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Old 04-14-2016, 04:36 AM   #1
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Campfire Guitar Songs

A thread over on another RV'ing forum brought up this topic, didn't take long for it to wander off course without providing much in the way of song names so I thought I'd try it here.

I know some of you out there sit around and play while camping. So far in my budding musical career I can only plink through songs if I have the music in front of me. Looking for some good campfire tunes I can attempt to memorize, can only play Margaritaville so many times before it gets old.
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Old 04-14-2016, 04:40 AM   #2
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Good thread Bob ..... me too.

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Old 04-14-2016, 07:22 AM   #3
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There are many online sources for guitar songs. Here is one source which provides ten songs: the chords and a video or audio of the group singing it!

Ten Easy Acoustic Guitar Campfire Sing-Along Songs | Guitar World
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Old 04-14-2016, 07:37 AM   #4
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My Go To Book -- the only one I take with me -- is Rise Up Singing -- I think it was Pete Seeger's brainchild although others put it together. It's got literally hundreds of songs -- many with simple chords (which I appreciate) -- I got the "large print" version, which isn't really that large -- my kids like using it too.
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Old 04-14-2016, 08:18 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by padlin View Post
can only play Margaritaville so many times before it gets old.
I hear you, I haven't been inclined to play that song for many years now.

Bob, is there any particular genre or time period that you prefer songs from? There is soooooo much good music out there, one just needs to pick some favourites and give them a go.

My process for learning songs now (which I seem to rarely do these days), is to first find a song I like, and would like to learn on guitar. I then check out the chording and tabs from a place line https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/. If too complex, I usually move on, as at my skill level I don't want to make it too difficult, I just wanna have fun.

YouTube is a great resource for learning now, as there are tutorials on most any song out there, that can lead you through the songs. Many simplify the song a lot for your average campfire singer, while others carry the picking to waaaay beyond where I am at.

I copy these songs to a Word doc, and format them in a way to easily read. My brother has taken a lot of these songs, both ones I did up as well as ones he did, and formatted a bunch of them to PDF's, which he loaded on his tablet to use as a songbook.

My biggest problem lately is that I just don't play enough. I have forgotten the times more songs than I have learned lately. If I use the music sheets, then I can make it through them, but there are sooooo many now that I nolonger can play by memory. I either forget the music (which I can slowly figure out), or more commonly I forget the words (and humming doesn't cut it).
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Old 04-14-2016, 08:57 AM   #6
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Hi: padlin... The first song I learned to strum was 500 Miles...and the last one was Bridge over troubled waters. I'm sure my mother wished I'd used the bridge over troubled waters to get five hundred miles from home!!! LoL Alf
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Old 04-14-2016, 01:48 PM   #7
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Good topic!! What about ukelele songs too? I need to get back into either guitar or ukelele. Any recommendations on campfire song books for that? The uke is obviously a little more portable. Where do you store a guitar? I would worry about humidity/heat levels leaving it in the truck for a long period. I have an inexpensive ukelele that I don't worry about, maybe I just need to get an inexpensive guitar too.
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Old 04-14-2016, 02:08 PM   #8
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I have no guitar experience. But if you are asking for requests....... Back in the day, everybody seemed to know how to play House of the Rising Sun?

Kristofferson's Sunday Mormimg Coming Down would be good to keep the campfire conversation more grounded
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Old 04-14-2016, 03:50 PM   #9
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I take along a plywood uke so no storage problems. I'm interested in songs that others might know, guessing most of us are in our 50's and 60's I'd think the songs we would have listened to when we were in our teens and 20's, maybe the 60's and 70's? Ones many would know, you know, like 1977's Margaritaville.

Was hoping to see what others play around camp, or don't folks do this?
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Old 04-14-2016, 05:35 PM   #10
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Some observations:

-Rise Up Singing, sadly is out of print. Maybe Ebay?
-The player needs to be at least a little bit drunk to properly do House of the Rising Sun.
-Song of Wyoming, off an otherwise unmemorable John Denver album, is one of my favorites.

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Old 04-14-2016, 07:51 PM   #11
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Bob, no way I can list all the songs I have in my own songbook, but here are a few favourites. If you want copies of anything, PM me an email address.

Alone - Heart
Bears - Lyle Lovett
Cat's In The Cradle - Harry Chapin
Cover Of The Rolling Stone - Dr Hook
Desperado - Eagles
Don't Bury Me - John Prine
Down By The River - Neil Young
Drops Of Jupiter - Train
Father and Son - Cat Stevens
Five Days In May - Blue Rodeo
House Of The Rising Sun - Animals (the drunken version)
Hello In There - John Prine
Joey - Concrete Blonde
Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down
Let Her Cry - Hootie and the Blowfish
Lightning Crashes - Live
Miles From Nowhere - Cat Stevens
Mr Bojangles - Jerry Jeff Walker
Needle And The Damage Done - Neil Young
Put Your Lights On - Everclear
Runaway - Del Shannon
Sandman - America
Superman Song - Crash Test Dummies
The Boxer - Paul Simon
Times Like These - The Foo Fighters
Walin' After Midnight - Patsy Cline
What's Up - 4 non blondes
Wheat Kings - Tragically Hip
While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Beatles
Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd


Oh man, it was soooo hard to just select a few. There are so many others that everyone knows and likes we throw in to so everyone can sing along, as I can use some drowning out.
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Old 04-14-2016, 09:00 PM   #12
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How 'bout these Song sources:
-The first 10 or 20 verses of Bob Dylan songs
-The collection of American Folk Music by
John and Alan Lomax and Beth Hawes (Lomax)
(I got to take Beth Hawes music class at CalState Northridge
back in the day - woohoo!)
-Any good classic rock or folk rock from the 60's:
-Eagles
-Jackson Browne
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Old 04-14-2016, 09:09 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruthe View Post
My Go To Book -- the only one I take with me -- is Rise Up Singing -- I think it was Pete Seeger's brainchild although others put it together. It's got literally hundreds of songs -- many with simple chords (which I appreciate) -- I got the "large print" version, which isn't really that large -- my kids like using it too.
I just ordered this book to check it out. Sounds like there are lots of folks who enjoy it. Should have it in a day or two, and look forward to checking it out. Oh, and on the suggestion of a few reviewers, I got the spiral bound version.
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Old 04-14-2016, 09:18 PM   #14
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I just ordered this book to check it out. Sounds like there are lots of folks who enjoy it. Should have it in a day or two, and look forward to checking it out. Oh, and on the suggestion of a few reviewers, I got the spiral bound version.
1200 songs! Sounds like it could be the unofficial Official songbook for NOG's (not-organized gatherings).

And I definitely agree, spiral-bound is the way to go. Bring
some clothespins or the big-big black paper clips to
defeat the wind.
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Old 04-14-2016, 09:52 PM   #15
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Bob: Based on my jamming and limited performing experience, I think your inquiry has a fairly complex answer. If you're learning songs for your own pleasure, then pick songs you like and can handle. If you're going to perform, add to that the need to know them well and choose what will hopefully please your audience. If your intent is to jam with a group, then it becomes important to pick tunes that are relatively easy for others to participate in - instrumentally and vocally (e.g. if I'm in a bluegrass jam, I best stick with bluegrass or something close). 'Around a campfire' probably suggests traditional stuff that others are likely to know. Before I get "logged off" - happy picking, Glenn. (Oh, there are many sources out there in different genres.)
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Old 04-14-2016, 10:02 PM   #16
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Recently I discovered an app called "guitar tuna" and I LOVE it. I actually look forward to tuning my guitar. VERY handy.
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Old 04-14-2016, 10:07 PM   #17
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I'll heckle.
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Old 04-14-2016, 10:17 PM   #18
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I'll heckle.
In tune, I hope.
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Old 04-14-2016, 10:21 PM   #19
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Does anyone know Stairway to Escape or Sweet Home Escape?
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Old 04-14-2016, 10:25 PM   #20
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If your intent is to jam with a group, then it becomes important to pick tunes that are relatively easy for others to participate in - instrumentally and vocally. 'Around a campfire' probably suggests traditional stuff that others are likely to know.

This one... That's why I was wondering what others play. Guess it's not as straight forward a question as I thought.
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