The Pogues - Fairytale of New York - Guitar Lesson

About Fairytale of New York

Few Christmas songs ask this much of a guitarist. "Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues sits in A major at a brisk 138 BPM, and the strumming patterns draw heavily from Folk Rock traditions rooted in Celtic music, meaning you need a loose, percussive right hand rather than a metronomic strum. The opening piano figure is instantly recognisable, but on guitar your job is to lock in with the rhythm and drive the song forward through its verse-chorus swells. The real challenge is keeping the energy controlled through the quieter verses and then lifting convincingly into the fuller choruses without losing the bounce. The chord changes themselves are not complicated, but hitting them cleanly at this tempo while maintaining that rolling, almost jig-like feel takes more practice than it first looks. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the transition into the chorus slowed down until the strum pattern sits naturally under your hand.

• The song sits in A major at 138 BPM, which demands a loose, rhythmic strumming hand to capture its Celtic folk bounce without rushing.
• The guitar part relies on percussive, driving strums through the verses, so focus on right-hand consistency and dynamic control between sections.
• Using the Practice Toolbar to slow down the verse-to-chorus transitions will help you lock in the timing before bringing it up to full speed.