Campfire songs
for acoustic guitar

The setlist

1. Take Me Home, Country Roads · John DenverG Em D C · capo 2 for the record keyEveryone sings from the first chorus, so the circle warms up before you do.
2. Wagon Wheel · Old Crow Medicine ShowG D Em C · capo 2The campfire anthem. Four chords that never change.
3. Brown Eyed Girl · Van MorrisonG C D EmThe “sha la la” part needs no lyrics.
4. Riptide · Vance JoyAm G C F · capo 1The one the under-30s ask for. Fast words in the verses; everyone knows the chorus.
5. Stand By Me · Ben E. KingG Em C D · capo 2 for the record keySlows the circle down for a minute without losing it.
6. Ho Hey · The LumineersC F Am GThe shouting is built in.
7. Free Fallin' · Tom PettyD G D A · capo 3Everyone attempts the falsetto chorus. That's the fun.
8. Knockin' on Heaven's Door · Bob DylanG D Am · G D CProbably the most-played campfire song there is. Two lines, repeated; the circle takes over by the second chorus.
9. Bad Moon Rising · Creedence Clearwater RevivalD A GTwo and a half minutes, fast, finished before anyone drifts.
10. Three Little Birds · Bob MarleyA D EEasy for the group to harmonize on.
11. Wonderwall · OasisEm7 G Dsus4 A7sus4 · capo 2Yes, it's a joke. Someone will ask for it anyway, so play it before they do and enjoy the groan.
12. Mr. Brightside · The KillersC Cmaj7 F, Am G · capo 1The loudest three and a half minutes of the night for anyone under 40.
13. Sweet Caroline · Neil DiamondG C D Em · capo 4 for the record keyStrangers will shout “bah, bah, bah” on cue.
14. Hey Jude · The BeatlesC G G7 F · Dm and C7 in the bridge · B♭ in the outro · capo 5 for the record keyThe long one. The “na na na” ending runs as long as the circle wants.
15. Leaving on a Jet Plane · John DenverG C DStarts bringing the volume down.
16. Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) · Green DayG Cadd9 D EmThe goodnight song.

Only have 30 minutes?

Play these seven in this order: Country Roads, Wagon Wheel, Riptide, Stand By Me, Wonderwall, Sweet Caroline, Good Riddance. It's the same shape in miniature: two big choruses, a breather, two shout-alongs, then goodnight.

Make it easier, or harder

Just starting out? Most of these are three or four open chords. The two that need more are Mr. Brightside and Hey Jude; skip them or save them for later. If you can't play F yet, use Fmaj7 in Riptide and Ho Hey: fret only the inner strings and let the top E string ring. Nobody around a fire will hear the difference.

Playing a while? Fingerpick the first verse and strum from the first chorus, so the chorus lands bigger. Learn a harmony line for Country Roads and Leaving on a Jet Plane. Play one song of your own after Knockin' on Heaven's Door, when the circle is listening rather than singing.

Two guitars? Don't both play the same shapes. For a song in G with no capo, the second player can capo at 5 and play D shapes (D, A, Bm, G for G, D, Em, C). Same key, a brighter sound, and the two parts stop blurring together.

Younger or older circle? For teenagers, swap Bad Moon Rising and Leaving on a Jet Plane for something they're singing this year. For an older crowd, swap Mr. Brightside for American Pie, but only if everyone's settled in, because it runs eight minutes.

How to lead the singing

1. Pitch it low. If a song feels a little high for you, it's too high for a circle of people who don't sing. Move the capo down two frets and try again, or open the setlist and set Key to 2 lower to see every song moved for you.
2. Feed the line. Say the first few words of the next line just before it comes, the way a song leader does. People follow you, and nobody has to look at a phone.
3. Don't leave gaps. Keep strumming the last chord while you call the next song. A silent gap is when the circle drifts back into conversation.
4. Play the last chorus twice. The second time round, everyone knows it.
5. Retune often. Cold, damp air pulls strings flat. Keep a clip-on tuner on the headstock.
6. Pass the guitar. After an hour, offer it round. The best campfires end with somebody else playing.