Saturday Night Sets - Volume 2

Lessons

• Lesson 1: Carefree Highway

  Carefree Highway is one of dozens (maybe even hundreds!) of great songs by Gordon Lightfoot. This Campfire Lesson goes through the chords in the key of E, which include a few from the barre families, and some thoughts on strumming patterns.

• Lesson 2: Willin'

  Lowell George was one of the best under-the-radar songwriters of the 1970s.  His tune Willin', first recorded by his band Little Feat, went on to become his best known song, mostly due to the many artists who covered it over the years.
  This lesson looks at three very different versions, starting with Linda Ronstadt's from her album Heart Like A Wheel, which was done in the key of E. Her version is done in Dropped D Tuning with a capo at the second fret.
  We also look at the way Lowell played it in G, using partial chords similar to Paul McCartney's' Blackbird, and Seatrain's version in the Key of A. Their version features unusual use of pedal point–chords changing over the same bass note.

• Lesson 3: Wild World - Guitar Lesson

  Cat Stevens made a couple of albums that were not particularly notable, until he found a style and a bit of direction with Mona Bone Jakon in 1970. The follow up, Tea For The Tillerman included Wild World, as well as Father And Son, and really established Cat as a star on the acoustic music scene. This lesson includes a couple of the fills that made this simple song very captivating.

• Lesson 4: Doctor My Eyes

  Doctor My Eyes is a song written and performed by Jackson Browne and appears on his self titled debut album (1972).

  The song features an uptempo piano driven arrangement and is easy to transcribe to the guitar. 

  The lesson is mainly based on live performances, and even includes a segment for his early demo version on guitar. This version has an additional verse and a bridge, instead of guitar solos. 

  We take a look at the chord shapes in the key of E, the strumming with swing feel, and the progression. 

  The outro in live performance settings involves quarter note triplets, which could be tricky to some. A solid sense of rhythm and timing is absolutely necessary to pull it off, while not skipping or adding a beat. 

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaqNc2sFO_4

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQPD17v6eLU

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsjjHUK0lzM

   

• Lesson 5: Danny’s Song Guitar Lesson - Loggins & Messina

  Our first entry in the great songs of Loggins & Messina, Danny's Song is one you can fingerpick anyway you like, or use a standard Travis pick all the way through. It is in the key of D and includes a common descending bass line similar to Mr. Bojangles. This lesson is done with the Campfire approach as all you need to do is play the chords and sing the song.

• Lesson 6: Chicken Fried - Guitar Lesson

  *Chicken Fried *is a 2008 release from the country-flavored Zac Brown Band. The song uses a very simple chord progression but Zac dresses it up with some percussive fingerpicking and a very cool intro, played on a nylon string guitar that really raises the bar as far as level of difficulty. The lesson includes a basic Campfire Version that is great for beginners, as well as all the complicated picking that is used as well.

• Lesson 7: Losing My Religion Guitar Lesson

  This lesson on Losing My Religion presents the basic rhythm and strumming, as well as some ways to incorporate a bit of the mandolin parts into the intro and bridge.

• Lesson 8: Ventura Highway - Guitar Lesson

  Ventura Highway is one of Dewey Bunnell’s and America’s most popular and recognizable songs. It features the colorful and cryptic line about ‘alligator lizards in the air’, really an innocent reference to cloud formations. This lesson goes over the chord progression, strumming patterns, and even into the lead guitar parts.

• Lesson 9: Midnight Rider

  Midnight Rider is an acoustic classic by Gregg Allman and Robert Payne, first released on The Allman Brothers second album Idlewild South in 1970. It has become one of their most popular, and most covered tunes. This lesson looks at the intro, main riff accompaniment, chord progression, an acoustic adaptation of the solo, a way of working it out in an altered tuning (Double Dropped D), and a bit of the variations Gregg Allman added on his solo release Laid Back.

• Lesson 10: Landslide

  This fingerpicking song by Stevie Nicks has been a favorite of Neil’s students since it was released in the 1970s. It uses a very regular Travis-style pattern and only open chords. In the Play Through segment Neil plays an instrumental version that incorporates the melody into the picking, a chord solo. Tab to this arrangement is included as well.

• Lesson 11: Who'll Stop The Rain - Guitar Lesson

  Most John Fogerty songs can be summed up as very tight arrangements of a common chord progression with some simple licks and fills. The opening to Who’ll Stop The Rain is a little 3-note sequence repeated over 2 chords. The chords progression just uses open chords in the key of G. The leads and fills are simple runs right out of the scale. This song is a great place for beginners to learn to change chords and keep a basic strumming pattern going, as well as explore some easy lead licks.

• Lesson 12: Summer Breeze - Seals & Crofts - Guitar Lesson

  Jim Seals and Dash Crofts had a string of hits and great songs during the 70s. They had been together for quite a while when they hit it big with Summer Breeze, their fourth album, released in 1972. The song featured an unusual chord progression, a distinctive opening instrumental theme, and great harmonies with a little Texas twist. This lesson shows a couple of different ways of incorporating some of Dash’s mandolin parts into the guitar accompaniment.

• Lesson 13: For What It's Worth Campfire Guitar Lesson

  Today we bring out a classic by the Buffalo Springfield, For What It's Worth; a song we are happy to put in the Campfire Lessons section for all to enjoy. This is another great example of how a few simple chords, with minimal decorations, can be the foundation of a song for the ages. We also take a look at combining Neil Young's harmonics with the strumming.

• Lesson 14: Peaceful Easy Feeling

  This short lesson shows everything you need to know to play this classic from The Eagles debut album.

• Lesson 15: Harvest Moon Guitar Lesson - Neil Young

  Harvest Moon is a great example of Neil Young’s gentle swing style. Done in Dropped D Tuning, it features some very nice fills between many of the changes.

• Lesson 16: Rocky Mountain High

  Rocky Mountain High might be considered John Denver's signature song, although there would have to be a couple of others in the running, and was released in 1972 on his album of the same name. It is done in Dropped D tuning with a capo at the 2nd fret and features a nice little melodic lick picked out at the beginning. This is a great example of the quintessential 'Campfire Song.'

• Lesson 17: Tangled Up In Blue Guitar Lesson - Bob Dylan

  Tangled Up In Blue is one of Bob Dylan's most popular songs from his early 1970s period, released on Blood On The Tracks in 1974. This Campfire lesson goes over the way it was done on that album in the key of A as well as a little info on other versions Dylan released on the Bootleg Series in other keys.

• Lesson 18: The Joker - Steve Miller Band - Guitar Lesson

  In 1973 The Steve Miller Band released The Joker, an album and title song that started his journey into a more pop/rock direction that the more blues/psychedelic style that had been coming out of San Francisco for a few years.
  
  The Joker is a great example of how a simple chord progression, combined with some musical and lyrical hooks, can become a staple of the musical scene. It certainly helps that it is very easy to play as well.
  
  This lesson covers the chord progression and riff, as well as a look at the palm muting technique to help the guitar sound a little more like a bass.

• Lesson 19: You've Got To Hide Your Love Away - Guitar Lesson

  From The Beatles album Help. This lesson shows exactly what their guitars played.