Illegal Smile — Clawhammer and Fingerstyle

In this John Prine classic, I played the verses clawhammer style (4/4 time) and the chorus fingerstyle (3/4 time). The song has only three chords, but they change quickly, so it might take some work if you’re not used to changing chords quickly. Also, if you’re not comfortable with the clawhammer and/or fingerstyle, it’s okay to strum the whole thing, keeping in mind that the verses are in 4/4 time and the chorus is in 3/4 time. I also do a little hammer-on at the beginning of each verse while holding the C chord, hammering the 2nd string 3rd fret with my middle finger. You can do it or not… it sounded pretty good to me, so I put it in there, but you’ll be fine without it.

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