If I Had A Rocket Launcher - Bruce Cockburn

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TGNeil
Posts: 963
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2010 1:09 pm
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Fri Aug 12, 2022 5:46 am

Hi Everybody,

After getting pushed to a side burner a couple months ago, a lesson on If I Had A Rocket Launcher by Bruce Cockburn is live.

One of Bruce Cockburn's most popular songs, If I Had A Rocket Launcher will present quite a challenge to most guitar students. Bruce's fingerpicking technique in the song uses the mono bass pattern, meaning constantly pounding on the same bass note, rather than alternating strings. There are only a few chord shapes used but he commonly uses his left thumb to fret the 6th string. The lesson shows alternate ways to finger the chords that most students will find easier.
The lesson looks at all the main sections but doesn't go deeply into when Bruce improvises over the changes while keeping the bass rolling.