Welcome to my "Father and Son" Guitar Lesson + Tutorial, by Cat Stevens. Using 5 easy chords, plus the Bm barre chord, this is a bit more than a simple strummer.

We will learn how to play this folk classic in a step-by-step way: chord switching, the counting, the pattern, the intro (a simple chord-melody). The song may be challenging, but we'll keep it simple, so no matter what your level, you'll be able to learn this folk classic!

"Father and Son" CHORDS: G, C, D, Bm, Em, Am

"Father and Son" STRUMMING PATTERN: D---D-Du

► "Father and Son" Guitar TAB pdf is now published on Musicnotes (direct product links and FULL SONG PLAY-THROUGH are available on my Patreon page):
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► Grab your copy of my FREE E-BOOK!
https://goodguitarist.com/learn-rhyth...

► Need help with the basic chords and strumming? My beginner guitar course will help you build a solid foundation one step at a time:
https://goodguitarist.com/beginner-gu...

► Ready to take strumming to the next level? Strumming Made Simple (from Beginner To Advanced) will teach you how to play + sing at the same time, make your own patterns and more:
https://goodguitarist.com/strumming-m...

► "Barre Chords Made Easy" shows you a gradual path from the power chord (a simple barre chord anyone can play) to the real deal:
https://goodguitarist.com/barre-chords/

"Father and Son" TABLE OF CONTENTS

0:00 - INTRO
3:13 - VERSE 1 CHORDS
4:01 - SWITCHING PRACTICE
4:47 - STRUMMING PATTERN
6:08 - CHORDS+STRUM PLAY-ALONG
6:45 - VERSE 2
8:46 - VERSE 3
14:00 - INTRO RIFF (CHORD MELODY)
20:25 - FINAL PLAY-ALONG
23:21 - PRACTICE TIPS/ADVICE

We start off with the chord shapes needed to play the verse: G, D, C, Am, Em. It's the most common chord progression in the world plus Am, so all very useful shapes. We work out the switches and then play them in order, using downstrokes only. This gives us the chord progression for the 1st verse.

Next we learn the strumming pattern, which is VERY SIMPLE. We work on the strokes, making sure to count it out so we can play it nice and steady. Then we add it to our chord progression and play the 1st verse together, nice and slow.

The 2nd and 3rd verses are very similar, but have some differences in both the shapes and strumming pattern. We learn the Bm chord, and adjust our pattern to suit a few spots where the timing is different. Once we work it all out slowly, we put the chords + strumming together and play through each of these sections.

The intro riff is a sort of chord-melody. It's based on a simple G shape, and we switch to C/G during our pattern. I've highlighted it in a different color to appeal to visual learners and help it seem simpler. Once we have the chords + strumming part handled, we can add a simple 4-note riff. This is pretty easy to play on its own, but the real trick is to play it along with the part before it. We put it all together slowly and that's every part of the song.

Finally, we practice putting all the parts together and basically playing through the first 2/3rds of the song. This is the 3rd (or 4th?) Cat Stevens song I've taught and they are deceptively challenging, so I really want you to take your time with this one.

Hope you enjoy this lesson. See you soon!
-James

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