Open-mic Songbook: Sam Fender– Play God

Get your fingers around the funky riffing and retro-chorus jangle of Sam Fender’s debut single

It’s a case of Fender by name and Fender by choice here in the 2017 debut from the North Shields indie songsmith, who dons his American Pro Jazzmaster to deliver the retro-chorused jangle and funky 16ths. Released over two years ahead of his debut album, Play God grabbed Sam early attention from the music press who unanimously praised his vocals, melodic guitar work and politically charged lyrics. We’ve tabbed out the main guitar riffs and given you the chords you’ll need if strumming is more your style. If you’re swapping between riffing and strumming, make sure to adjust how you hold your pick – a tight grip near the point gives accuracy for riffs, whereas a looser approach is better for strumming.

For the recording, Sam tuned to

Eb

standard tuning (all six strings down a semitone), but we’ve stayed in E standard for convenience.