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.
4 comments:
I've been following you for a long time, but never actually broke any of these out to learn them. But, now, you've hit my weak spot. This is my all-tie favorite hymn. I'm definitely gonna learn this one. I'll report back on how well I do!
Great, Mark! I'll be interested in your comments. Let me know if you like the pattern-picking arrangement. I play classical-style, using the fingers, but some people like to use a pick and play mostly chords. What's your style?
okay, so i've been searching for a VERY long time for Come Thou Fount tabs, and they were a lot of ridiculous arrangements and chords people were using...anyway, THANK YOU for your help. i'm following you so i don't lose track of this wonderful collection you have going here. would you mind if i put a link for your blog on my own blog? http://simplycleave.blogspot.com/
Please DO post a link on your blog, Brittany Michelle! Glad you like my arrangements. So far, they're just mine, though I've asked Duane Hyatt to post his original version of "Follow the Prophet." If you know of any really neat arrangements that would fit here, let me know. I may invite the author to guest post.
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