Mexicoby James Taylor

Mexico was the lead track on James Taylor's 1975 album Gorilla. It has a happy-go-lucky feel extolling the praises of the country as if he were reliving great memories of times spent there. By the end we realize he is just wishing he could visit sometime in the future. Like many of his tunes, it features a distinctive and catchy intro, which is heavily syncopated and will be a challenge for most guitar students to master. His accompaniment techniques also use some of his signature fingerpicking patterns and percussive playing.

The song is played with a capo at the second fret and has sections in three different keys. The lesson is very detailed and shows many of the types of variations Taylor plays, particularly in live performances, but the student is encouraged to start with specific examples, experiment with their own variations, and play it freely and slightly different every time.