Written In 1979 by the one and only Van Morrison, this feel-good song is still as popular as ever. The song has 7 chords, all in the open/first position. We look at the strum pattern over 2 bars – there’s a slight change of emphasis in the second bar which adds to the swinging feel […]
This popular old folksong dates back to the 18th century. it has been recorded by several folk groups/singers – Makem and Clancy, Paul Brady, Christy Moore to name a few. The song is in 3/4 time and has just 4 chords in the key D.
This popular pub song dates back to 19th century Dublin and tells the story of two auld ones trying to get money to go on an excursion. There are a few manic versions of the song from the likes of The Pogues and The Mary Wallopers – worth checking out! It’s an easy song to […]
Another Amble favourite! This song has 4 chords and easy to play chord progressions in a 4/4 strum pattern.
Kingfishr wrote this song after they agreed one day to give up their jobs and give the music a go. This shot in the dark proved to be a good call! The song is in the Key F, but by using the capo on fret 5 we use the chord shapes from the C major […]
Written by Jose Feliciano in 1970, this is one of the great Christmas songs. It’s a happy, catchy, heart-felt song – easy to play and easy to learn. You will even learn a bit of Spanish! I’ve added a second lesson on this song where you can learn a few licks to spice up your […]
Written by Art McMillen, this republican folk-song is a favourite at Wolfe Tones concerts. I’m playing it in the key of D major, with 4 chords and a simple strum pattern.
Five easy chords in the open position are all you need to play this popular song which was written by Cheryl Wheeler, but is more associated in Ireland with Maura O’Connell, the great singer from County Clare. I’ve included a solo which is aimed at intermediate level – the tabs for this solo can be […]
This popular old Scottish folksong was recorded by Mary Black and Sinéad O’Connor among others. We’re using a 4/4 picking pattern to accompany the song, which has some very nice chord sequences!
A huge hit at Amble concerts with its great sing-along chorus! Just 3 simple chords and a simple finger-picking pattern for this song. Tabs for the melody are included in the Resources section.
This emotioinal song is a tribute to Bobby Sands who died whilst on hunger strike in the Maze prison in 1981. We’re using a popular 4/4 strum pattern to accompany the song, and look at a couple of simple embellishments to enhance your playing.
Another big hit fot Kingfishr! An audio file for the full song is included in the Resources section to aid your practice.