For a long time, I've been trying to look for a difficulty system for songs that isn't just guesswork. Most people will take into account the difficulty of the chords and... that's about it. So I came up with a Difficulty Calculator to give an accurate estimate of how hard or easy a song actually is!
​
My method takes into account several elements of a song and gives each a numerical value. Here's a complete breakdown of each element and its points system.​​​​
Written in BPM (Beats Per Minute), this takes into account the speed of the song. Faster songs can be harder to play accurately.
-
1: ≤ 60 BPM – very slow, easy to keep up
-
2: 61–90 BPM – slow/moderate pace
-
3: 91–120 BPM – moderate tempo
-
4: 121–150 BPM – fast
-
5: >150 BPM – very fast
This takes into account how tricky the chords themselves are.
-
1: Simple open chords, few fingers, common shapes
-
2: Some slightly tricky shapes or finger stretches
-
3: Mix of open and barre chords, moderate difficulty
-
4: Mostly barre chords or unusual shapes
-
5: Complex chord shapes, finger stretches, or uncommon forms
How often the chords change in the song.
-
1: Chords change very rarely
-
2: Chords change occasionally
-
3: Chords change moderately often
-
4: Chords change frequently
-
5: Rapid chord changes, constant movement
How much your fretting hand needs to move around on the neck.
-
1: Minimal movement, mostly in one position
-
2: Small shifts along the neck
-
3: Moderate movement up and down the neck
-
4: Frequent hand shifts and stretches
-
5: Constant movement across multiple positions, tricky transitions
How challenging the strumming or rhythms are.
-
1: Very simple, steady beat
-
2: Slightly varied rhythms
-
3: Moderate syncopation or timing changes
-
4: Complex strumming, mixed rhythms
-
5: Highly syncopated or irregular patterns, tricky timing
This section does not hold as much weighting in the final score, however it takes into account how much mental effort is required to perform the song, including remembering lyrics, chord progressions, or navigating tricky song sections. Obviously this is very subjective, but taking into account the cognitive load of a song is as important as the mechanical side.
-
1: Very easy; lyrics and chords straightforward, minimal attention needed
-
2: Mostly simple; only occasional attention needed for lyrics or sections
-
3: Moderate effort; some tricky lyrics, transitions, or sections
-
4: Requires careful focus; several tricky lyrics or complex sections
-
5: High mental effort; lyrics and chords challenging, frequent attention required
Taking all of these scores into account, my spreadsheet then calculates the total song difficulty from 1-5 to help guide you.
-
1: Beginner
-
2: Intermediate
-
3: Advanced
-
4: Difficult
-
5: Pro
My calculator allows players of all levels to get a clear, objective idea of what to expect before they start learning a song. By breaking a song down into its individual challenges—tempo, chords, hand movement, rhythm, and memory/lyrics—you can see exactly what might be tricky and what will be easier.
​
The songs I upload on my website will use this Difficulty Calculator as of 1st November 2025. The Difficulty Calculator itself will also be available for free use soon so that you can figure the difficulty of any song you like!
You are welcome to use the difficulty calculator on this website to explore and rate songs. However, the underlying system, scoring methodology, and numerical ratings are the intellectual property of Lloyd Crowley and may not be copied, reproduced, or used on other websites or materials without permission.