Description
To play "Mayberry," I will be using a Taylor 614 acoustic guitar, which has Elixir medium strings along with a Dunlop large, medium pick. The thick strings allow for me to play nicely with the moving dynamics of the song, along with a pick that makes it so I can be precise but also get plenty of percussion when strumming throughout. We also have a capo on the second fret which allows for us to play in both keys with our open chord shapes.
This song is all about dynamics, and that's evident as the arrangement changes throughout the song. We have verses that gradually lead into the pre-chorus with the same progression but different melodies from the vocals and rhythm on the guitar, as well as a nice key change to really help the song lift in the chorus. The extended outro brings the story of the lyrics to a nice ending while also playing some banjo melodies, and with our single acoustic guitar we do a great job of articulating the song through an arrangement that has lots of layers. This song is evidence of how powerful a single acoustic guitar can really be.
After we break down all the parts of the song and how to play them, then it will be time to put it all together with a backing track. Since we are using a single acoustic guitar throughout the song, that will be our single guitar performance of the track as well. You can use an acoustic, or a clean tone electric if you want. Either will sound great, so let's get started.
Lesson Info
