Best George Harrison Guitar Songs to Learn and Play

George Harrison’s songwriting blended spiritual introspection with unforgettable melodies, making him one of the most beloved solo artists to emerge from The Beatles. 

On this page, you’ll find 10 handpicked George Harrison guitar lessons that highlight his most iconic work. From the introspective beauty of All Those Years Ago to the spiritual power of My Sweet Lord, each lesson is designed to help you play these timeless tracks on acoustic guitar. Every tutorial includes the chords used, rhythm tips, and a demo video—plus a full lesson available for purchase.

All Those Years Ago was released by George Harrison in 1981 from his album Somewhere in England. Harrison had originally written the song for Ringo Starr, who recorded an early version but ultimately decided not to use it.

Following John Lennon's death in December 1980, Harrison rewrote the lyrics as a tribute to his former Beatles bandmate. Ringo played drums on Harrison's recording, while Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney and Denny Laine contributed backing vocals.

Released as a single in 1981, the song reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #13 in the UK. Its combination of personal remembrance and contributions from Paul and Ringo made it one of Harrison's most notable post-Beatles recordings.

Behind  That Locked Door appeared on George Harrison's 1970 album All Things Must Pass. Harrison wrote the country-flavored song for his friend Bob Dylan, who was preparing to return to the concert stage at the 1969 Isle of Wight Festival after several years away from major live performances.

The lyrics offered encouragement to Dylan, urging him to put aside his doubts and share his music again. The country influence also reflected Dylan's Nashville Skyline period, which Harrison admired. The recording features Nashville musician Pete Drake on pedal steel guitar, giving the track much of its distinctive country sound.

The song was never released as a single but remains one of the quieter, more personal tracks from All Things Must Pass.

That's right around our 120-word zone and gives the song considerably more reason to exist on the page.

Blow Away was released in 1979 as the lead single from George Harrison's self-titled album George Harrison. The upbeat song marked a return to the charts for Harrison after several quieter years and became one of his better-known late-1970s recordings.

The single reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100, #51 in the UK and was particularly successful in Canada, where it climbed to #7. It also reached #2 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart.

With its optimistic message and bright acoustic-driven sound, Blow Away remained a fan favorite long after its release. In an AOL Radio listener poll, it was ranked second among Harrison's songs, behind only My Sweet Lord.

Crackerbox Palace appeared on George Harrison's 1976 album Thirty Three & 1/3, his first album released on his own Dark Horse label. The song was also issued as a single and reached #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. The album included musicians such as Billy Preston, Gary Wright and David Foster.

The unusual title came from Harrison's visit to Crackerbox Palace, the Los Angeles home of comedian Lord Buckley, whom Harrison admired. After meeting Buckley's former manager, George Greif, Harrison was invited to visit the property and later wrote the song.

Harrison subsequently used “Crackerbox Palace” as an affectionate nickname for his own Friar Park estate, where the song's memorable promotional video was filmed.

Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) was released in 1973 as the lead single from George Harrison's album Living in the Material World. The song reflected Harrison's increasingly spiritual outlook and his desire for peace and freedom from worldly concerns.

The single became a major international hit, reaching #1 in the United States and #8 in the UK. Remarkably, the album and single occupied the top positions on the U.S. album and singles charts at the same time.

The song remained an important part of Harrison's live repertoire, including his 1991 tour of Japan with Eric Clapton. It has also been covered by artists including Elton John, Elliott Smith and Ron Sexsmith.

If Not For You was written by Bob Dylan and recorded by George Harrison for his landmark 1970 album All Things Must Pass. Harrison had joined Dylan in the studio in New York on May 1, 1970, where they recorded several songs together, including an early version of If Not For You. Dylan later re-recorded the song for his New Morning album.

Harrison recorded his own version during the All Things Must Pass sessions. His recording featured Peter Frampton on acoustic guitar, Billy Preston on organ and Ringo Starr on tambourine, with Harrison playing acoustic guitar, dobro and harmonica.

Harrison never released the song as a single, although Olivia Newton-John later had considerable success with her own version.

My Sweet Lord was released in 1970 on George Harrison's landmark triple album All Things Must Pass. Released as the album's lead single, it became an enormous international hit, reaching #1 in both the United States and the UK and making Harrison the first former Beatle to achieve a solo #1 in both countries.

The song blended Harrison's rock songwriting with his growing interest in Eastern spirituality and also introduced many listeners to his distinctive slide-guitar sound.

The All Things Must Pass sessions brought together an impressive group of musicians, including Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston and members of Badfinger.

My Sweet Lord remains Harrison's signature solo recording and even returned to #1 in the UK in 2002, shortly after his death.

Set On You was released in 1987 from George Harrison's comeback album Cloud Nine. The song was written by Rudy Clark and originally recorded by James Ray in 1962. Harrison first discovered Ray's recording during a visit to the United States in 1963 and returned to the song more than two decades later.

Harrison's version was produced with Jeff Lynne of ELO, who also played bass and keyboards on the recording. It became a major international hit, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 in the UK.

The song gave Harrison his third U.S. solo #1 and remains the last #1 Billboard Hot 100 single by any former Beatle.

What Is Life appeared on George Harrison's landmark 1970 album All Things Must Pass and was released as a single in many countries in early 1971. Built around Harrison's distinctive opening guitar riff, the recording combined rock and soul influences with the large-scale production associated with the album.

The song featured an impressive group of musicians, including Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, Bobby Keys and members of Badfinger, with Harrison and Phil Spector producing the recording.

What Is Life reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100, #3 in Canada and topped the charts in Australia and Switzerland. In the UK it appeared as the B-side of My Sweet Lord rather than receiving a separate single release.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps was written by George Harrison and released on The Beatles' self-titled 1968 double album, commonly known as the White Album. Harrison developed the song after randomly opening a book and seeing the words “gently weeps,” an idea inspired by his interest in the I Ching.

During the recording sessions, Harrison invited his friend Eric Clapton to play lead guitar. Clapton initially hesitated because outsiders rarely played on Beatles recordings, but Harrison persuaded him to participate. Clapton's distinctive lead guitar became one of the recording's defining features, although he was not formally credited on the original album.