Easy Guitar Duets
I wish my list of best acoustic guitar songs for male-female duets was 100% acoustic, but I’m sharing all the songs I could think of because the reality is that you can adapt any of these songs for guitar.
1-20 of 44 Easy Level Free Guitar-Clarinet Duet Sheet Music ( search within these results ) Sort by: Popularity Title A-Z Title Z-A Newest First Oldest First Easiest First Hardest First. 1-20 of 81 Free Guitar Duet Sheet Music ( search within these results ) Sort by: Popularity Title A-Z Title Z-A Newest First Oldest First Easiest First Hardest First. Nine Very Easy Guitar Duets David Raleigh Arnold Introduction The top parts of these duets are intended for teaching beginners. The bottom parts are not aimed at any particular level. I hope that they are fun to play, and fun to play with.1 1 Long Lulu by David Raleigh Arnold. Select the best resolution → Pause at time 1:58 → Screenshot TABPDF: PDFs: https://rainy.
What is a good duet song?
What makes for a good duet song? I don’t know if I can put my finger on something specific, but I do know what I don’t like!
Every online list of male-female duets are mostly Boomer songs that aren’t appealing at all to me. They are just so bubblegum and corny. Check out this list from Billboard of the 40 Biggest Duets of All Time. I mean, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton?
As a Gen Xer only four of them would make my list:
- #28 Don’t Go Draggin’ My Heart Around – Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks
- #24 You’re the One That I Want – Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta (I mean, GREASE)
- #12 Separate Lives – Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin
- #10 Don’t Go Breakin’ My Heart – Elton John and Kiki Dee (probably more popular now than when it came out thanks to Ella Enchanted and the 2019 Elton John movie)
That’s IT.
Except maybe one other song that I’ve found on other duet songs lists that would definitely make mine – Fairytale of New York with Shane McGowan (The Pogues) and Christy McCall. But now I identify it so much with the Christmas season that I didn’t want to put it on my main bests list.
Blank Space/Style (Taylor Swift Mash-Up)
Louisa Wendorff and Devin Dawson created this mash-up which is actually the song that inspired this list. I guess there are a lot of Taylor Swift haters, but I like a good acoustic cover any day. Don't judge until you listen.
Swerve
Stu Larsen & Lydia Cole were introduced to me by a friend of mine in Australia who adored this video and shared it on social media. I've been a fan ever since. I'm equally enamored with their 'The Black Tree' which pairs the duet together.
Hazy
Rosi Golan with William Fitzsimmons perform this song from Rosi Golan's 'The Drifter and the Gypsy' (2008) album. I love the recorded version of Hazy better than this live version, but you get the idea.
Between The Raindrops
Lifehouse featuring Natasha Bedingfield. I first saw Lifehouse in the early 2000s when they opened for Better Than Ezra at House of Blue on Sunset. They are local to SoCal and we really liked them from the beginning. Not known for their duets, Between the Raindrops was a popular hit for them.
Cold Is The Night
The Oh Hellos are a pick from my Gen Z musician son who turned me on to this band and, in particular, this duet.
More Than Friends
Jason Mraz probably comes to mind when I say the word 'duets.' But I bet you are surprised to see the pairing with Meghan Trainor! There are two versions of this video. The 'dance' version and the 'Jason Mraz' version. A sweet and relatable song.
Crazy For You
I'm a huge fan of Scars on 45! We saw them live in Anaheim and now I listen to them weekly, if not daily. Scars on 45 has loads of duets! I'd also recommend 'The Beautiful Days Attack.' So search their YouTube channel for more options if this isn't your favorite.
Need You Now
Lady Antebellum put out this duet in 2011 and although it may not be appropriate for high school talent show performances, it is sure fun to sing!
Lucky
Jason Mraz with Colbie Caillat is a pretty well-known duet pairing. I already shared the Meghan Trainor song above.
Falling Slowly
This duet with Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova is so catchy and maybe overplayed back when the movie came out? But there are ways to rework it to fit your style.
Somebody That I Used to Know
The original version of this song is by Gotye, but this is the Walk off the Earth version. You might be sick of this song, but here's a pretty awesome way to do an acoustic version with one or more of your friends. Now go look up Walk Off the Earth and see all the other covers they've mastered!
Sky
Joshua Radin & Ingrid Michaelson pull off one of my favorite duets in this simple song. I love the words so much. I've listened to it over and over and over during the past 10+ years.
Haunted
If you are Gen X, you know Sinèad O'Connor's 'Nothing Compares 2U' which is actually a Prince song. In this duet, she pairs up with Shane McGowan, the lead singer from The Pogues. His voice is so distinct! And somehow this song just works.
Nothing Better
My Gen Z son introduced me to The Postal Service and this duet. It's hard to figure out the timeline for The Postal Service in relation to Death Cab for Cutie, but you'll recognize Ben Gibbard in this live video.
Gold
Matt Hartke featuring Maggie Peake is a duet that's so much of a wedding duet that it features a wedding right in the video!
Nobody Knows Me At All
The Weepies started as a songwriter team and became a husband and wife team. This song is VERY short - only about 2 minutes long. But it's still catchy and good if you need to meet a short time limit on your talent show act.
You Don't Know Me
Ben Folds song featuring Regina Spektor can be adapted to an acoustic guitar version.
Easy Guitar Duets
What are the best duets to sing for beginners? Check out these suggestions from Brooklyn, NY voice teacher Liz T...
From Sonny and Cher to the Carpenters, duets can be very fun — and challenging! Selecting the right duets to sing with a partner can make the song sound more colorful, and add an even stronger vocal sound. If you are interested in learning some duets, here are some male and female songs I recommend, and also tips for becoming a successful duo!
1. “I Got You Babe” by Sonny & Cher (1965)
This is an easy pop song that most people are familiar with. It’s fun and flirty, and showcases both male and female voice (and makes the audience feel good too!).
2. “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” from “Dirty Dancing” (1987)
This very romantic upbeat ’80s rock song makes you want to dance right from the beginning! It’s best for a male bass and a soprano or alto; each singer has his or her own verses and then you sing the chorus together.
3. “A Whole New World” from “Aladdin” (1992)
This beautiful Disney love ballad by Alan Menken can be sung in either gender, although it’s best if a tenor and a soprano sing this song. It has beautiful lyrics, and is great to perform at a coffeehouse, karaoke night, or school recital.
4. “Take Me or Leave Me” from “Rent” (1996)
This fiery love song between two women from Jonathan Larson’s musical “Rent” is a strong belt song. It shows lots of attitude and emotion, and is very fun to sing! It’s definitely a good one to work on those Broadway chops!
Easy Guitar Duets For Beginners
And as you’re practicing these duets to sing, keep the following tips in mind:
– Pick a song you both like. There are many duets out there, ranging from contemporary R&B love songs to country ballads, and showtunes to classical pieces. Pick a song that will showcase both your voices, whether singing male and female, female and female, or male and male. Also, if you feel it is appropriate, don’t be afraid to try a song that was meant for the opposite gender — sometimes these are the best duets!
-Practice your parts alone, then together. First work hard at learning your vocal part on your own, and then practice and perform with your partner. If both of you are trying to learn your parts at the same time, if you are singing in unison or in harmonies, it’s going to be more difficult. It is best if you are both feeling solid and comfortable on your own parts before putting them together. Also, explore different duet combinations — some voices blend more than others, and if the duet is not working for some reason, it could be because your voices are clashing. You and your partner should be working as a team.
– Add parts together and harmonies. Now that you have practiced both of your parts individually, it’s time to put them together! Do it slowly at first. Take each part section by section, and slow it down if you need to. While you should be listening to your duet partner, try not to let their part distract you. Duets can be sung in different ways, by two people singing different verses, and the same chorus, or completely different lyrics at the same time. Choose a duet that is right for you, and that you are passionate about. Once you have mastered your duet, I encourage you to add some interesting harmonies — your audience will love this!
I wish you all the best in working with your duet partner, and if you feel like you need more help, schedule a voice lesson with me through at TakeLessons!
The song ideas don’t stop here — check out our list 400+ songs to sing!
Liz T. teaches singing, acting, and music lessons in Brooklyn, NY, as well as online. She is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music with a B.M in Vocal Performance and currently performs and teaches all styles of music, including musical theater, classical, jazz, rock, pop, R&B, and country. Learn more about Liz here!
Easy Guitar Duets Sheet Music
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