Summer Holidayby Cliff Richard

Summer Holiday is a song recorded by Cliff Richard and the Shadows. It’s taken from the movie of the same name, and was released as the second single in 1963. 

This song is surely fun to play, seems easy and straightforward, but has several challenges, no matter what key you play it in. 

This lesson shows how to play it in the key of the original recording, the key of E. This includes a couple of barre chords, which are also moving fast since most chords are only two beats. 

To make it even harder, it changes keys at the end of the 2nd middle eight, going up a half step. This means more barre chords, even though you could play some of those as open chords in first position as well. 

Of course you could play this in the key of D (capo II), facing the same challenges. Instead I chose to teach it in the key of C (capo IV). The advantage is you could 'easily' incorporate the little lead guitar part in the intro and other parts of the arrangement. 

Another advantage is that the chords would be relatively easy. Then again, moving up a half step results in barre chords only, high up the neck. 

Thankfully the strumming with swing feel should be doable for anyone. We break that down too.