This popular song was written by the Scottish singer/songwriter Gerry Raferty. It was recorded by several artists over the years, including The Fureys and Davey Arthur, Shane McGowan and Jim McCann. We’re using a finger-picking pattern to accompany this song, which we’re playing in the key C.
Amble’s first Irish number one single. ‘Twas only a matter of time really! Only 4 straight-forward chords for this great song. We look at the strum pattern in some detail, as this is a key element of the song.
This song was written by The Sawdoctors over 20 years ago, but since Mayo’s fantastic achievement in finally winning Sam again this year, the song’s popularity has exploded. Just 2 chords for this song, which is in 4/4 time.
This humerous take on St. Brendan’s legendary voyage across the Atlantic Ocean was written by Christy Moore. We just use the 3 major chords from the C major scale – C, F and G.
Another Amble favourite! This song was chosen as the RTE Choice Song of the Year 2025. There are just 3 chords, with the same chord sequence played throughout. We also look at some melody lines which are repeated throughout the song also.
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.