“Flightless Bird, American Mouth” is a song by American singer-songwriter Sam Beam, who records under the name Iron & Wine. It was originally released on his 2005 album Woman King and later gained popularity after being featured in the 2008 vampire romance film Twilight.
The song has a gentle, folk-inspired sound featuring Beam’s distinctive fingerpicked acoustic guitar and softly sung vocals. With just a few basic chords and some simple fingerpicking patterns, it’s an excellent tune for beginning to intermediate guitarists looking to expand their repertoire.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know to learn how to play “Flightless Bird, American Mouth” on acoustic guitar. We’ll cover the chord shapes, strumming patterns, fingerpicking techniques, lyrics and chord progressions so you can easily master this beautiful ballad.
Chords Needed
Here are the 4 chords needed to play “Flightless Bird, American Mouth”:
G – 320033
This is one of the most common chords for folk and rock songs. Place your index finger on the 3rd fret of the low E string, middle finger on the 2nd fret of the A string, and ring finger on the 3rd fret of the high E string. Strum all 6 strings.
Am – X02210
A minor chord shaped like C major but moved down two frets. Use your index, ring and middle fingers clustered together on the 2nd fret of the D, G and B strings. Strum from the A string down.
Cadd9 – X32033
This C chord variation has the pinky on the 3rd fret of the high E string. Index finger goes on the 1st fret of the B string and middle finger on the 2nd fret of the D string. Strum from A string down.
D7 – XX0212
The four-finger D7 chord shape. Index finger goes on the 1st fret of the high E, middle on the 2nd fret of the G, ring on the 2nd fret of the B and pinky on the 2nd fret of the high E strings.
That covers all the chord shapes you’ll need. Next we’ll look at the strumming patterns.
Strumming Patterns
The guitar part for “Flightless Bird” relies mainly on fingerpicking, but there are a few sections where you can strum the chords. The most common strumming pattern is:
Down, down-up, up-down-up
So you pluck the strings down, down-up, up-down-up in a steady 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & rhythm. Use this pattern during the intro and choruses.
You can also try:
Down, up, up, up
Which is simply down, up, up, up. This creates a lighter feel and works well in the verses.
Make sure to keep your strumming relaxed and flowing at an even pace. Let’s move on to the intricate fingerpicking that really defines this song.
Fingerpicking Pattern
While you can certainly strum the chords throughout, using fingerstyle technique will give you that signature “Flightless Bird” sound. The main fingerpicking pattern is:
Thumb – Bass – Thumb – Treble – Thumb – Treble
Where the thumb plucks the lower E, A and D strings on beats 1, 3 and 5. The bass notes alternate between the low E and A strings.
The treble notes are plucked with your index or middle finger on the G and high E strings, usually on beats 2 and 4.
Put together, the intro pattern looks like this:
E – A – E – G – E – E
A – E – A – E – A – E
Visualized on the guitar tab, it is:
E|—0—0—0—2—0—0|
A|—0—2—0—0—2—0|
D|—2—2—2—2—2—2|
G|—0—0—0—0—0—0|
B|—1—1—1—1—1—1|
e|—0—0—0—0—0—0|
Start off slow and pay close attention to the thumb-bass-thumb-treble coordination. With practice, it will become natural. This versatile pattern can be moved between the different chords.
Chord Progression
Now that you have the chords and fingerpicking pattern down, let’s look at how they fit together in the chord progression for “Flightless Bird”:
Intro: G
Verse 1: G, Am, Cadd9, D7
Chorus: G, D7, Cadd9, G
Verse 2: G, Am, Cadd9, D7
Chorus: G, D7, Cadd9, G
Bridge: Am, Cadd9
Chorus: G, D7, Cadd9, G
Outro: G
Typical of many folk songs, it moves between I – vi – IV – V chord changes in the key of G major.
Try playing through the progression slowly, switching chords on beat 1 and maintaining the fingerpicking pattern. Notice how certain bass notes carry over between chords to smooth out the transitions.
Once you have that down, you can begin practicing playing through the entire song form start to finish.
Lyrics and Strumming
One of the keys to mastering “Flightless Bird” is getting comfortable enough with the guitar part so you can sing along. Here are the full lyrics with chord changes:
INTRO:
G
VERSE 1:
G Am
I was a quick wet boy, diving too deep for coins
Cadd9 D7
All of your street light eyes, wide on my plastic toys
G Am
Then when the cops closed the fair, I cut my long baby hair
Cadd9 D7
Stole me a dog-eared map and called for you everywhere
CHORUS:
G D7
Have I found you, flightless bird, jealous, weeping or lost you, american mouth
Cadd9 G
Big pill looming
VERSE 2:
G Am
Now I’m a fat house cat, nursing my sore blunt tongue
Cadd9 D7
Watching the warm poison rats, curl through the wide fence cracks
G Am
Pissing on magazine photos, those fishing lures thrown in the cold
Cadd9 D7
And clean blood of Christ mountain stream wash me of all I’ve seen
CHORUS:
G D7
Have I found you, flightless bird, grounded, bleeding or lost you, american mouth
Cadd9 G
Big pill looming
BRIDGE:
Am Cadd9
There’s blood on every bracelet you’ve ever given back
Am Cadd9
There’s strings that go taut, left bases all slack
CHORUS:
G D7
Have I found you, flightless bird, jealous, weeping or lost you, american mouth
Cadd9 G
Big pill looming
Focus on getting comfortable with the transitions between fingerpicking during the verses and strumming in the choruses. Singing along will come with time and repetition. Try not to get discouraged if you struggle at first – this is a challenging song and takes most guitarists weeks if not months to polish.
Some other tips for playing “Flightless Bird” smoothly:
– Use a capo on fret 1 or 3 to suit your vocal range
– Slow it down and really nail the timing before speeding up
– Record yourself to analyze and improve
– Break it into smaller sections and build up
Stick with it and this beautiful ballad will soon be one of your favorite songs to impress friends and crowds with. Now you know how to play “Flightless Bird, American Mouth” by Iron & Wine on guitar!
Chord Cheat Sheet
For easy reference, here are the chords again:
G – 320033
Am – X02210
Cadd9 – X32033
D7 – XX0212
Fingerpicking Pattern Summary
Thumb – Bass – Thumb – Treble – Thumb – Treble
E – A – E – G – E – E
A – E – A – E – A – E
Move this pattern between chords and you’ll have that signature fingerpicked sound.
Chord Progression Review
Intro: G
Verse: G, Am, Cadd9, D7
Chorus: G, D7, Cadd9, G
Bridge: Am, Cadd9
Outro: G
Tips for Learning “Flightless Bird”
– Use a capo
– Master slowly then increase speed
– Record and listen back to improve
– Break it down into smaller sections
– Stay relaxed, don’t tense up
With dedication and practice, you’ll soon be able to impress friends with this moving acoustic ballad. Work on it step-by-step and enjoy the journey of learning this fantastic fingerstyle tune.
Conclusion
Learning to play “Flightless Bird, American Mouth” by Iron & Wine on guitar will expand your acoustic fingerpicking skills and add a touching folk ballad to your repertoire.
By mastering the 4 chords, strumming patterns, intricate fingerpicking, chord changes and lyrics you’ll gain the ability to play this song smoothly from start to finish.
Use this comprehensive guide to work through each component – chords, fingerpicking, progression, lyrics – methodically. Record yourself often to analyze areas for improvement.
With consistent practice over time, playing this gem of a folk song will become natural and rewarding. So grab your acoustic guitar and soon you’ll be able to impress friends with your rendition of the hauntingly beautiful “Flightless Bird, American Mouth”.