In this video
Just back from 2000 Trees festival and slightly dazed, so this one's back to basics — the first instalment of what I want to make a regular monthly segment: Campfire Club. All acoustic, all singalong-friendly, ideal for open mic nights and garden jams.
After some chat about the upcoming Brighton Guitar Show clinic and the Airbourne interview happening the next day, we get into the songs:
Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) – Green Day — how to use a capo to find your vocal range, how to pitch notes with your voice using open strings as reference points, and a really useful tip about jumping an octave down when the melody goes too high
Country Roads – John Denver — capo options, the B minor bridge that catches everyone out, chord embellishments using open string lift-offs, and natural harmonics as a finishing touch. Plus a genuine singing tips detour: vowel sounds, opening your mouth more, and the blowing raspberries warm-up technique from a singing lesson
Mrs Robinson – Simon & Garfunkel — the embellishment-based riff broken down, and how to strum through the gaps so you can sing and play at the same time
The Boxer – Simon & Garfunkel — tuned down half a step, Travis picking breakdown, and how to split the thumb and finger parts before putting them together