An old, French Christmas carol, much beloved in France, and practically unknown in the English-speaking world. Possibly because the English lyrics don't seem to flow very well. The French lyrics don't, either, but the French don't seem to care. They can deal with a slightly "sprung" rhythm. I have "un-sprung" it in this version, (to make it easier to play) by adding and extra "Ah" and stretching out the word, "bell-e, and then adding another "Ah!" to make it all come out even. Non-French audiences don't seem to mind the change.
If anybody asks, I'll tab the last line in the traditional manner and add it.
I know it's too late for Christmas Carols, two days after Christmas, but it's the best I can do. Maybe it'll help next year. When you're my age, that doesn't seem so far away.
A-Soulin'
Similar to the old Peter, Paul, & Mary version of this very old, English carol, but arranged as a round for two guitars. There's a very short lyric section, which isn't at all hard to sing. The round is in two "parts", but they're almost exactly the same, except for the end of the intro and the coda, where they have to transition to unison. Meylin, my seven-year-old beginning guitar student, can play it. The hardest part is not getting "pulled off" of your part by listening to the other player.
Play at a steady pace, without variation, and it'll sound fantastic. Especially if you can do it while looking a bit bored. Mind you, no one will think it's actually easy. They'll just think you're showing off. And that you have talent worth showing off. It's actually not bad as a solo piece, too, but the duet round just blows people away.
Play at a steady pace, without variation, and it'll sound fantastic. Especially if you can do it while looking a bit bored. Mind you, no one will think it's actually easy. They'll just think you're showing off. And that you have talent worth showing off. It's actually not bad as a solo piece, too, but the duet round just blows people away.
Christmas Duet for Guitar & Violin
My own arrangement. Actually, this is a medley of the Christmas carols, "Angels We Have Heard On High," and "Joy to the World," plus the Easter song, "Christ the Lord is Risen Today." I first tried the medley as a tribute to President Hinckley's statement that without Easter, there would be no Christmas. The three songs go so well together, musically, too!
You'll want too play right through the transitions from one song into the next without hesitation. If this is hard for you, practice just the measure before and after each transition, over and over, until you can play the transition without hesitation. The second time around, the songs are not complete, just a few bars of each to remind the audience what they are hearing, ending with the joyous finale of "Let Earth receive her King!" (tum ta-TUM!)
Sounds really, REALLY good with a decent violinist. The guitar part fits around the violin melody just right. I don't have a program for writing sheet music, so you have to transpose and print out the violin part. Fortunately, that's not very hard. Instructions follow the chord charts at the end of the guitar part. Anybody know a good, CHEAP (preferably free) program for writing violin music?
You'll want too play right through the transitions from one song into the next without hesitation. If this is hard for you, practice just the measure before and after each transition, over and over, until you can play the transition without hesitation. The second time around, the songs are not complete, just a few bars of each to remind the audience what they are hearing, ending with the joyous finale of "Let Earth receive her King!" (tum ta-TUM!)
Sounds really, REALLY good with a decent violinist. The guitar part fits around the violin melody just right. I don't have a program for writing sheet music, so you have to transpose and print out the violin part. Fortunately, that's not very hard. Instructions follow the chord charts at the end of the guitar part. Anybody know a good, CHEAP (preferably free) program for writing violin music?
Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring
The old Bach perennial. It's not necessarily a Christmas song, but it seems to get played a lot around Christmas time. This is a somewhat simplified version. Feel free to add all the flourishes you want.
I love Baroque music. In fact, I once dreamed of starting an 18th Century Cooking Club. Our motto would be, (are you ready for this?)
If it ain't Baroque...don't fix it! (AAAAAAgh!)
I love Baroque music. In fact, I once dreamed of starting an 18th Century Cooking Club. Our motto would be, (are you ready for this?)
If it ain't Baroque...don't fix it! (AAAAAAgh!)
More new Christmas tabs
Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, & a Christmas Duet for Guitar & Violin. Also, Regocijad, the Spanish version of Joy to the World, and an easy version. More details later.
New Christmas Music
Away In A Manger
A-Soulin' (instrumental duet)
Un Flambeau (Bring A Torch)
I'll post more about each one when I have time. For now, just a reminder that they are listed in the Links.
How great it is to have my files back!
A-Soulin' (instrumental duet)
Un Flambeau (Bring A Torch)
I'll post more about each one when I have time. For now, just a reminder that they are listed in the Links.
How great it is to have my files back!
Play "Misty" for me!
NOT public domain, but I have permission of the copyright owner to publish this arrangement. More about this later.
I first fell in love with this tune in the 1960s. I could spend hours trying to hear when Johnny Mathis would start singing "Onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn my own..." Never did. I always wanted to learn to play it. Couldn't find a guitar arrangement, so I eventually did my own. I didn't realize it at the time, but "Misty" was originally written as a jazz instrumental. This is the first solo instrumental arrangement I ever did "on my own." My daughter Amy loved it so much, I eventually gave her the rights to the arrangement one Birthday when I was too broke to buy anything suitable, hence the odd copyright notice. Amy very kindly gave me permission to publish "her" song here.
Though there are a lot of different chords listed in the charts, they are REALLY EASY. to play. They are not nearly as hard as they may seem from the odd names. Though there are eighteen different chords shown in the charts, eight of them are movable chords, the chief differences being the fret where the chord is played. Of the other ten, three are very common chords you almost certainly know already, six are slight and easy variations on common chords, and the other is played with all the strings open. What's not to love?
I wasn't as skilled twenty-five years ago, when I made this arrangement, so the transitions are easy. I was really proud of myself, and couldn't wait to show MY arrangement to my mom, who once played piano in Carnegie Hall. Her comment was, "It needs to be more legado." Trust Mom to take you down a peg when you need it.
At the time, I didn't know how to get that "legado" sound, but over the years I've learned a few tricks, like hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, and right hand tapping, note-bending, etc. I've used them all in this piece, and it now sounds polished. Wish my mom had lived long enough to hear it!
There are a few unusual techniques. Quite a few of the hammer-ons and pull-offs are done with the little finger. Right in the first line, there's a riff involving both hands. You have to tap (hammer-on) in the VIII space with the index finger of the RIGHT hand, then do a pull-off with the same finger, followed immediately by a pull-off with the little finger of the LEFT hand. It's LOTS easier if you are already picking near the middle of the string, and gives a really mellow sound.
Go immediately to a C to A7 chord change, strumming one extra time while all the fingers of the left hand are off the strings. In other words, play: C - [off] - A7. The five-note run in the last measure of the line sounds great played VERY vast. It sounds MUCH harder than it actually is, thanks to the two hammer-ons.
In the second line, don't be freaked out by the F#7 to Fmaj7 transition. You just slide the whole chord to the nut, allowing the open first string to ring through the change. You may have to hold the chord a bit tighter than you are used to, to get it to sound throughout the change, without strumming again. After the tempo change, make each of the strums very definite.
Play to the end of the first verse, then go back to the beginning, excluding the half-measure of F9 at the beginning, and play the second verse. At the end of the second verse, go straight to the coda and play it. In the last line of the coda, there's a mordant on the B7 chord. This means you have to slide the whole chord down to the VI fret and back up again within ONE beat, producing a sort of a "WAH-ooo-WAH" sound. Or you can use a Wah-Wah pedal, if you've got one. Bend the A note on the second string by pulling it sideways. I wouldn't use electronics to simulate it-- they just don't sound the same.
At the end of the coda, return to the beginning again (minus the first half-measure) and play through the third verse, adding the tag line, "Look at me!" Add it, even if you're not singing, as it resolves beautifully to the Cmaj7. There are a few tricks in there, such as the bent E note on the second string, but the timing is critical, so I've included a line of counting numbers. Strum the Cmaj7 SLOWLY, but still within ONE beat, then tremolo the chord. This is easy, if your ax has a whammy bar. Mine does not, so I get the tremolo by flutter-fanning air into the sound hole with my cupped right hand. I'm not at all sure why it works, but it looks and sounds just like you're playing an invisible whammy bar. Brings down the house.
I first fell in love with this tune in the 1960s. I could spend hours trying to hear when Johnny Mathis would start singing "Onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn my own..." Never did. I always wanted to learn to play it. Couldn't find a guitar arrangement, so I eventually did my own. I didn't realize it at the time, but "Misty" was originally written as a jazz instrumental. This is the first solo instrumental arrangement I ever did "on my own." My daughter Amy loved it so much, I eventually gave her the rights to the arrangement one Birthday when I was too broke to buy anything suitable, hence the odd copyright notice. Amy very kindly gave me permission to publish "her" song here.
Though there are a lot of different chords listed in the charts, they are REALLY EASY. to play. They are not nearly as hard as they may seem from the odd names. Though there are eighteen different chords shown in the charts, eight of them are movable chords, the chief differences being the fret where the chord is played. Of the other ten, three are very common chords you almost certainly know already, six are slight and easy variations on common chords, and the other is played with all the strings open. What's not to love?
I wasn't as skilled twenty-five years ago, when I made this arrangement, so the transitions are easy. I was really proud of myself, and couldn't wait to show MY arrangement to my mom, who once played piano in Carnegie Hall. Her comment was, "It needs to be more legado." Trust Mom to take you down a peg when you need it.
At the time, I didn't know how to get that "legado" sound, but over the years I've learned a few tricks, like hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, and right hand tapping, note-bending, etc. I've used them all in this piece, and it now sounds polished. Wish my mom had lived long enough to hear it!
There are a few unusual techniques. Quite a few of the hammer-ons and pull-offs are done with the little finger. Right in the first line, there's a riff involving both hands. You have to tap (hammer-on) in the VIII space with the index finger of the RIGHT hand, then do a pull-off with the same finger, followed immediately by a pull-off with the little finger of the LEFT hand. It's LOTS easier if you are already picking near the middle of the string, and gives a really mellow sound.
Go immediately to a C to A7 chord change, strumming one extra time while all the fingers of the left hand are off the strings. In other words, play: C - [off] - A7. The five-note run in the last measure of the line sounds great played VERY vast. It sounds MUCH harder than it actually is, thanks to the two hammer-ons.
In the second line, don't be freaked out by the F#7 to Fmaj7 transition. You just slide the whole chord to the nut, allowing the open first string to ring through the change. You may have to hold the chord a bit tighter than you are used to, to get it to sound throughout the change, without strumming again. After the tempo change, make each of the strums very definite.
Play to the end of the first verse, then go back to the beginning, excluding the half-measure of F9 at the beginning, and play the second verse. At the end of the second verse, go straight to the coda and play it. In the last line of the coda, there's a mordant on the B7 chord. This means you have to slide the whole chord down to the VI fret and back up again within ONE beat, producing a sort of a "WAH-ooo-WAH" sound. Or you can use a Wah-Wah pedal, if you've got one. Bend the A note on the second string by pulling it sideways. I wouldn't use electronics to simulate it-- they just don't sound the same.
At the end of the coda, return to the beginning again (minus the first half-measure) and play through the third verse, adding the tag line, "Look at me!" Add it, even if you're not singing, as it resolves beautifully to the Cmaj7. There are a few tricks in there, such as the bent E note on the second string, but the timing is critical, so I've included a line of counting numbers. Strum the Cmaj7 SLOWLY, but still within ONE beat, then tremolo the chord. This is easy, if your ax has a whammy bar. Mine does not, so I get the tremolo by flutter-fanning air into the sound hole with my cupped right hand. I'm not at all sure why it works, but it looks and sounds just like you're playing an invisible whammy bar. Brings down the house.
Did You Think to Pray?
This hymn is so much like Sweet Hour of Prayer, it's a shame not to post them both together. Same key, same techniques, even the same subject! Only the time signature and the actual melody are different, but still so similar it's uncanny. Even the pattern picks are very similar. If you like one, you're sure to like the other.
For those who don't like pattern-picking ("all those darned arpeggios!"), I apologize. I do like them, but I usually try for more variety. The next one will be VERY different!
Public domain. For those who are interested, I've included a brief pattern-picking chart at the end. Enjoy!
For those who don't like pattern-picking ("all those darned arpeggios!"), I apologize. I do like them, but I usually try for more variety. The next one will be VERY different!
Public domain. For those who are interested, I've included a brief pattern-picking chart at the end. Enjoy!
Sweet Hour of Prayer
Public domain.
One of my favorite hymns. I couldn't figure out why I never tabbed it, especially as it's written in C, the easiest key of them all to tab! Then I tried to do it. It turns out it's IMPOSSIBLE to play in C (for me, anyway).
I tried transposing it into all twelve keys. The only one that's really playable on the guitar is A, so that's what I used. If you want to sing it, or play with another instrument, you'll have to use a capo, or go to the Church website and use their music transposer. Go to lds.org. Click on Gospel library/music, and search for the hymn you want, then select the key you want it in. It'll give you an exact transcription, for any hymn in the current, English-language hymnal. It won't do hymns that have been dropped from older editions, or ones that are only in foreign language editions. And it won't do Primary songs. It won't do tablature, either, of course. For that, you need me. You can't have everything.
If you don't like pattern-picking, you won't like this arrangement. If I get enough comments, maybe I'll do a different arrangement, with more chords and with fewer arpeggios. For now, though, this is it. It was a bear to do, though it's not hard to play, once I figured out where to put the melody notes. There's really only one barre chord in it-- Av, which is an E barred in the V fret. There is also a Dv called for, but it's really just a slight modification of the Av chord.
There are a couple of places in the refrain, where you have to stretch to fret the 2nd string in the IX fret, while maintaining a barre at the V fret. On paper, it looks like quite a stretch, but that high on the neck, the frets are quite a bit closer together, so it's not as hard as it looks. Hitting the V fret on the 1st string while playing a D chord (in the first line) is actually harder.
My hand won't stretch that way, but fortunately, it doesn't matter if you let the fingers on the 1st and 2nd strings slide out of position a bit, since you aren't going to play them until later anyway. I just let my whole hand slide up the neck a fret and back down again. If you're quick about it, no one will ever know.
One of my favorite hymns. I couldn't figure out why I never tabbed it, especially as it's written in C, the easiest key of them all to tab! Then I tried to do it. It turns out it's IMPOSSIBLE to play in C (for me, anyway).
I tried transposing it into all twelve keys. The only one that's really playable on the guitar is A, so that's what I used. If you want to sing it, or play with another instrument, you'll have to use a capo, or go to the Church website and use their music transposer. Go to lds.org. Click on Gospel library/music, and search for the hymn you want, then select the key you want it in. It'll give you an exact transcription, for any hymn in the current, English-language hymnal. It won't do hymns that have been dropped from older editions, or ones that are only in foreign language editions. And it won't do Primary songs. It won't do tablature, either, of course. For that, you need me. You can't have everything.
If you don't like pattern-picking, you won't like this arrangement. If I get enough comments, maybe I'll do a different arrangement, with more chords and with fewer arpeggios. For now, though, this is it. It was a bear to do, though it's not hard to play, once I figured out where to put the melody notes. There's really only one barre chord in it-- Av, which is an E barred in the V fret. There is also a Dv called for, but it's really just a slight modification of the Av chord.
There are a couple of places in the refrain, where you have to stretch to fret the 2nd string in the IX fret, while maintaining a barre at the V fret. On paper, it looks like quite a stretch, but that high on the neck, the frets are quite a bit closer together, so it's not as hard as it looks. Hitting the V fret on the 1st string while playing a D chord (in the first line) is actually harder.
My hand won't stretch that way, but fortunately, it doesn't matter if you let the fingers on the 1st and 2nd strings slide out of position a bit, since you aren't going to play them until later anyway. I just let my whole hand slide up the neck a fret and back down again. If you're quick about it, no one will ever know.
Nearer, My God, to Thee
The Legend:
It is said that a string quartet played this hymn on the deck of the sinking Titanic. The musicians did not survive, and there are conflicting reports about exactly which hymn they did play, but there is pretty universal agreement that they did play a hymn, and it might very well have been this one, as it has long been a favorite, and would certainly have been appropriate.
The Music:
It's really a simple tune, with only three chords. I use the barred G chord, because it makes the notes come out in the right register. I also like to include a lot of "fill" notes. If you just want the melody, play only the notes directly above a written syllable of the lyrics. All the rest are fill. It's easy, and it's in the Public Domain.
It is said that a string quartet played this hymn on the deck of the sinking Titanic. The musicians did not survive, and there are conflicting reports about exactly which hymn they did play, but there is pretty universal agreement that they did play a hymn, and it might very well have been this one, as it has long been a favorite, and would certainly have been appropriate.
The Music:
It's really a simple tune, with only three chords. I use the barred G chord, because it makes the notes come out in the right register. I also like to include a lot of "fill" notes. If you just want the melody, play only the notes directly above a written syllable of the lyrics. All the rest are fill. It's easy, and it's in the Public Domain.
Ghost Riders In the Sky / Ghost Chickens in the Sky
This is my version of the Burl Ives cover of this song, which involves chords, not the flat-picked version more suitable for electric guitars. It works well for accompanying a singer, as rhythm, but not as a guitar solo, unlike practicaly all my other postings. I include it, only because I love it. I love the Christian message, the beat, and the tune. The chords are easy-- so easy in fact that you can hammer-on the entire chord, which is well, as that's what gives the song its beat. If you can't do the hammer-ons, you can still play the song without them, but it won't sound as good.
The chart may be a little unclear about the ending. The first chorus ends, "Ghost herd in the sky!" Second time, it's "Ghost riders in the sky!" Third time, it's "ghost herd in the sky," descending to a very low E note on "sky." Then repeat, "ghost riders in the sky," rising to and hitting the high E on "sky" (two octaves higher than the low E) and holding it. There's a transition measure between the end of the chorus and the beginning of the next verse, except for the last time.
After the chart and the lyrics, there's a Scout version, which cub scouts especially love. Play it straight, try not to laugh, or even crack a smile, and the young boys will just die laughing. Older kids will laugh, too, but they'll be laughing AT you. When performing for older kids, I play up to this by flapping my elbows on the chorus: Pok, pa-pok, POK; Pok, pa-pok, POK! If you can do it without laughing, you're better than I am! Don't try it unless you don't mind looking truly ridiculous!
Both versions are in the public domain.
The chart may be a little unclear about the ending. The first chorus ends, "Ghost herd in the sky!" Second time, it's "Ghost riders in the sky!" Third time, it's "ghost herd in the sky," descending to a very low E note on "sky." Then repeat, "ghost riders in the sky," rising to and hitting the high E on "sky" (two octaves higher than the low E) and holding it. There's a transition measure between the end of the chorus and the beginning of the next verse, except for the last time.
After the chart and the lyrics, there's a Scout version, which cub scouts especially love. Play it straight, try not to laugh, or even crack a smile, and the young boys will just die laughing. Older kids will laugh, too, but they'll be laughing AT you. When performing for older kids, I play up to this by flapping my elbows on the chorus: Pok, pa-pok, POK; Pok, pa-pok, POK! If you can do it without laughing, you're better than I am! Don't try it unless you don't mind looking truly ridiculous!
Both versions are in the public domain.
I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go
Easy to DO (Go where the Lord wants)
Easy to SAY (what the Lord wants)
HARD to BE (what the Lord wants!)
Fortunately, it's not hard to PLAY!
One of my family's long-time favorite hymns, and the very first one I ever learned to sing without the hymnal. Sounds really good with a mandolin, violin, flute, or clarinet as a duet, or as part of an instrumental group. As a duet, I'd have each instrument take the lead during one verse, then play together for the last verse. You can even do this as a trio. Who says it can only have three verses?
Only three chords: G, C, & D. If you just want to accompany a singer, just strum the regular chords; you don't need to play the barre versions. I include them because it makes it possible to hit all the melody notes, easily.
Easy to SAY (what the Lord wants)
HARD to BE (what the Lord wants!)
Fortunately, it's not hard to PLAY!
One of my family's long-time favorite hymns, and the very first one I ever learned to sing without the hymnal. Sounds really good with a mandolin, violin, flute, or clarinet as a duet, or as part of an instrumental group. As a duet, I'd have each instrument take the lead during one verse, then play together for the last verse. You can even do this as a trio. Who says it can only have three verses?
Only three chords: G, C, & D. If you just want to accompany a singer, just strum the regular chords; you don't need to play the barre versions. I include them because it makes it possible to hit all the melody notes, easily.
Placentero nos es trabajar
This song is in the public domain, but you won't find it in the English hymnal, only in the Spanish one. It is one of the best-loved hymns of the Latin-American saints.
For those who do not read Spanish, I have included a time count, and have changed the time signature from the original 4/4 to 8/8, to simplify the tab. It will still sound the same. Play it fast, "with enthusiasm" ("con entusiasmo") Here is my attempt to translate the Spanish words into English. For those who do speak Spanish, I apologize if my translation is lacking in any way. I'm not much of a poet.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
It is pleasant for us to work
In the vinyard of the great God Jesus
And honorable for us to to preach
To His people, His law and His light.
By His light, by His light,
It is pleasant for us to work.
By His light, by His light,
We will die in Him without sadness.
Hear the Word of God
With eagerness, loyalty and fervor.
Forever and always remember
His purity, truth, and love.
With love, with love,
Hear the Word of God.
With love, with love,
Bear the flag of God.
Oh, brothers! Good-by, then Good-bye!
The moment to leave has come.
If we keep the faith in the great God,
We will yet see each other far Beyond.
Far Beyond, far Beyond,
O, brothers! Good-by, then Good-by!
Far Beyond, far Beyond,
We will live with God in love.
THE STORY:
Clate W. Mask, Jr., of the Second Quorum of the Seventy, loves to tell how his grandfather, Andrés C. González, came to write this song. With apologies to Elder Mask, the story goes like this:
Andrés C. González was a schoolmaster’s son, and was one of the first called to serve a mission in Mexico City during the revolutionary era. Preaching on a street corner, he and his companion thought they could attract more attention by singing the popular Protestant hymn, “In the Sweet By and By.” Instead, they attracted the attention of the police, who jailed them for “stealing” the Protestants’ song.
Unable to sleep in the jail, Elder González wrote “Mormon” lyrics to the song. Back on the street corner after being released, the Elders sang “Placentero,” with the new words. The police were ready to haul them back to jail, but Elder Gonzalez exclaimed, "You can't take us to jail. It's not the same song."
Later, in another place, the same missionaries were arrested by the federales, and stood before a firing squad. Convinced they were about to die, Elder González took a lesson from the great Book of Mormon missionary, Abinadi. Remembering how Abinadi gained his reprieve so he could preach to the King, Elder González told the federales, “You can’t kill us yet, we have a message for your Presidente which we have not yet delivered.”
The soldiers were sceptical, but eventually took Elder González to see the President of Mexico. On learning Elder González’ identity, the Presidente told him, “Your father was my favorite teacher.” He pardoned the two missionaries, and at Elder González’ request, proclaimed that the Mormons could preach the Gospel freely throughout Mexico without harassment. This was the beginning of the hugely successful LDS missionary movement in Mexico.
THE TABLATURE:
It's a simple song, really. The difficulty is in trying to play it fast. The hammer-ons and pull-offs help, but there are still pleny of transitions that will need practice to get smooth and fast. Keep the beat regular; it's better to play slow than irregularly, especially on this piece. You don't need lots of expression, except for the many ligados (hammer-ons and pull-offs).
In general, most of the notes are easiest to get if you leave your left hand in the C chord position, using the little finger to do the ligados. It's not as hard as it sounds, really! If you do this, there will be a few pull-offs you will need to do with the middle finger, in the second space. Since your finger is already bent, it can be hard to accomplish. I do a "reverse pull-off" by flicking the middle finger off the string in a straightening motion. Again, not hard, just counter-intuitive.
If it's too hard for you to reach the C chord in the last measure of each verse, after performing the pull-off on the third string, you can reach the same notes on the second string, pulling off --1__0--. Musically, there's no difference, just do it whichever way is easiest for you.
After playing the three verses (if you wish to), add the finale as shown. I like to end with the high-sounding C VIII chord, but you can substitute a regular C, or even split the dirrerence with a C III (barred A at the third fret.)
For those who do not read Spanish, I have included a time count, and have changed the time signature from the original 4/4 to 8/8, to simplify the tab. It will still sound the same. Play it fast, "with enthusiasm" ("con entusiasmo") Here is my attempt to translate the Spanish words into English. For those who do speak Spanish, I apologize if my translation is lacking in any way. I'm not much of a poet.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
It is pleasant for us to work
In the vinyard of the great God Jesus
And honorable for us to to preach
To His people, His law and His light.
By His light, by His light,
It is pleasant for us to work.
By His light, by His light,
We will die in Him without sadness.
Hear the Word of God
With eagerness, loyalty and fervor.
Forever and always remember
His purity, truth, and love.
With love, with love,
Hear the Word of God.
With love, with love,
Bear the flag of God.
Oh, brothers! Good-by, then Good-bye!
The moment to leave has come.
If we keep the faith in the great God,
We will yet see each other far Beyond.
Far Beyond, far Beyond,
O, brothers! Good-by, then Good-by!
Far Beyond, far Beyond,
We will live with God in love.
THE STORY:
Clate W. Mask, Jr., of the Second Quorum of the Seventy, loves to tell how his grandfather, Andrés C. González, came to write this song. With apologies to Elder Mask, the story goes like this:
Andrés C. González was a schoolmaster’s son, and was one of the first called to serve a mission in Mexico City during the revolutionary era. Preaching on a street corner, he and his companion thought they could attract more attention by singing the popular Protestant hymn, “In the Sweet By and By.” Instead, they attracted the attention of the police, who jailed them for “stealing” the Protestants’ song.
Unable to sleep in the jail, Elder González wrote “Mormon” lyrics to the song. Back on the street corner after being released, the Elders sang “Placentero,” with the new words. The police were ready to haul them back to jail, but Elder Gonzalez exclaimed, "You can't take us to jail. It's not the same song."
Later, in another place, the same missionaries were arrested by the federales, and stood before a firing squad. Convinced they were about to die, Elder González took a lesson from the great Book of Mormon missionary, Abinadi. Remembering how Abinadi gained his reprieve so he could preach to the King, Elder González told the federales, “You can’t kill us yet, we have a message for your Presidente which we have not yet delivered.”
The soldiers were sceptical, but eventually took Elder González to see the President of Mexico. On learning Elder González’ identity, the Presidente told him, “Your father was my favorite teacher.” He pardoned the two missionaries, and at Elder González’ request, proclaimed that the Mormons could preach the Gospel freely throughout Mexico without harassment. This was the beginning of the hugely successful LDS missionary movement in Mexico.
THE TABLATURE:
It's a simple song, really. The difficulty is in trying to play it fast. The hammer-ons and pull-offs help, but there are still pleny of transitions that will need practice to get smooth and fast. Keep the beat regular; it's better to play slow than irregularly, especially on this piece. You don't need lots of expression, except for the many ligados (hammer-ons and pull-offs).
In general, most of the notes are easiest to get if you leave your left hand in the C chord position, using the little finger to do the ligados. It's not as hard as it sounds, really! If you do this, there will be a few pull-offs you will need to do with the middle finger, in the second space. Since your finger is already bent, it can be hard to accomplish. I do a "reverse pull-off" by flicking the middle finger off the string in a straightening motion. Again, not hard, just counter-intuitive.
If it's too hard for you to reach the C chord in the last measure of each verse, after performing the pull-off on the third string, you can reach the same notes on the second string, pulling off --1__0--. Musically, there's no difference, just do it whichever way is easiest for you.
After playing the three verses (if you wish to), add the finale as shown. I like to end with the high-sounding C VIII chord, but you can substitute a regular C, or even split the dirrerence with a C III (barred A at the third fret.)
Families Can Be Together Forever 2
I like this version better, but it is harder to play. Maybe not as hard as it looks, though. You already know how to play D, E, Em, A, and Am, and they, with barred versions and/or very slight variations, account for seventeen of the eighteen chords in this piece. B9 is the ONLY uncommon chord, and it's dead EASY to play. Just lay your index finger across the first four strings in the second space, and the ring finger across the first three strings in the third space, and squeeze. You can be real sloppy about it, and it'll still work just fine.
The many barre chords lend the song a rich, full sound that works well with a slower, more deliberate delivery than is usual when singing as a hymn or a Primary song. As a guitar solo, it doesn't matter if the tempo is too slow for singing, of course, and it sounds nice. The G9, B9 and Am0 chords add harmonies and chord progressions more suited to adult listeners. Classical music uses the degree sign 0 to indicate a diminished chord. The abbreviation "dim" has already been taken-- it means diminuendo {"getting softer"). Similarly, the minus sign means to play a note flat, so we just have to live with the 0. It's standard musical notation.
I did take some liberties with the original score, especially right at the end. I hope you like it.
The many barre chords lend the song a rich, full sound that works well with a slower, more deliberate delivery than is usual when singing as a hymn or a Primary song. As a guitar solo, it doesn't matter if the tempo is too slow for singing, of course, and it sounds nice. The G9, B9 and Am0 chords add harmonies and chord progressions more suited to adult listeners. Classical music uses the degree sign 0 to indicate a diminished chord. The abbreviation "dim" has already been taken-- it means diminuendo {"getting softer"). Similarly, the minus sign means to play a note flat, so we just have to live with the 0. It's standard musical notation.
I did take some liberties with the original score, especially right at the end. I hope you like it.
Families Can Be Together Forever
Just for you, Sabina! I've tried to keep it as simple as possible, but that was not easy. The original song is written in F, which goes well with children's high-pitched voices, and is easy to play on the piano, but is horrible to play on the guitar. C would have been much easier, but was way too low. The best compromise I could come up with is the key of D. It's low enough that most of the chords do not require barring, and those that do, are not especially hard to play. Most of the song is melody notes, anyway, with few actual chords to strum. But you asked for the chords, Sabina. I'm not realy sure why you wanted them, as they are not terribly useful for guitarists, but I've attached them at the end of the tab anyway.
This song is not in the public domain, but the copyright is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which has given permission to copy it "for incidental, noncommercial, church or home use," as are all tabs published here. Please do not abuse the privilege.
The D chord called out in the 4th measure is to position your left hand for the proper notes of the measure. It is not to be strummed. In the second measure of the chorus, fret the notes on the second string with the little finger of the left hand, until you reach the barre at the 5th fret, then move the barring finger to the third fret, preparatory to playing the Em in the next measure. It makes the transition much easier.
In the second line of the chorus, the transition to the high E chord (EVII) must be quick. You might try replacing the hammer-on in the previous measure with a slide to get your hand moving in the right direction. Fortunately, although that E chord is not a commonly used barre chord, it's not hard to play, especially high on the neck, where the frets are closer together.
The downward run on the 2nd string is similar to the one on the first string in the second line, and sets up the transition to F#. The A7II chord in the next-to-last measure is also very easy to play, as you only have to barre four strings.
This song is not in the public domain, but the copyright is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which has given permission to copy it "for incidental, noncommercial, church or home use," as are all tabs published here. Please do not abuse the privilege.
The D chord called out in the 4th measure is to position your left hand for the proper notes of the measure. It is not to be strummed. In the second measure of the chorus, fret the notes on the second string with the little finger of the left hand, until you reach the barre at the 5th fret, then move the barring finger to the third fret, preparatory to playing the Em in the next measure. It makes the transition much easier.
In the second line of the chorus, the transition to the high E chord (EVII) must be quick. You might try replacing the hammer-on in the previous measure with a slide to get your hand moving in the right direction. Fortunately, although that E chord is not a commonly used barre chord, it's not hard to play, especially high on the neck, where the frets are closer together.
The downward run on the 2nd string is similar to the one on the first string in the second line, and sets up the transition to F#. The A7II chord in the next-to-last measure is also very easy to play, as you only have to barre four strings.
Before Thee Lord, I Bow My Head
One of the easiest tabs I've ever done. Everything's easy enough for beginners, except the time signature, but I've written out the count below the words. This is actually easier to play on the guitar than it is to sing! Nevertheless, it's fun to play.
The only slightly unusual chord is the D/A, (pronounced, "D, with an A bass"), which just means you strum five strings, instead of only four, allowing the open A string to sound. It's fretted exactly the same as a normal D chord.
If you find the hammer-ons and pull-offs too hard, you can just leave them out. But I strongly urge you to try them. They're not really hard, and they give the faster part of the song a different sound.
There are no "extra" notes. In fact, I've simplified it a bit, to make it easier to play on the guitar. This hymn is in the public domain, though the author and composer died in the year I was born.
The only slightly unusual chord is the D/A, (pronounced, "D, with an A bass"), which just means you strum five strings, instead of only four, allowing the open A string to sound. It's fretted exactly the same as a normal D chord.
If you find the hammer-ons and pull-offs too hard, you can just leave them out. But I strongly urge you to try them. They're not really hard, and they give the faster part of the song a different sound.
There are no "extra" notes. In fact, I've simplified it a bit, to make it easier to play on the guitar. This hymn is in the public domain, though the author and composer died in the year I was born.
An Angel from on High
I REALLY HATE splitting measures up between lines, like the green hymnal does but I had to to, to get it all on one page. I held it to a minimum-- just one measure split. This hymn is in public domain, so enjoy!
I've also tried to keep the "extra" notes to a minimum. The few I have put in, I have set in light face type. You can substitute "normal" chords for the barre chords in the refrain, but you will find that the melody doesn't work very well. Fortunately, the barre chords are easy to play.
Play the first part lyrically, strumming all the chords, then play the refrain more tutti, so it sounds about twice as fast, and quite stacatto, for contrast.
I've also tried to keep the "extra" notes to a minimum. The few I have put in, I have set in light face type. You can substitute "normal" chords for the barre chords in the refrain, but you will find that the melody doesn't work very well. Fortunately, the barre chords are easy to play.
Play the first part lyrically, strumming all the chords, then play the refrain more tutti, so it sounds about twice as fast, and quite stacatto, for contrast.
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
This is not in the LDS hymnal, but it used to be. I wish it still was. I have not been able to determine exactly why it was removed, but I have my own ideas. It's in the public domain, so it wasn't because of copyright problems, nor do the lyrics contradict LDS theoology, and it's been a popular hymn for ages.
There is a discrepancy in attributing the music to John Wyeth. Other sources attribute the tune to Asahel Nettleton, but it was published in a collection of hymns by Wyeth. If the tune reminds you of "Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer," you're not alone; they're close enough that you could easily confuse them.
I've tried my best to keep the song as simple as possible, even retaining the 3/4 time signature of the original. Tablature does not provide any way to know the relative lengths of the notes. In most hymns, you'd be safe just playing every note as an eighth note, but that won't help you here. So I've added a line of counting numbers below the lyrics, to show where the notes actually fall.
This song is very easy to play, if you leave out the bridge and just play the verses. I've included optional chords for those who just want to strum along while singing. If you want to make a guitar solo of it, play the bridge, too. You'll need to play a few of those pesky barre chords, if you want to do that. Optional chords are shown in light face type, while everything else is in bold face.
I only included my favorite two verses. There are several others, and they vary with the book you consult. I especially dislike the verse that goes,
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above.
I have nothing against the sentiment, but the rhymes seem forced, and I have never met any normal person who could tell me what an Ebenezer* is, or why, exactly, a body would want to raise one. I prefer to leave out the verse entirely, substituting the more modern
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above.
Purists will hate me for throwing out the Ebenezer, of course. So I usually just sing the first and last verses, and raise the guitar solo instead of the Ebenezer, which I cannot say without laughing, anyway. No one laughs when I play the guitar.
* Ebenezer comes from two Hebrew words meaning "a stone of help", and raising one can refer to testifying of anything that reminds us of God's miraculous assistance to His saints.
There is a discrepancy in attributing the music to John Wyeth. Other sources attribute the tune to Asahel Nettleton, but it was published in a collection of hymns by Wyeth. If the tune reminds you of "Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer," you're not alone; they're close enough that you could easily confuse them.
I've tried my best to keep the song as simple as possible, even retaining the 3/4 time signature of the original. Tablature does not provide any way to know the relative lengths of the notes. In most hymns, you'd be safe just playing every note as an eighth note, but that won't help you here. So I've added a line of counting numbers below the lyrics, to show where the notes actually fall.
This song is very easy to play, if you leave out the bridge and just play the verses. I've included optional chords for those who just want to strum along while singing. If you want to make a guitar solo of it, play the bridge, too. You'll need to play a few of those pesky barre chords, if you want to do that. Optional chords are shown in light face type, while everything else is in bold face.
I only included my favorite two verses. There are several others, and they vary with the book you consult. I especially dislike the verse that goes,
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above.
I have nothing against the sentiment, but the rhymes seem forced, and I have never met any normal person who could tell me what an Ebenezer* is, or why, exactly, a body would want to raise one. I prefer to leave out the verse entirely, substituting the more modern
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above.
Purists will hate me for throwing out the Ebenezer, of course. So I usually just sing the first and last verses, and raise the guitar solo instead of the Ebenezer, which I cannot say without laughing, anyway. No one laughs when I play the guitar.
* Ebenezer comes from two Hebrew words meaning "a stone of help", and raising one can refer to testifying of anything that reminds us of God's miraculous assistance to His saints.
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
Public domain. This is a beautiful piece for classical guitar, but you don't have to be a classical guitarist to play it. There are a few advanced techniques, such as ligados (hammer-ons, pull-offs,), slides, and multiple ligados. When playing one of these double or triple ligados, you may have to hammer the last hammer-on very hard to make it sound as loud as the first one.
This piece does contain one relatively hard barre chord: Fv. It's a normal C chord, barred at the fifth fret. You'll need to practice it a bit if you're not used to playing this chord, as it uses all the fingers of the left hand, and stretches your hand, to boot. A good loosening-up exercise is to press all four fingers of the right hand between each pair of left-hand fingers, to stretch them. Hold the exercise just short of the point of pain, then go to the next pair of fingers.
There are a couple of other, easy chords you may not be familiar with. CIII / G is a normal C III chord. Read the name as, "C, with a G bass." Play it by barring an A chord in the third space, but fret the bass string in the third space and let it sound. G7add5, is really just a normal G7, with the fifth note of the scale (D) added on the second string, third fret, using the little finger. You should find it rather easy to do.
I included the grace notes shown in light face type, because they are in the hymnal, but I don't think they add much to the song, and they make it significantly harder to play. I don't play them when performing, and I have deliberately chosen chord inversions that are easiest to play without the grace notes. Consider them optional.
That's a lot of notations for a song that's really not that hard to play. Enjoy!
This piece does contain one relatively hard barre chord: Fv. It's a normal C chord, barred at the fifth fret. You'll need to practice it a bit if you're not used to playing this chord, as it uses all the fingers of the left hand, and stretches your hand, to boot. A good loosening-up exercise is to press all four fingers of the right hand between each pair of left-hand fingers, to stretch them. Hold the exercise just short of the point of pain, then go to the next pair of fingers.
There are a couple of other, easy chords you may not be familiar with. CIII / G is a normal C III chord. Read the name as, "C, with a G bass." Play it by barring an A chord in the third space, but fret the bass string in the third space and let it sound. G7add5, is really just a normal G7, with the fifth note of the scale (D) added on the second string, third fret, using the little finger. You should find it rather easy to do.
I included the grace notes shown in light face type, because they are in the hymnal, but I don't think they add much to the song, and they make it significantly harder to play. I don't play them when performing, and I have deliberately chosen chord inversions that are easiest to play without the grace notes. Consider them optional.
That's a lot of notations for a song that's really not that hard to play. Enjoy!
Carry On
Well, the reason I've been carrying on about barre chords is to prepare you for this song. Now that the Mission website is back up, we can carry on as usual. There are lots and lots of barre chords in Carry On-- all easy ones. Just the regular, old, barred E, Em, E7, A, Am, and A7. The only hard chord in the song is Cadd5, which is NOT a barre chord! (It's actually not that hard, either.)
You COULD play this song using only the non-barre versions of these chords. This would be OK if you were just strumming accompaniment for a singer, but for a guitar solo, it sounds terrible, as the melody would often be going down, when it's supposed to go up.
This piece does require a reasonably high-quality instrument, where the high notes are not grossly out of tune with the low notes on the same string. On nearly all guitars, as you play higher and higher up the neck, the the notes sound progressively more out of tune. This happens because you have to exert more pressure on the strings to fret them, stretching them and making them play sharper than intended.
If your high notes and chords seem excessively sharp, try using less pressure on the strings. If this doesn't help, change to high-tension strings. The extra pressure needed to fret the high notes is a smaller fraction of the total string tension, with high-tension strings. Besides, there's hardly a guitar in the world that can't be improved by putting new strings on it. If that's not good enough, have a professional luthier (guitar technician) look at your guitar. There are modifications that are relatively easy and cheap for a luthier to make, that can help a lot. Most good guitar stores have a luthier on staff. If he can't fix it, it's probably time to upgrade your guitar. This song is a good one to use when trying out new guitars.
Carry on!
You COULD play this song using only the non-barre versions of these chords. This would be OK if you were just strumming accompaniment for a singer, but for a guitar solo, it sounds terrible, as the melody would often be going down, when it's supposed to go up.
This piece does require a reasonably high-quality instrument, where the high notes are not grossly out of tune with the low notes on the same string. On nearly all guitars, as you play higher and higher up the neck, the the notes sound progressively more out of tune. This happens because you have to exert more pressure on the strings to fret them, stretching them and making them play sharper than intended.
If your high notes and chords seem excessively sharp, try using less pressure on the strings. If this doesn't help, change to high-tension strings. The extra pressure needed to fret the high notes is a smaller fraction of the total string tension, with high-tension strings. Besides, there's hardly a guitar in the world that can't be improved by putting new strings on it. If that's not good enough, have a professional luthier (guitar technician) look at your guitar. There are modifications that are relatively easy and cheap for a luthier to make, that can help a lot. Most good guitar stores have a luthier on staff. If he can't fix it, it's probably time to upgrade your guitar. This song is a good one to use when trying out new guitars.
Carry on!
For Beginners -- Why barre chords?
While my archive site is down, I thought I'd share my thoughts on barre chords. Some call them, "bar chords." Either is correct, but I like to spell it, "barre" so as not to confuse it with the other musical "bar," which means a measure of written music.
Learning barre chords will increase your choice of keys available, increase the range of notes available in any given chord, make it easier to learn new chords, and allow faster and easier chord changes. Barre chords can even be easier to play than their "regular" equivalents. Really. Let's take these advantages one at a time.
CHOICE OF KEYS:
Each key is based on the first note of the scale in that key. The key of A major is based on the scale that begins with the note A. Within each key, there's a group of "basic" chords that are the most commonly played. In the key of G, these are G, C, D7, and Em, all easy to play. The trouble is, there are some chords that just can't be played without using a barre, such as F#m. If you transpose the basic chords for G into the key of A, you have to play A, D, E7, and F#m, so you wouldn't be able to play most music written in that key. Eliminating all the keys that require the use of barre chords (just for the "basic four") eliminates about 75% of all keys. Or, in a more positive light, learn to play barre chords, and you can quadruple your repertoire.
RANGE:
If you play an F chord the "normal" way, you can only play the first four strings, but if you play it as an E chord, barred at the first fret, you can play the low F on the bass E string, thus adding an entire octave to the notes available while playing F. But that's not all. You can also play F by playing a C chord-shape, barred at the fifth fret. This allows you to reach notes five frets higher than you could do while playing a "normal" F. Learning barre chords allows you to increase your range in both the bass and the treble.
LEARNING NEW CHORDS:
If you barre an E chord-shape in the first space, it becomes an F. Barre it in the third space, and it's a G, etc. For every new barre chord you learn, you are actually learning twelve or more different chords, depending on where you put the barre on the guitar neck. Barre chords are just the same, simple chords you already know, such as E, Em, A, Am, C, etc., played with a barre. You probably already know how to play Am, Dm, and E7, the most important chords in the key of Am. By barring them, you can play the same three chords at a different fret, and you've learned a whole new key! But it gets even better, 'cause you can play that key at any of the twelve frets, so by learning one group of three chords, you've added twelve entire keys to your repertoire.
LIGHTNING CHORD CHANGES:
With barre chords, the ONLY difference between an F, a G, an A, a Bb, etc. is which fret is barred. This means you can change chords just by sliding the left hand up and down the neck, which is much faster and easier than actually changing finger positions. Or you can switch back and forth between the barred E-shape and the barred Am-shape, while sliding your hand up or down the neck of the guitar one fret at a time. This is exactly what Bob Dylan did in "Lay Lady, Lay", beginning at the fifth fret with a barred E-shape, then the fourth fret with a barred Am-shape, then a barred E-shape again in the third fret, then a barred Am again in the second fret, creating a chord progression of unsurpassed beauty (A-C#m-G-Bm) without working up a sweat.
EASIER TO PLAY?
That's right! Once you learn to barre all six strings with the index finger, that part of all barre chords is the same. Always. But as you play further and further up the neck, the frets get closer together. Some chords that require you to stretch when played normally, are lots easier to play when playing in higher positions. Want proof? Play a normal C chord, then put a capo at the fourth or fifth fret and play the same chord. Which is easier?
SO, WHAT'S THE TRICK?
PRACTICE! You didn't learn the chords you already know all at once. You had to practice. But little by little, you got better, until it became easy. Persevere. If Django Reinhardt, who invented modern jazz guitar technique, could still play after losing three of the fingers on his left hand, you can learn to play barre chords.
Learning barre chords will increase your choice of keys available, increase the range of notes available in any given chord, make it easier to learn new chords, and allow faster and easier chord changes. Barre chords can even be easier to play than their "regular" equivalents. Really. Let's take these advantages one at a time.
CHOICE OF KEYS:
Each key is based on the first note of the scale in that key. The key of A major is based on the scale that begins with the note A. Within each key, there's a group of "basic" chords that are the most commonly played. In the key of G, these are G, C, D7, and Em, all easy to play. The trouble is, there are some chords that just can't be played without using a barre, such as F#m. If you transpose the basic chords for G into the key of A, you have to play A, D, E7, and F#m, so you wouldn't be able to play most music written in that key. Eliminating all the keys that require the use of barre chords (just for the "basic four") eliminates about 75% of all keys. Or, in a more positive light, learn to play barre chords, and you can quadruple your repertoire.
RANGE:
If you play an F chord the "normal" way, you can only play the first four strings, but if you play it as an E chord, barred at the first fret, you can play the low F on the bass E string, thus adding an entire octave to the notes available while playing F. But that's not all. You can also play F by playing a C chord-shape, barred at the fifth fret. This allows you to reach notes five frets higher than you could do while playing a "normal" F. Learning barre chords allows you to increase your range in both the bass and the treble.
LEARNING NEW CHORDS:
If you barre an E chord-shape in the first space, it becomes an F. Barre it in the third space, and it's a G, etc. For every new barre chord you learn, you are actually learning twelve or more different chords, depending on where you put the barre on the guitar neck. Barre chords are just the same, simple chords you already know, such as E, Em, A, Am, C, etc., played with a barre. You probably already know how to play Am, Dm, and E7, the most important chords in the key of Am. By barring them, you can play the same three chords at a different fret, and you've learned a whole new key! But it gets even better, 'cause you can play that key at any of the twelve frets, so by learning one group of three chords, you've added twelve entire keys to your repertoire.
LIGHTNING CHORD CHANGES:
With barre chords, the ONLY difference between an F, a G, an A, a Bb, etc. is which fret is barred. This means you can change chords just by sliding the left hand up and down the neck, which is much faster and easier than actually changing finger positions. Or you can switch back and forth between the barred E-shape and the barred Am-shape, while sliding your hand up or down the neck of the guitar one fret at a time. This is exactly what Bob Dylan did in "Lay Lady, Lay", beginning at the fifth fret with a barred E-shape, then the fourth fret with a barred Am-shape, then a barred E-shape again in the third fret, then a barred Am again in the second fret, creating a chord progression of unsurpassed beauty (A-C#m-G-Bm) without working up a sweat.
EASIER TO PLAY?
That's right! Once you learn to barre all six strings with the index finger, that part of all barre chords is the same. Always. But as you play further and further up the neck, the frets get closer together. Some chords that require you to stretch when played normally, are lots easier to play when playing in higher positions. Want proof? Play a normal C chord, then put a capo at the fourth or fifth fret and play the same chord. Which is easier?
SO, WHAT'S THE TRICK?
PRACTICE! You didn't learn the chords you already know all at once. You had to practice. But little by little, you got better, until it became easy. Persevere. If Django Reinhardt, who invented modern jazz guitar technique, could still play after losing three of the fingers on his left hand, you can learn to play barre chords.
Softly and Tenderly, Jesus is Calling
By Will Thompson, but in public domain. One of the best-beloved hymns of the English-speaking world.
The Legend:
When world-renowned evangelist Michael Moody lay on his death-bed, he called his friend Will Thompson to his side, and whispered, "Will, I would rather have written "Softly and Tenderly" than anything I have done." The song holds a prominent place in nearly every Protestant hymnal in the world, and has been translated into many languages. Nearly every Gospel recording artist has covered it, but perhaps the best-known version (and my personal favorite) was done by Elvis Presley.
The Tablature:
Play this song SLOWLY! The melodies and harmonies are sweet, but if the bar chords are too much for you, play just the first 4 strings, and it'll still sound good. You can also leave out the ligados (hammer-ons and pull-offs) and the tremolo at the end, if you don't know how to do them. For those who just want the absolute basics, you can also leave out the last three notes in the first line, holding the G chord for two measures, to compensate.
This song sounds good on any kind of guitar, from classical to electric. You can play the tab as a solo by itself, or as an introduction or a bridge if accompanying a singer. For accompaniment, I have found it very effective to just strum the chords at the beginning of each measure, holding each chord for a full count of 3, while letting the voice carry the melody. I also like to use the guitar solo for a fourth verse, or sometimes let the guitar solo carry one or more of the choruses. This song has lots of possibilities!
The Legend:
When world-renowned evangelist Michael Moody lay on his death-bed, he called his friend Will Thompson to his side, and whispered, "Will, I would rather have written "Softly and Tenderly" than anything I have done." The song holds a prominent place in nearly every Protestant hymnal in the world, and has been translated into many languages. Nearly every Gospel recording artist has covered it, but perhaps the best-known version (and my personal favorite) was done by Elvis Presley.
The Tablature:
Play this song SLOWLY! The melodies and harmonies are sweet, but if the bar chords are too much for you, play just the first 4 strings, and it'll still sound good. You can also leave out the ligados (hammer-ons and pull-offs) and the tremolo at the end, if you don't know how to do them. For those who just want the absolute basics, you can also leave out the last three notes in the first line, holding the G chord for two measures, to compensate.
This song sounds good on any kind of guitar, from classical to electric. You can play the tab as a solo by itself, or as an introduction or a bridge if accompanying a singer. For accompaniment, I have found it very effective to just strum the chords at the beginning of each measure, holding each chord for a full count of 3, while letting the voice carry the melody. I also like to use the guitar solo for a fourth verse, or sometimes let the guitar solo carry one or more of the choruses. This song has lots of possibilities!
For Rank Beginners
The best posting on learning to play the guitar that I have ever seen is Steve Krenz's on Perseverance. I teach my own students to practice for just a few minutes, five times a day. Most of guitar learning is done not with the mind, but with the muscles. Real guitarists don't just practice a lick or a piece until they get it right, they practice until they can't get it wrong. For this kind of muscle learning, minimizing forgetting time is much more effective than increasing learning time. I'd much rather see my students practice for five minutes, five times a day, than for an hour, once a day. Every one of my students who has ever done this has progressed from rank beginner to advanced guitarist in one year or less, without exception.
O My Father
Here it is, just in time for Father's Day! The beautiful lyrics by Eliza R. Snow are in the public domain. It's a bit late for Sister Snow to object, but I doubt she would mind. Don't let the unusual tempo throw you. The music is easy to play.
The time signature of the original, as published in the old, blue hymnal, was 9/8, a difficult tempo for pianists to read, though not really difficult to play. For those who are purists, it should be counted something like this:
ONE, two, three; FOUR, five, six; SEVEN, eight, nine. The major accent falls on the first note of the measure, with minor accents on the fourth and seventh notes.
In the new, green hymnal, it was rewritten in 3/4 time, with a triplet at the end of virtually every measure. This may make it easier for pianists, but all the triplets are confusing in guitar tab. I have divided each measure of the original 9/8 score into three measures of 3/8 tempo for clarity. It sounds just like regular, old 3/4 time, except twice as fast. All the notes are eighth notes, which makes it very easy for guitarists to play.
The downbeat begins at the word, “father.” Thereafter, every three measures of 3/8 time equals one of the original 9/8 measures. Every syllable that begins one of the original 9/8 measures is printed in bold face type. Emphasize these notes just a little stronger than the lead notes of the other measures, to restore the subtle rhythm of the original 9/8 tempo.
Use strong tremolo on the final note. It'll sound gorgeous.
The time signature of the original, as published in the old, blue hymnal, was 9/8, a difficult tempo for pianists to read, though not really difficult to play. For those who are purists, it should be counted something like this:
ONE, two, three; FOUR, five, six; SEVEN, eight, nine. The major accent falls on the first note of the measure, with minor accents on the fourth and seventh notes.
In the new, green hymnal, it was rewritten in 3/4 time, with a triplet at the end of virtually every measure. This may make it easier for pianists, but all the triplets are confusing in guitar tab. I have divided each measure of the original 9/8 score into three measures of 3/8 tempo for clarity. It sounds just like regular, old 3/4 time, except twice as fast. All the notes are eighth notes, which makes it very easy for guitarists to play.
The downbeat begins at the word, “father.” Thereafter, every three measures of 3/8 time equals one of the original 9/8 measures. Every syllable that begins one of the original 9/8 measures is printed in bold face type. Emphasize these notes just a little stronger than the lead notes of the other measures, to restore the subtle rhythm of the original 9/8 tempo.
Use strong tremolo on the final note. It'll sound gorgeous.
Called to Serve
Public domain. This is about as close to the version in the hymnal as I can get it, with no extra notes. It's a fun tune to play! Written in the key of C major, too, so the chords are easy, too. Sounds good on an electric guitar, with lots of fuzz.
Upon the Cross of Calvary
Public Domain. I transposed it into C, because it's hard for me to play in G. I got tendinitis in my left hand from playing with a bent wrist. That's why your guitar teacher won't let you look at your guitar while playing-- it makes you bend your wrist, and causes tendinitis, down the road. Now, my ring finger tends to lock when I play too many G chords. So I use a lot of barred Gs, which don't make my finger lock up. My cross to bear. But this song is about the real cross, borne by the Savior.
I've written it three ways, which can be used as separate versions, or combined as verses. The first, mostly chords, sounds good on a flat-top guitar, played with a pick, or on a classical guitar, strummed with the thumb. The second one cannot be played with a pick, but sounds really "classical" when pinched, especially if you use the fingernails or finger picks. Play it near the bridge for an even more brilliant sound.
The third verse includes lots of "extra" notes to emphasize the 8/8 tempo. I like playing in 8/8, as all the notes are the same length. The "extra" notes are mostly drones in the bass. You can leave out any of them you like, but remember to lengthen the other notes, or the tempo will suffer.
If all you want is the melody, play the 3rd version, except:
1. Leave out all the notes on the 4th, 5th and 6th strings (the drones)
2. Play only the 1st and 7th notes in the 5th measure (GIII)
3. In the next-to-last measure, play only the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th notes
4. In the final measure, play only the 1st note.
This is actually a pretty easy hymn to play. If the CIII chord gives you trouble, you can substitute a regular C chord, but it'll make the transition to the next chord harder-- that's why I used the barre chord.
I've written it three ways, which can be used as separate versions, or combined as verses. The first, mostly chords, sounds good on a flat-top guitar, played with a pick, or on a classical guitar, strummed with the thumb. The second one cannot be played with a pick, but sounds really "classical" when pinched, especially if you use the fingernails or finger picks. Play it near the bridge for an even more brilliant sound.
The third verse includes lots of "extra" notes to emphasize the 8/8 tempo. I like playing in 8/8, as all the notes are the same length. The "extra" notes are mostly drones in the bass. You can leave out any of them you like, but remember to lengthen the other notes, or the tempo will suffer.
If all you want is the melody, play the 3rd version, except:
1. Leave out all the notes on the 4th, 5th and 6th strings (the drones)
2. Play only the 1st and 7th notes in the 5th measure (GIII)
3. In the next-to-last measure, play only the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th notes
4. In the final measure, play only the 1st note.
This is actually a pretty easy hymn to play. If the CIII chord gives you trouble, you can substitute a regular C chord, but it'll make the transition to the next chord harder-- that's why I used the barre chord.
Master, the Tempest Is Raging
LOTS of "extra" notes in this one! But if you don't want them, you can ignore any notes except the ones directly over the words of the song. Of course there are lots of chords, so if you just want the melody line, you'll have to pick it out of the chords.
Play this song fast, and it'll sound just great. As an experiment, I switched to using the letters h and p to indicate hammer-ons and pull-offs, instead of my usual underscore. Does it make a difference to anyone?
All the chords are normal, common chords, including some barre chords, indicated by Roman numerals to show where the barre goes. All the notes are eighth notes, which makes keeping the tempo really easy, even though it's fast. That's one reason I put the "extra" notes in. They actually make it easier to play. The only exception is the last chord, which needs to be held for a count of three. Alternatively, you could play the first chord in the last measure as a three-note "broken" chord, saving the last chord for a full measure of its own.
Play this song fast, and it'll sound just great. As an experiment, I switched to using the letters h and p to indicate hammer-ons and pull-offs, instead of my usual underscore. Does it make a difference to anyone?
All the chords are normal, common chords, including some barre chords, indicated by Roman numerals to show where the barre goes. All the notes are eighth notes, which makes keeping the tempo really easy, even though it's fast. That's one reason I put the "extra" notes in. They actually make it easier to play. The only exception is the last chord, which needs to be held for a count of three. Alternatively, you could play the first chord in the last measure as a three-note "broken" chord, saving the last chord for a full measure of its own.
Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy
This is one of my favorite hymns, both to sing and to play. There are very few "grace notes" in it; nearly all of it is melody. The few grace notes are put in parentheses, in light face type. You can safely ignore them if you only want to play the melody. You can also substitute the regular C chord for all the different C chords, the regular F for all the F chords, and the regular G for all the different G chords, if you are not comfortable with barre chords. It won't sound as nice or follow the melody as well, but will be perfectly fine for accompanying vocalists.
Notes:
I usually play the first F as a regular, four-string F, just because the chord change from C and back is easier that way, and it's a very fast change.
The transition F(I) to F(V) may be hard to make rapidly, if you are not used to playing these chords. It is perfectly acceptable to avoid the change by playing all the F chords in the tenth measure the same. If you do this, it sounds much better if you leave out the F(I) chord and substitute the F(5) chord, rather than the other way around.
It's also perfectly OK to make the final C chord a normal one, without the G bass, if your pinkie isn't up to it. But it sounds a bit thin for a finale. The full, six-string chord sounds much better to end the song on.
It wouldn't hurt to put tremolo on the E note on the third string in the next-to-last measure. That's why I play it in the 9th fret of the third string, instead of just playing the first string open, which is the same note. When performed as a guitar solo, this piece sounds better with lots of pauses, holds, and tremolos. I like to use these forms of expression to emphasize the words of the hymn that feel most important to me at the time I am playing them. You cannot be too expressive with this song-- the more expression you put in, the better your audience will like it, even at the risk of totally losing the rhythm!
This song is in the public domain.
Notes:
I usually play the first F as a regular, four-string F, just because the chord change from C and back is easier that way, and it's a very fast change.
The transition F(I) to F(V) may be hard to make rapidly, if you are not used to playing these chords. It is perfectly acceptable to avoid the change by playing all the F chords in the tenth measure the same. If you do this, it sounds much better if you leave out the F(I) chord and substitute the F(5) chord, rather than the other way around.
It's also perfectly OK to make the final C chord a normal one, without the G bass, if your pinkie isn't up to it. But it sounds a bit thin for a finale. The full, six-string chord sounds much better to end the song on.
It wouldn't hurt to put tremolo on the E note on the third string in the next-to-last measure. That's why I play it in the 9th fret of the third string, instead of just playing the first string open, which is the same note. When performed as a guitar solo, this piece sounds better with lots of pauses, holds, and tremolos. I like to use these forms of expression to emphasize the words of the hymn that feel most important to me at the time I am playing them. You cannot be too expressive with this song-- the more expression you put in, the better your audience will like it, even at the risk of totally losing the rhythm!
This song is in the public domain.
All Creatures-- reprise
Sorry! I forgot to publish the files for All Creatures of Our God and King and the easy version. They are published now, and you should have no trouble downloading them. Playing the guitar is LOTS easier than using the Internet: make one mistake and you can still hear the piece. Make one mistake on the Internet and NOBODY can see the posting.
All Creatures of Our God and King--easy version
Similar to the previous post, but without any barre chords, unless you count the two-string barre on the F. Only one even slightly tricky transition is in the 15th measure, where you may have to stretch a bit more than you are used to, to hit the C# in the IV space on the second string with your little finger. Sorry! The note is necessary to the melody, and there's no easier way to play it. If it gives you trouble, try using a capo at the III or IV space, where the frets are noticeably closer together. This will minimize the reach needed, and also make it easier to sing along, as the capo in the IV space puts the song back into the original key of Eb.
This song was written five hundred years ago by St. Francis of Assisi, so the copyright has definitely expired. Enjoy!
This song was written five hundred years ago by St. Francis of Assisi, so the copyright has definitely expired. Enjoy!
All Creatures of Our God and King
Here's one for you guitarists who don't like a lot of "extra" notes. There a NO extra notes here. It may look difficult at first because of the many barre chords. Actually, this is what makes it easy. There are only three basic chords in the whole song: C, E, and A, plus barred versions of them, and a few with very slight variations, such as lifting up the little finger to convert a barred E into an E7. These three basic chords patterns convert into nine different chords when barred in different positions, allowing beautiful chord progressions and easy transitions.
A few specifics:
The tempo is 3/2, and the notes have different values. If you don't know the song, you'll have to follow along in the hymnal to get the timing right. Better yet, go to LDS.org, find the music site, and change the key to C, then print.
5th measure: just slide the barring finger from the VIII position to VII, then to V for the F chord in the next measure. Repeat in the 6th and 7th measures, and again in the 13th and 14th measures and the 14th and 15th.
8th measure: flatten the middle finger of the left hand to fret the "10" notes on the third string. Repeat in the 10th measure.
16th measure: be sure to stop the strum after playing the second string, as the next note is the final note of the strum, and it must be perceived as a separate note, and not as part of the strum. It wouldn't hurt to slow down here.
Last measure: hold as long as you can; unless you are playing an electric guitar, it won't be long enough, because of the weird time signature. You're trying for SIX quarter-notes. Even my Cervantes won't sustain that long.
This song was written by St. Francis of Assisi about five hundred years ago, and is definitely in the public domain.
A few specifics:
The tempo is 3/2, and the notes have different values. If you don't know the song, you'll have to follow along in the hymnal to get the timing right. Better yet, go to LDS.org, find the music site, and change the key to C, then print.
5th measure: just slide the barring finger from the VIII position to VII, then to V for the F chord in the next measure. Repeat in the 6th and 7th measures, and again in the 13th and 14th measures and the 14th and 15th.
8th measure: flatten the middle finger of the left hand to fret the "10" notes on the third string. Repeat in the 10th measure.
16th measure: be sure to stop the strum after playing the second string, as the next note is the final note of the strum, and it must be perceived as a separate note, and not as part of the strum. It wouldn't hurt to slow down here.
Last measure: hold as long as you can; unless you are playing an electric guitar, it won't be long enough, because of the weird time signature. You're trying for SIX quarter-notes. Even my Cervantes won't sustain that long.
This song was written by St. Francis of Assisi about five hundred years ago, and is definitely in the public domain.
For Beginners
Thank you, Liz and Ogdenware, for your comments. This is supposed to be a guitar TAB blog. That's why I put in all the arpeggios and fancy stuff. You don't have to play it that way, though. I include the chords above the tablature, and chord charts at the end of every song, so you can simply play the chords and strum, if you've a mind to, while ignoring the tab.
From your comments, it sounds like what you really want is just the melody tabbed, as in "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today," right? If that's what you want, make a request by leaving a comment to this posting. I have a few I have tabbed that way for students, and I can do more, if I know somebody wants them.
Meanwhile, here's a tip on how to simplify my tabs: most of the extraneous stuff is just pattern picking. If it's a repeated pattern, you can probably safely ignore it.
From your comments, it sounds like what you really want is just the melody tabbed, as in "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today," right? If that's what you want, make a request by leaving a comment to this posting. I have a few I have tabbed that way for students, and I can do more, if I know somebody wants them.
Meanwhile, here's a tip on how to simplify my tabs: most of the extraneous stuff is just pattern picking. If it's a repeated pattern, you can probably safely ignore it.
Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
An easy one, in time for Easter. There are no hard chords in this song. No barre chords. Chord changes are easy, as long as you can do hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides. The only remotely hard parts come in the last two Hallelujahs, and the first measure of the last line, with multiple hammer-ons and pull-offs in each of the three measures. But they are all easy ones. Play them slowly, until you get the hang of playing the strings with the left hand, then speed up gradually.
This song sounds especially good with a crisp, bright sound. Play it close to the bridge, and use your fingernails, or finger picks, if you don't have nails, for a clear, crisp, "classical guitar" sound. This song is in the public domain, though I reserve copy rights to my arrangement and tablature. If you reproduce it, please give me credit.
This song sounds especially good with a crisp, bright sound. Play it close to the bridge, and use your fingernails, or finger picks, if you don't have nails, for a clear, crisp, "classical guitar" sound. This song is in the public domain, though I reserve copy rights to my arrangement and tablature. If you reproduce it, please give me credit.
Til There Was You
From The Music Man by Meredith Willson. Start practicing NOW for next Valentine's Day. This is one of the most beautiful love songs ever written, and one of the hardest to play. It's the most difficult in my personal repertoire. It is NOT in the public domain, so no lyrics. You can get them on nearly any lyrics website. Hard as this version is, the original is even harder, as Willson wrote it in the key of Eb. I've transposed it down (one fret) to D, where it's slightly easier to play. There are so many barre chords, it scarcely makes a difference.
The chords in this song are unusual, hauntingly beautiful, and excruciatingly difficult to play. The chord changes are fast, and there's no room for error. Do NOT attempt this song unless you are an ADVANCED guitarist. If you are an advanced guitarist, don't let the weird chords scare you off. It took me more than a year to master, but it was well worth the effort. It's that pretty.
The chords in this song are unusual, hauntingly beautiful, and excruciatingly difficult to play. The chord changes are fast, and there's no room for error. Do NOT attempt this song unless you are an ADVANCED guitarist. If you are an advanced guitarist, don't let the weird chords scare you off. It took me more than a year to master, but it was well worth the effort. It's that pretty.
I Am a Child of God
This song is NOT in public domain, so, sorry-- no lyrics! If you don't know them, you can find them on page 2 of the Children's Songbook or page 301 of Hymns. You can also get them from the music page on lds.org.
My version is my own arrangement, but after the introduction, it follows the layout of measures in the Children's Songbook, measure for measure. It is also in the same key (C). If you'd rather play it in D, as in the hymnal, use a capo. The notes don't come out in the same place, if you just transpose it. This is not a particularly easy song to play, but done right, it should appear to be simple and easy. The key is lots of practice.
You don't have to play the intro, I just think it sounds pretty. It's not the standard intro shown in the hymnal. You can play the C chord in the first measure of the verse as a C/G if you want, or just hit the G note as a melody note. The slide in this measure is a bit tricky, as you have to play the note on the fifth string while sliding on the fourth string. It's really not particularly hard to do; it just requires a bit of practice. The last measure of the verse has a rest after the last note, hence, only five notes are shown. Don't be fooled, they are still all eighth notes.
The first three measures of the refrain are just the melody, with an interpolated drone on the bass string, to add variety. The last measure of the line is just a single, strummed C chord. You can lengthen it out for emphasis if you can sustain it that long. The first measure at the beginning of the last line is almost the same as the first measure of the previous line except the bass note is the C on the fifth string, instead of the G on the sixth string. You can play it as a G, if you want to, but it does make it a bit harder to hit the F chord in the second measure quickly. The third measure returns to the bass G drone. You do not have to actually play the G7 chord. You can just play the two notes. But it seems to make it easier, to me, to play the whole chord.
The last measure is the hardest one, because of the need to play two artificial harmonics in rapid succession, as part of an arpeggio. They are not really any harder to play than regular harmonics, but you play them with one hand, while fretting the string with the left hand. They are easy to do if you rest the right index finger lightly on the string, exactly over the eighth fret, while fretting the string at the first fret with the left hand. Pluck the string with the ring finger, allowing the index finger to come off the string in the same motion. With a little practice, you can achieve a gorgeous, bell-like tone, with a single movement. Fret the first two strings with the left index finger, exactly as if playing an F chord.
Practice until you can do one harmonic easily, then practice playing the two of them in a row. After you master this, add the first three (normal) notes. Keep at it until you can make it look and sound easy, for a really impressive finale.
My version is my own arrangement, but after the introduction, it follows the layout of measures in the Children's Songbook, measure for measure. It is also in the same key (C). If you'd rather play it in D, as in the hymnal, use a capo. The notes don't come out in the same place, if you just transpose it. This is not a particularly easy song to play, but done right, it should appear to be simple and easy. The key is lots of practice.
You don't have to play the intro, I just think it sounds pretty. It's not the standard intro shown in the hymnal. You can play the C chord in the first measure of the verse as a C/G if you want, or just hit the G note as a melody note. The slide in this measure is a bit tricky, as you have to play the note on the fifth string while sliding on the fourth string. It's really not particularly hard to do; it just requires a bit of practice. The last measure of the verse has a rest after the last note, hence, only five notes are shown. Don't be fooled, they are still all eighth notes.
The first three measures of the refrain are just the melody, with an interpolated drone on the bass string, to add variety. The last measure of the line is just a single, strummed C chord. You can lengthen it out for emphasis if you can sustain it that long. The first measure at the beginning of the last line is almost the same as the first measure of the previous line except the bass note is the C on the fifth string, instead of the G on the sixth string. You can play it as a G, if you want to, but it does make it a bit harder to hit the F chord in the second measure quickly. The third measure returns to the bass G drone. You do not have to actually play the G7 chord. You can just play the two notes. But it seems to make it easier, to me, to play the whole chord.
The last measure is the hardest one, because of the need to play two artificial harmonics in rapid succession, as part of an arpeggio. They are not really any harder to play than regular harmonics, but you play them with one hand, while fretting the string with the left hand. They are easy to do if you rest the right index finger lightly on the string, exactly over the eighth fret, while fretting the string at the first fret with the left hand. Pluck the string with the ring finger, allowing the index finger to come off the string in the same motion. With a little practice, you can achieve a gorgeous, bell-like tone, with a single movement. Fret the first two strings with the left index finger, exactly as if playing an F chord.
Practice until you can do one harmonic easily, then practice playing the two of them in a row. After you master this, add the first three (normal) notes. Keep at it until you can make it look and sound easy, for a really impressive finale.
Lead Kindly Light
In the Dominican Republic, where we served our mission, there’s a beautiful, limestone cavern called The Cave of Marvels. The underground, half-mile path winds through stunning rock formations and ancient Indian rock paintings. To preserve the colors, the lights in the cavern must remain off as much as possible. So, the developers installed timers to turn the lights off behind you, and motion sensors to turn them on ahead of you. If you keep walking, you will remain in the light, but if you stop, the lights turn off, and you find yourself in complete darkness. Underground, in an enclosed cavern, the darkness is absolute, even at noonday in the tropics. But if you take a step or two into the dark, the lights come on. Then you can see the path ahead, and the marvelous colors that give the cavern its name. Now, that’s faith. Sometimes, you have to take a step or two into the dark before you can see the path ahead. I always think of The Cave of Marvels when I hear this song, or play it.
Lead Kindly Light is in the public domain, and is well-beloved by Christians of all stripes. Play it slowly, with a lot of expression. The link actually contains two versions. The first is mostly strummed, with a few single notes to bring out the melody, and is very easy to play. The second version is pattern-picked. I like to play them as two verses, or even as three by repeating the first verse at the end. The F chord in the last line of the second verse should be slow-strummed. I like to use a flamenco strum: strum all six strings with all four fingers of the right hand, little finger first, then ring finger, middle finger, and index finger, in rapid succession, with the accent on the index finger. Rotate the hand while doing this, so it comes out as a single, long strum. It takes practice. This song also sounds good when played on the autoharp, or when played as a duet with flute, clarinet, or violin.
Lead Kindly Light is in the public domain, and is well-beloved by Christians of all stripes. Play it slowly, with a lot of expression. The link actually contains two versions. The first is mostly strummed, with a few single notes to bring out the melody, and is very easy to play. The second version is pattern-picked. I like to play them as two verses, or even as three by repeating the first verse at the end. The F chord in the last line of the second verse should be slow-strummed. I like to use a flamenco strum: strum all six strings with all four fingers of the right hand, little finger first, then ring finger, middle finger, and index finger, in rapid succession, with the accent on the index finger. Rotate the hand while doing this, so it comes out as a single, long strum. It takes practice. This song also sounds good when played on the autoharp, or when played as a duet with flute, clarinet, or violin.
Love One Another
This song is NOT in the public domain. The author has kindly given permission for readers of Hymns to copy and use her song "for incidental, non-commercial church or home use." Please do not abuse the privilege.
This song is very easy to play. It's short, simple, and beautiful, and has already become one of the defining hymns of the Latter-Day Saints. I have tried to retain these qualities in my tabbed guitar solo, even though it does not follow the piano music exactly. The piano music says to play it "reverently." For guitarists, I translate this as slowly and smoothly. It also sounds really nice when played crisply, using the fingernails, classical guitar style. You can get a similar effect using plastic finger picks, if you don't have the time or ability to grow and harden your fingernails. This arrangement also sounds very good as a duet with a flute or violin.
The song is very easy to play. All the notes are eighth notes, and all the chords are easy and basic, with the sole exception of the G* chord, which is a standard G chord, but with the second string fretted at the third fret, instead of the first string. (Don't play the first string at all in this chord.) This chord is actually easier to play than a standard G, and brings out the melody nicely, too.
This song is very easy to play. It's short, simple, and beautiful, and has already become one of the defining hymns of the Latter-Day Saints. I have tried to retain these qualities in my tabbed guitar solo, even though it does not follow the piano music exactly. The piano music says to play it "reverently." For guitarists, I translate this as slowly and smoothly. It also sounds really nice when played crisply, using the fingernails, classical guitar style. You can get a similar effect using plastic finger picks, if you don't have the time or ability to grow and harden your fingernails. This arrangement also sounds very good as a duet with a flute or violin.
The song is very easy to play. All the notes are eighth notes, and all the chords are easy and basic, with the sole exception of the G* chord, which is a standard G chord, but with the second string fretted at the third fret, instead of the first string. (Don't play the first string at all in this chord.) This chord is actually easier to play than a standard G, and brings out the melody nicely, too.
I Know That My Redeemer Lives
I know that some of the chord names look odd, but they are not hard to play. C/G simply means, "C, with a G bass." It is played like a normal C chord, but the #6 string is fretted at the third fret, thus giving the chord a G bass note. This gives the chord a fuller sound, and can also be used to bring out the melody, or to simplify transitions to GIII. It's really easy to play if you are playing the C chord as an A barred at the third fret; all you have to do is NOT mute the #6 string! In keeping with my system of notating barre chords with Roman numerals, I call this chord, C/GIII.
Counting the time in this song would be difficult, if you don't know it already. Some of the notes are eighth notes, some are quarter notes, and some are sixteenth notes. I've tried to reduce the confusion a bit by keeping all notes over a word that are played while that word is being sung. (Sung in your head, that is; this is actually a guitar solo.) Sorry if that confuses you. I know several systems for tabbing notes that show the count of each note, and I don't like any of them. At best, they clutter up the tab and make it nearly unreadable; at worst, they are actually misleading. I used to write my tabs as a double staff, like piano music, with the tab on top and classical guitar notation on the bottom. It took way too much time and effort, and people who like tab couldn't read the music anyhow, while those who could read the music didn't need the tab. Futility!
Counting the time in this song would be difficult, if you don't know it already. Some of the notes are eighth notes, some are quarter notes, and some are sixteenth notes. I've tried to reduce the confusion a bit by keeping all notes over a word that are played while that word is being sung. (Sung in your head, that is; this is actually a guitar solo.) Sorry if that confuses you. I know several systems for tabbing notes that show the count of each note, and I don't like any of them. At best, they clutter up the tab and make it nearly unreadable; at worst, they are actually misleading. I used to write my tabs as a double staff, like piano music, with the tab on top and classical guitar notation on the bottom. It took way too much time and effort, and people who like tab couldn't read the music anyhow, while those who could read the music didn't need the tab. Futility!
Devoted to You
by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant. The Everly Brothers' classic 1958 cover of this song topped the Billboard charts in three categories: Pop, Country, and R&B. This is my tabbed version. The original is NOT in the public domain, but I have not been able to track down any source for sheet music, so I feel justified in publishing my own version. If you know how to contact the copyright owners, let me know.* Please remember, these tabs may be used only for personal, non-commercial performance!
Happy Valentine's Day! This song is dedicated to my wife Barbara, my only and forever valentine. While not specifically LDS, the message of eternal love fits perfectly with the Gospel principle of Eternal marriage. Because the song is not in the public domain, I have included only a few of the lyrics-- just enough to establish where you are in the song. If you don't know the song, lyrics are available from any lyrics website.
The first two measures are introduction only; the verse starts in bar three with, "Darling, you can count on me..." and continues through the refrain. At this point, the music returns to the beginning of the verse, with "Through the years...", etc. At the end of this verse, after the phrase, "Devoted to you," there is a finale consisting of a reprise of the introduction. This is a sweet, delicate song; play it slowly, quietly, and crisply.
The GIII barre chords are necessary to bring out the melody; a regular G chord won't work. Fret them by playing an E barred at the third fret. If you are not familiar with my barre chord notation (GIII, for example), please see the link About the tablature.
* If you are the copyright owner please contact me immediately at d.fallick@hotmail.com or by leaving a comment here, or both. It is not my intention to violate your intellectual property rights. I will remove this post immediately, if you wish.
Happy Valentine's Day! This song is dedicated to my wife Barbara, my only and forever valentine. While not specifically LDS, the message of eternal love fits perfectly with the Gospel principle of Eternal marriage. Because the song is not in the public domain, I have included only a few of the lyrics-- just enough to establish where you are in the song. If you don't know the song, lyrics are available from any lyrics website.
The first two measures are introduction only; the verse starts in bar three with, "Darling, you can count on me..." and continues through the refrain. At this point, the music returns to the beginning of the verse, with "Through the years...", etc. At the end of this verse, after the phrase, "Devoted to you," there is a finale consisting of a reprise of the introduction. This is a sweet, delicate song; play it slowly, quietly, and crisply.
The GIII barre chords are necessary to bring out the melody; a regular G chord won't work. Fret them by playing an E barred at the third fret. If you are not familiar with my barre chord notation (GIII, for example), please see the link About the tablature.
* If you are the copyright owner please contact me immediately at d.fallick@hotmail.com or by leaving a comment here, or both. It is not my intention to violate your intellectual property rights. I will remove this post immediately, if you wish.
Do What Is Right
I love this song, partly because it is so easy to play that it just seems to come naturally. This version is good for beginners. Only standard chords are used, except that G is fretted: 32003x, to bring out the melody. It's not a great change from the standard G. I like to use the full-barre F, but it's not necessary; the four-string F will also work. There are no hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, tremolos, or harmonics, just simple, standard guitar picking. But it still sounds good. The two-note chords are called pinches, and are always played with the thumb and middle finger of the right hand. They are necessary for the changing emphasis that gives the piece its slightly syncopated rhythm.
In this song, I have departed from my practice of following the layout as printed in Hymns. It's definitely in public domain, so the included lyrics can help even a neophyte keep his or her place. By adding one measure per line, I was able to keep the whole song on a single page. This makes it easier to use the print-out when practicing.
In this song, I have departed from my practice of following the layout as printed in Hymns. It's definitely in public domain, so the included lyrics can help even a neophyte keep his or her place. By adding one measure per line, I was able to keep the whole song on a single page. This makes it easier to use the print-out when practicing.
Etude in Am by Don Fallick
Happy Birthday to me! Herewith, one of the few original songs I've ever written. It was inspired by the first four notes of Greensleeves, but uses a very different chord progression, and is meant to be played considerably faster. Sounds best if played with the fingernails, classical style, or use the lower end of the strings, for a twangy sound. Easy Intermediate level. Uses standard chords and barre chords (F, G, and Am only), with only a couple of hammer-ons.
Tuning
Yeah, it's a pain. But it's less of a pain if you know what you are doing, and WHY you are doing it. After playing the guitar for forty-five years, I read Paul Guy's little treatise on guitar tuning, cut my time (and frustration) in half, and increased my pleasure in playing by a huge amount. Who'd have thought that just learning to tune the guitar properly could have such an effect?
Paul is a luthier (guitar-maker) and a world-renowned expert. His web site also contains interesting histories of the guitar and of tuning theory, if you get as hung up as I did after reading his tuning article. Why didn't somebody tell me all this forty years ago? Click on the "Tuning the Guitar" link, which takes you directly to Paul's web site.
Paul is a luthier (guitar-maker) and a world-renowned expert. His web site also contains interesting histories of the guitar and of tuning theory, if you get as hung up as I did after reading his tuning article. Why didn't somebody tell me all this forty years ago? Click on the "Tuning the Guitar" link, which takes you directly to Paul's web site.
How Firm a Foundation
Happy New Year!
In line with new beginnings and all that, I decided to publish a song about foundations, which are the beginnings of things, and about the One true foundation of all good things, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Enjoy!
This may be the easiest tab you will learn during the coming year. It's in the key of C, but without the troublesome barre chords. Even the F chord leaves out the barre. What's not to love?
There are only four chords in the whole song, but two of them may look strange to you. should be read as, "F with a C bass." It's a normal F chord, but with the C note added in the bass (on the 5th string) to bring out the melody. You can also leave out the F note on the 1st string altogether, as it only distracts from the melody line, incidentally making a nice-sounding chord that's really easy to play. G/D is exactly the same chord, played two frets higher. So there are really only three chords in the song.
The chord changes are very easy. In fact, there almost aren't any, as the melody can be worked in from the C hand position, without actually changing chords, most of the time. For this reason, I've left out most of the chord changes. Even the next-to-last chord, the G7, is only played once, and you can safely leave out the F note on the 1st string, as it distracts from the melody.
This is a great song for beginners to learn tab reading and hymn playing. It can be strummed with the thumb or with a flat pick, for a more brittle sound. Strum ALL chords, even if they only have two or three notes. This helps pick up the rhythm, which is "built in" to the tab. If you know the song, don't worry about the rhythm; just think about the song and strum along. It'll come out right "automatically."
I like to add the slide and pull-offs where shown, but they are not strictly necessary. If they give you trouble, just play the notes and forget the slide and pull-offs until you get a bit more experience with them. It's a good way to start the year with LDS solo guitar music.
In line with new beginnings and all that, I decided to publish a song about foundations, which are the beginnings of things, and about the One true foundation of all good things, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Enjoy!
This may be the easiest tab you will learn during the coming year. It's in the key of C, but without the troublesome barre chords. Even the F chord leaves out the barre. What's not to love?
There are only four chords in the whole song, but two of them may look strange to you. should be read as, "F with a C bass." It's a normal F chord, but with the C note added in the bass (on the 5th string) to bring out the melody. You can also leave out the F note on the 1st string altogether, as it only distracts from the melody line, incidentally making a nice-sounding chord that's really easy to play. G/D is exactly the same chord, played two frets higher. So there are really only three chords in the song.
The chord changes are very easy. In fact, there almost aren't any, as the melody can be worked in from the C hand position, without actually changing chords, most of the time. For this reason, I've left out most of the chord changes. Even the next-to-last chord, the G7, is only played once, and you can safely leave out the F note on the 1st string, as it distracts from the melody.
This is a great song for beginners to learn tab reading and hymn playing. It can be strummed with the thumb or with a flat pick, for a more brittle sound. Strum ALL chords, even if they only have two or three notes. This helps pick up the rhythm, which is "built in" to the tab. If you know the song, don't worry about the rhythm; just think about the song and strum along. It'll come out right "automatically."
I like to add the slide and pull-offs where shown, but they are not strictly necessary. If they give you trouble, just play the notes and forget the slide and pull-offs until you get a bit more experience with them. It's a good way to start the year with LDS solo guitar music.
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