for everyone. Regardless of your skill level. But even if you pick the tougher ones, it is still possible to learn how to play them with enough practice.