Best Songs To Play Around The Campfire
One thing that is really cool about the guitar is what we’ll call the ‘social element’ of it all. Think about it - how impressive is it when someone at a gathering whips out their acoustic and starts playing away? Even better yet - what if the songs that are getting played are some awesome ‘sing alongs’ that everyone knows and loves?
It gets everyone engaged for sure, and what could be more fun at an event like...say...a campfire? It’s the perfect occasion for people to hang out, have a little fun, and let their hair down a bit after a long, hard week at the office.
There are some time tested songs that are, for most campfire crowds, just the ‘right ones’ that will get everyone ‘into it’. That being said, you may be thinking “wait - jamming these songs would be cool, but I really don’t know how to play them right; I don’t wanna make a fool of myself”...
We’ve got you covered! Here are three songs (there’s obviously WAY more than that, but this is just a start…) that are definitely crowd pleasers at just about any campfire, and a quick visit to PaidTabs.com will get you all of the accurate guitar tabs for them you need to knock them out!
Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
One of the first solo hits from the amazing Van Morrison (he was with a band called Them before he branched out on his own), you’d be hard pressed to find someone that doesn’t have that catchy sing along chorus (repeat after us: ‘sha-la-la-LA-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la - just like that’’) burned into their minds. Everyone knows it, and when things are kicking up at a campfire it’s a surefire way to get everyone joining in the fun.
As far as playing Brown Eyed Girl in ‘campfire mode’ (that is, strumming along on an acoustic), it’s a simple song that’s all played with four open chords, making it a perfect choice to get the campfire gang in the swing of things. Want to really knock them out? Grab the tab and learn how to play that iconic intro as well!
Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffett
Another classic song that people tend to belt out when they are having a good time is ‘Margaritaville’ by that master of the beach lifestyle - Jimmy Buffett. Whether you’re a Parrothead (a nickname given to Jimmy’s legion of hardcore fans) or not, this ode to having a popular drink while hanging out on the beach is pretty much guaranteed to draw the inner party animal out of just about anyone.
Public Service Announcement: no...we aren’t necessarily advocating that having a few drinks is a ‘must have’ at your campfire, but it would be short sighted of us to assume otherwise for some groups of people, right? Just enjoy in moderation...and know that people love ‘Margaritaville’ whether they have one in their hand or not!
Three simple chords - yep, that’s it - is all you need to take your campfire friends to the land of sun and sand. The trick is knowing when (and how) to play those chords, and the tab we have for you at PaidTabs.com will show you the way…
Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
‘Sweet Home Alabama’ is - without a single doubt in our minds - one those songs that the minute a crowd hears those first few notes of the intro that they will just...go..nuts. There’s no denying the massive appeal that this song from one of the best Southern rock bands ever has on people. Even if the campfire audience (let’s call it for what it is...if you’re entertaining a crowd, they are your audience) doesn't know all of the words in the verse, you’d better prepare yourself for the chorus...everybody will be singing out in the most glorious off-key-we’re-having-a-great-time-at-this-campfire manner possible!
Aside from the individual notes that are picked in the intro (simply done with, again, only three open chords), you can sail through the whole song without even breaking a sweat. All it takes is some practice time with our amazingly accurate guitar tab and you’ll have all you need to get that crowd eating out of your hands!
Conclusion
Campfires are a great way for you and a ton of your best friends to chill out and unwind. Showing off your skills on the acoustic guitar and getting some crowd participation going is a sure way to take things up a ton of notches!