In this video I sing and play fiddle backup for Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper. After I play it, I’ll talk about what we did…kind of a video “liner notes.”
Chords
Verse
F / Dm / Bb
Dm / C / Bb
Dm / C / F
Chorus
F / Dm
F / Dm
F / F / Bb / C
Learn each chord here: Chord Backup Central
Liner notes
Some things I’m working on with this song…
When playing backup, keep it simple. Watch the volume.
Practice each chord transition.
Focus just on singing. Play with the voice. Sing phrases and even single words. Dive deep into singing. Sing as I you’re on top of a mountain with no one around.
I created received a melodic section based on the chorus.
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Further learning
- How To Play Fiddle On Your Song
- Chord Backup Central
- How To Play On Songs Workshop 1
- How To Play On Songs Workshop 2
Art Of Fiddling >>
Wow, glad to see I could still login to make a comment. This is definitely resubscribe material. The comments that came in ahead of mine really say it all (especially about the fish) this is the level I feel I need to focus on. Total teaching to it’s best at waking the mind up. I want more for sure.
The simplicity of chords used for singing was a light bulb on hi voltage.
Thank you.
Dan….
This was absolutely wonderful! YES! Do more like this! I heard this song in a totally different way that captured my imagination and helped me think about ways to reframe many of the songs I know into something special. Norwegian Wood fit perfectly in there. I loved the Bb chords and key! What a wonderful lesson! Thank you, Jason, for taking the music to another level. ~Cindy
Absolutely LOVED this lesson! Opened up so many ideas… and yes, Norwegian Wood was an inspiration in this tune! Thanks, Jason!
Just read your email, “How To Sing And Play Backup” and couldn’t believe that the original “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” was in F#! Checked the official YT video on my keyboard and found it was true. Seems like such an UNidiomatic key for any of the instruments involved. I wonder if it was really done in F or G, then slid with the recording equipment of the mid-80s. Or maybe F# really fit Lauper’s vocal range better! Anyway, it was an intriguing bit of trivia. Thanks, Jason, for all your great lessons!
Hey, back again because there’s some great call-and-response with a fiddle on Cyndi Lauper’s recording of the Country song, “Begging To You.” Fits perfectly with the “how to play on songs” theme!
This sounds great Jason, amazing what you can do with one voice, one fiddle and one drone. Thanks for the clear explanations and break down on how you work on each aspect of the song, backing and riffs. Please keep posting these videos, we’re learning so much from you.
How fun! I love how you break down theory when teaching! It’s like you’re gifting us with knowledge to apply to other songs! Thank you for teaching us how to *fish instead of just giving us a *fish!
Yeah! Really liked the lesson with a sneak peak into a creative mind. I used to be quite creative with a baseball or soccer ball. This is a learning process for me and I am enjoying it. Thanks for the video‼️
Very cool! Yes, the mix of simple rhythms, chords and arpeggios, and short riffs really works well. And the “Norwegian Wood” interlude is frosting on the cake!