FOLK SONGS

This book is unfortunately above my finger picking playing level, but that’s not the book’s fault. It’s mine. I need to practice.

The songs are pretty awesome. The only thing that could really improve this book is a few dictations of what certain songs sound like. I will admit, some of these songs I have never even heard of…good thing I have access to Youtube! Once you figure out the sound and maybe watch a few how-to videos, this book is pretty handy!

I was excited to see Lee Mitchell's collection of folk songs for fingerpickers, being a fingerstyle guitarist myself, always open to new repertoire, and having seen some of Mitchell's YouTube videos (even picking up some licks from his unique arrangement of Blind Boy Fuller's Weeping Willow).

The collection of titles is interesting -- all credited as Traditional arrangements by Mitchell, although many are familiar to fans of Bob Dylan. The arrangements, laid out in guitar tablature, with melodies in musical notation, accompanied by chord charts and lyrics, are for the most part accessible to beginners.

Not all, though -- one that I looked at closely because I know the song so well already, Candyman, is a little tougher, based as it is on Dave Van Ronk's picking pattern (which Dylan borrowed from Dave, along with House of the Rising Sun), more complex than Reverend Gary Davis's original or Jorma's well-known interpretation of the Rev.

What Mitchell has provided in this book is good, really good. But it is incomplete. The most obvious missing element is what each song sounds like -- some guitarists may be able to play from tabs alone, but most of us need to know what the song sounds like, especially these particular picking patterns.

It takes some research to go on YouTube and find versions that match these arrangements -- made even harder if you're not already familiar with a tune like Candyman to figure out if this is John Hurt or Gary Davis or even Sammy Davis (OK, it's obviously not Sammy Davis, but the Grateful Dead maybe?). And once found, also found are good tutorials that may be easier to learn from than standalone tabs (e.g. Candyman as taught by the great guitar teacher Stefan Grossman).

The other missing element is text -- some background on the songs (like Elijah Wald does for many of these same songs on his web site), even if it's just a paragraph with the provenance of the song and maybe a preface about the arrangement, as well as an overall introduction tying it all together, explaining what this is all about.

The song selection and tabs are five star, but the book overall is, I'm going to say, 3 1/2 stars without any explanatory text and any reference to audio or video resources to listen to the songs.

For 2020, I want to get back into playing guitar. This book is way above my current level, but it is interesting to examine the adaptations of the traditional melodies. As others have mentioned, a little more explanation of the history of the songs, or even links to online recordings, would be really helpful.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for this digital ARC.

This is a great book, really well written and with a great selection of well known songs and hidden, more unusual gems of tunes.
My downfall, not that of the book, is that I am quite a novice on the instrument and have not ventured into finger picking yet, I can play some songs and sing but I'm more at chords and simple strumming stage, so the book is great but it is too advanced for me!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A book of great campfire songs played with common chords.

I have bought guitar or songbooks only to discover that I cannot play them because the key requires chords that a beginner is not familiar with. The majority of these songs are written in C, G or F chords and can be played without months of practice. While the title indicates it is for fingerpickers, I firmly believe that is will be a favorite for pickers and chord players. The songs are also family songs primarily and are great for a group.


I received an ARC from BooksGoSocial through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so.

I am so glad to find this book! Now I can't wait to get strumming and picking! Lots of new songs to play with lyrics to sing. I'm thinking someone should introduce the kids to folk songs, before they are forgotten. Thanks Lee Mitchell! find some more songs for us!

A good book of fairly well known songs with guitar chords. The words were slightly different to those i have grown up with but i suppose that is common with folk songs.
I was given this book by Netgalley and the publisher. This is my voluntary and impartial review.