Campfire Songs - Strum Together

I previously bought "Americana - Strum Together" from this series and had a great time using it to play with a friend on a campout this summer -- he plays ukelele, I play both guitar and uke -- so when I saw this collection, I ordered it immediately. The songs are mostly 60s and 70s rock, country and folk, which is the stuff I grew up on, so the selection is perfect for me; but most of the songs are familiar to younger folks as well. The songs have the melody in standard notation, chord names above the staff, and lyrics below. They're set up with the entire song on one page, and chord diagrams for five different instruments on the opposite page. The arrangements are not necessarily in the original key -- the editors seem to have compromised on keys that are reasonably easy to play on all of the instruments -- and the chords are simplified. That works great for how this book is intended to be used -- a group of people who may not have played the song before, having fun in a casual setting. Nothing fancy. There are no tabs, no intros or solos, no suggestions on strum patterns. That's not what this book is for. I have a couple of minor gripes. On some of the songs, not all the verses are included. And the print is a little small to read easily if several people are sharing the book, especially in low light (like around a campfire - duh). I guess both of those are the result of fitting every song on just one page, and in the end I'm okay with the trade off. Despite those minor criticisms, I love this book, and look forward to sharing it with friends next time I get together with other players.
Added thought: There's a some overlap between the two books I own -- about 6 songs appear in both. It is interesting that most of the arrangements are different. A couple are in different keys, and the ones in the Campfire book are generally slightly (more) simplified -- fewer 7th chords, for instance. That's pretty low overlap and I like the fact that the arrangements are different, since it gives me a choice of which I want to play.

I'm the ukulele player who strummed the camp with Larry and bought both books shortly after camp after seeing and playing from his copy of "Americana"; in fact, a crowd gathered around us while we were playing and it quickly became a songfest.

Both books are very easy to follow and the chord sets are "natural" for both guitar and ukulele (and voice) use and are highly recommended for individual and group settings.

This is my favorite music book! I started learning to play guitar about a year ago and tend to be frustrated with most music books I’ve purchased. They’re either too complicated for me to enjoy many of the songs, or they’re so simplified that I don’t feel challenged. The layout of the book is helpful too. The chords needed are on the left side and the whole song is on the right. No more flipping pages in the middle of songs! The variety of songs is awesome too. Perfect for family and friends to sing along.

I know just about every song in the book, and I like the way it’s laid out! The chord diagrams are on the left page; songs are on the right. All songs are on one page, so you don’t need to flip pages while playing. Each song usually has a couple of verses, but not all songs have every verse. This helps keep to one page. Most of the chords are fairly easy (beginner-to-intermediate level). Some songs have a few bar chords, but nothing exotic. You have to figure out your own strumming patterns. The melodies are fun to practice picking if you read notation, and they can mostly be played in first position. There are no tabs though if you can’t read notation. The songs are fun, but many take a fair amount of practice to work out your timing and strumming. And it takes some practice to keep your strum rhythm going and chord changes in tempo, especially when singing along.

I'm a beginner, and these are great songs with easy layout. I love that the chords are pictured on the page right next to the music, and I don't have to flip pages in the middle of a song. Really helping with learning.

I am in charge of running the music program at my DTA for Special Needs Adults and this book is perfect for songs that they can play their instruments to that they made in ARTS AND CRAFTS Classes.

Book suggested by favorite on-line guitar instructor. Feel free to try a couple new tunes!

Excellent book! I love the way each song is only one page. The page on the left has all the chords for different instruments. ( I play guitar) If there is anything negative about this song book is that perhaps the songs are a bit too simplified. Excellent book for beginners. Clear and concise. I just bought another one in the same series.

I've been looking for a bigger book of songs that would be easy for a beginner to play. By beginner, I mean I can play about 10 cords and haven't even begun any sort of picking technique. I can play these 10 cords, and I strum on the beat. I really like the options in this book and the difficulty (or lack thereof) level. My only complaint (and it's not a complaint about the book itself) is that in order to make these songs easy to play (lots of C's and G's), they're in keys that aren't the easiest for a girl to sing. They're either really low or really high. Again, not the fault of the book, just something to keep in mind if you're sitting around a campfire playing these tunes.

I can play a lot of the songs! It also has chords for other string instruments. Some 60's songs.