I Feel My Savior's Love

Merry Christmas from Jason Booth!

Just in time for Christmas, Jason emailed me and offered this tab and video.  I think you'll agree that both are fantastic.  Here's the tab, and Jason's comments, both published with his  permission.  There's also a video of Jason playing the piece [HERE].  This arrangement is NOT in the Public Domain, but Jason has generously offered them to the blog.  Same rules apply as for my tabs.  Thank you, Jason.

Jason describes himself thus:  I'm a married, father of four, mechanical engineer, who loves all things guitar related.  I've been playing for about 17 years.  I've accompanied people in talent shows and at different church functions.  I just think the guitar is wonderful.  I actually am in the process of building my own acoustic guitar, but since I work on it when I'm not busy with my kids the process is a couple of years in the works so far.

I wrote a couple of paragraphs about playing the song.  That was harder than I thought it would be.  Let me know if something doesn't make sense.  Here they are:

The song is originally written in the key of F.  This arrangement is in the key of D, to get to F you just need to put a capo on the 3rd fret.  In my video I have the capo on the 2^nd fret because that’s the range that fit my daughter’s voice the best.  The tab is written for a guitar tuned to DADGBE, regular tuning with the low E string dropped to a D.  [This is often called, "drop D tuning"-- Don]

The song requires the use of the barred C-form chord.  Because the low string is dropped to a D it makes a couple of strange barred chords that take a bit of practice to be able to go to smoothly, like the G in measure 10 and the F#m in measure 11.  Because the song is finger picked you can cheat a little bit though.  You don’t have to have all of your fingers in place at the beginning of the measure, just the ones that are needed for the first note.  Then the fingers in place act as an anchor to help the others land in the correct position.  That’s the technique I use going from the D5 in measure 9 to the G in measure 10.  I make sure my 1st finger is on the 6th string at the 5th fret and my 3rd finger is on the 1st sting at the 7^th fret at the start of the measure then I have a whole extra beat to get my other two in place.  I do the same thing for the F#m in the 11^th measure.

I added a couple of beats to measures 13 and 17 to account for a couple of notes that are usually held longer by the person singing the song and I liked the way it sounded.  If you end up playing along with someone who is playing on the piano you’ll need to make some adjustments there. To start the song I play the end of the song starting on the last note of measure 13 as an intro.  I end the song with a slow strum of the full D chord, ending on the 2nd string, a D.

Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd

Another beautiful, easy one, and one of my favorites, though it's not very popular in English-speaking congregations.  I almost published it in Spanish, where it's called, Ama el Pastor las ovejas, as it seems to be a perennial favorite in Spanish-speaking congregations.  I didn't do that, because most of my English-speaking readers probably are not fluent in Spanish, and any Spanish-speaker who reads this blog must be bilingual anyway.  Nor am I fluent with the Latin system of chord and note names.  This song is so simple and easy, assuming you can play a few barre chords, that it would be a shame to clutter it up with chords like do/sol or la menor. (C/G or Am).  I have included the Spanish lyrics,  in italics, as an apology to my Spanish-speaking friends.

I set the metronome time signature at 92 eighth-notes per minute, NOT quarter-notes, as is more usual.  If you try to play it at 46 quarter-notes per minute, you'll know why.  It's true, 46 quarter-notes should be equal to 96 eighth-notes, but there is such a long time between beats that it's impossible to follow.  I could have cut each measure in half and made quarter-notes of them, which is musically correct, but looks way too busy, and it would push the ends of the second phrase onto the next line.  You can't have everything, so I opted for ease of playing.

The chords called out in the tab are often just to position the left-hand fingers.  If you try to strum the song as a sing-along, you'll find there are chords missing, and others in the wrong place.  Only strum the chords when a strum is indicated.

There's a pattern to the song.  The first measure of each line is a strummed chord, followed by a little melody.  The second measure is two strummed chords, held for three beats each.  (Sometimes, it's easier to make the second chord a single note.)  The third measure is similar to the first, and the fourth measure is a single strum, held for all six counts.  The only exception is in the fifth line, where there are three grace notes constituting a a bass run down the strings.  I might have left it out, but it's in the original music as composed by William James Kirkpatrick, and I wanted to stick as closely to the original score as I could.  Besides, it's a nice touch.

This is one of the most straightforward tabs you’ll find on this blog.  There are practically no instructions needed.  Strum the chords where indicated.  All other notes are to be plucked or pinched.  You could play the whole piece with a flat-pick without any changes.

All notes on the second string (the B string) at or above the IV fret should be fretted with the left pinkie.  If your pinkie isn’t up to it-- practice!  You’ll be glad you did, as it’s just not convenient to play these notes any other way, and it’s easy to fret them with the pinkie, once your pinkie is strong enough.

You don’t have to play all (or any) of the pull-offs as pull-offs.  You may find it easier to pluck them with the right fingers or pick them individually, but I think the ligado effect of the pull-off adds a nice touch, and is really easy to do.

Nearly all the chords are played as full, five- or six-string chords, except where the tab calls out a “short” chord to emphasize the melody.  Even in these, “short” chords, it’s easiest to fret the full chord with the left hand, but only strum the strings indicated with the right hand or pick.  One way to accomplish this easily is to stop the strum after playing the last string, allowing the thumb or ball of the hand to rest on the strings NOT played, damping them in case of accidental contact.

Easy as this song looks, you may be tempted to substitute easy, “basic” C, G, G7, and F chords for C/G, GIII, G7III, and the full-barred F.  DON’T DO IT!  Even if you’re just accompanying a singer, the music will not follow the melody, and the song will sound way over-simplified.  That’s why this is not listed as beginner level.

Testimony

This is another of those simple little tunes that are SO HARD to play!  The big problem, for most, will be the extensive use of barre chords, especially in the barred A-form and the barred C-form.  These forms often give troubles to those who are not completely comfortable with barring.  I have tried to keep this song as playable as possible, while staying true to the music.  You’ll know how well I did when you play the song.

I generally just hate to split a measure between lines, and also dislike splitting a lligado between two measures, yet I have done both simultaneously in this piece.  My only excuse is, I couldn't find a better way to write it.  I guess the editors of Hymns couldn't either, as they did the same thing in the same place.  There are several places where you have to move fast to get from one chord to the next.  All I can suggest is, practice the transitions until you can do them fluently, then worry about how they relate to the rest of the song.

The first one comes at the end of the second measure, where you have to go from the 2nd string, 1st space, to the FV chord, which is a C-shape barred in the 5th space.  To make it easier, I’ve elected to use only the first four strings of the FV chord, so you only have to barre three strings.  Still, this may be an unfamiliar shape to you, and you have to move from the 1st position to the 5th position in a heartbeat, and nail the FV chord all at once.  Practice, practice, practice!  You need to get this down pat, as there’s a far worse transition coming in the second line.

The chord change from FV to CIII is also not easy, especially if you are not comfortable with barred A-shape chords.  CIII is one of the most common variants of this shape, so you may already be familiar with it.  I use it here for two reasons:  it enhances the melody line, and, by adding an intermediate step between the FV and the following C chord, it actually makes that transition easier.

The C - FI - GIII chord progression should be easy enough for anyone using this blog, as it is basic to better than 90% of the tabs here.  But don’t get too complacent.  The second line is harder, though I’ve tried to make it as easy as possible. 

The biggest jump in the song comes right at the end of the second measure, when you have to slide all the way from 1st position to eighth position to hit the FVIII, a barred A-shape in the eighth space.  In reality, it’s no worse than hitting any other A-shape barre chord, you just have to move your hand up the neck a bit faster.  Actually, it may even be easier than the CIII you played in the first line, because the frets are closer together at the high end of the fretboard.

The change from FVIII to CVIII is actually one of the easier changes in the piece.  Just leave the barre where it is, and change from an A-shape to an E-shape.  I have elected to use the E on the open 1st string, instead of the same note on the 4th string, 10th space, which is already being fretted, because it forces you to release the barre, giving you a full quarter-note beat to move back to first position. 

The pull-off in the penultimate (next-to-last) measure has a similar function, easing the transition to GaddD.  This is actually a very easy chord to play, being based on the standard, first position G chord.  In fact, it’s even easier than a standard G chord, because your fingers don’t have to stretch as far.  Just remember not to play the 1st string, as the open E will sound discordant.


The transition to the following C/G (C, with a G bass), is very nearly a standard C chord, with the addition of the G on the bass string.  This gives the chord a fuller sound, but you can play a regular C if your hand is tired.

I like to repeat the last phrase, “O Father of my soul,” as a brief coda after the last full verse.  You can also use it as an introduction, if you wish, though I think it’s a bit too much, considering the brevity of the song.  If you do use it as a coda, I recommend playing GIII, in place of the GaddD, for it’s fuller sound, and slightly different harmony.

Copyrights to this song are held by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Please respect them.  There are other verses, but since this intended as a guitar solo, you can repeat as many times (or as few) as you like.  I think this song would make a dynamite duet with a bowed instrument such as a violin or cello, but have not tried it.  If you do play it as a duet, email me and let me know how it goes.  A digital recording would be even better.

I Stand All Amazed

This is a beautiful song, and one of the most beautiful things about it is that it is much easier to play than it seems-- if you play it in the right key.  The original is in Bb, which is really hard to play on the guitar, and not much better on the piano.  I play it in C, which is much easier, and sounds better on the guitar, anyway.  If you must have it in Bb, tune all six strings down two frets and play it as written, and it’ll come out in Bb.

You can really make people cry with this song if you play it as a duet with a violin.  To do that, you must both be playing in the same key.  Either tune the guitar down two frets, or the violinist will have to transpose into C.  LDS.org has a transposer for this song, located HERE.  Open the link, open the "Key" drop-down menu in the left-hand column,and type in, C.  The ap will do the rest for you.  A good violinist may be able to play it without the sheet music.

[FOR THE VIOLINIST:  there are a few F chords in the piece, that are not called out in the guitar tab, as no actual chords are played, only single notes.  F is  considered a hard chord to play by some guitarists.]

Nearly the whole song is played from some variant of a C or G chord.  Of the 22 strums in the song, 21 are either a variation of the basic C chord, or the G or G7.  The other is a simple Dm.  Don’t let the unusual names of these chords discourage you.  They are all played as a normal C chord, with one additional note added with the little finger.  There are a few transitions that can be tricky if you don’t play them right, but they are not hard if you know the trick. 

It took me less than 24 hours to tab the whole song, including creating the guitar arrangement.  There are no barre chords.  There are a few ligados, but all can be played as straight notes if you have trouble with hammer-ons or pull-offs.  Nevertheless, the piece does not sound over-simplified.

Study notes:

Strum the chords with the thumb, or with a flat pick.  You can pick out the melody notes the same way.  A flat pick makes a twangy sound, which gives the piece a bit of a “Country Gospel” feeling, while using the thumb gives a mellower, semi-classical sound.

In the first line, all of the 2nd fret notes are fretted by flattening the middle finger of the left hand, briefly, without releasing the chord.  Since all but the last chord in the line are versions of C, this allows the other strings to continue ringing while the melody is picked out in individual notes-- a beautiful technique.  That last chord is a G7, which is not much of a change from a C shape--a really easy transition.

Don’t try to hold the G7 throughout the second line.   You’ll need to release the chord and just concentrate on picking out the melody.  Remember, fret the notes in the first fret with the index finger, the second fret with the middle finger, and the third fret with the ring finger, and it’ll make the notes just naturally fall into place with very little practice.

The first two measures of the third line are identical to the corresponding measures of the first line, but the melody is different in the last two measures.  You will need to fret the notes not found in the C chord with the little finger, again.  The GaddD chord is played very much like a normal G, except that the ring finger goes on the second string instead of the first string, which is not played.  If anything, it’s even easier to play than a normal G, because you don’t have to stretch as far.

Maintain the GaddD into the fourth line, then release it and fret the melody notes with the “proper” fingers, as in line 2.  The only remotely difficult transition in the whole song comes at the end of this line, when you have to change from the A note (2nd fret, 3rd string) to the G7 chord in the space of an eighth-note.  The trick is to co-ordinate the right and left hand so the note is damped by the left finger coming off the string, just an instant after the right hand plucks it.  This technique, called, “finger-damping,” is used in a lot of blues guitar playing, as well as in classical guitar.  It produces a short, staccato effect, but here, it is used more to get you out of the note and into the chord quickly and harmoniously, than for the sound.

The last two lines reprise the techniques of the first and third lines:  hold the C-shape chords and allow the strings to ring while playing the following melody notes.  There are no difficult transitions in these lines, but remember that most of the notes are actually eighth-notes.  Counting numbers are provided if you are not completely familiar with the song. 

When sung as a vocal piece, this hymn has three verses, but that doesn’t mean you have to play it through three times, if you don’t want to.  Once, twice, or even four times may sound better to you.  Since this is intended as an instrumental solo, you can also play around with the rhythm in the last two lines, holding some of the notes extra long for emphasis.  I like to hold the Dm, especially the last time around, then play the last measure in half-time.  That gives the chord progression a really cool sound.

About the song:

There does not seem to be a cool back-story to this hymn-- not surprising, considering that the songwriter and lyricist, Charles H. Gabriel, wrote 7000 or 8000 others.  He was a professional hymn writer, who published his works under many pseudonyms.  Not all those aliases are known with equal certainty, hence the uncertainty about the number of his creations.  He also wrote the music to many other familiar songs, including, “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?”  "I Stand All Amazed" is in the public domain.

Danny Boy-- guitar/mandolin duet

This is a great tune for a duet, but each of the parts can be played alone, too.  I know it's not really Gospel-related, and is rather Catholic in tone, referring as it does to "saying an ave" (pronounced AH-vay), which is how some Catholics refer to the prayer which in Latin begins, "Ave Maria".  In English, it's called a "Hail Mary." 

Actually, the tune is far older than the words associated with it, and makes a really lovely instrumental duet.  The tune was collected in County Londonderry (or Derry) in what is now Northern Ireland, in the mid-1800s, and was so old even then that no one even knew its name, so the collector just referred to it as "The Londonderry Air."  The tune is in the public domain.  The lyrics were written by Frederic Weatherly, and originally set to a completely different tune.  In 1913, he adapted it to fit the Londonderry Air, so the song Danny Boy, as we now know it, is only 100 years old.  But in that century, it has become so popular that hardly anyone remembers the previous version or name.

The mandolin is tuned exactly like the violin, so you could substitute a violin for the mandolin part.  Or you could, if I had used mandolin musical notation instead of tablature.  But there are countless violin versions available in sheet music, and I couldn't find any in tab.  If you're an accomplished mandolin player, you're doubtless used to reading sheet music, but for those who, like me, are not accomplished, I've provided tab.  Either part can also be played separately as a solo.

The piece is actually not difficult for the guitarist who can play standard barre chords.  It uses only barred E-shape chords, except for CaddE and CaddD near the end.  Both are based on the CVIII chord, and can be played that way, if your fingers are long, or your guitar is small.  Otherwise, just play the first four strings of those chords, as written.  I have a 3/4 size classical guitar which I use for teaching very young students, and it works perfectly for me to play the full chords (all six strings), and still reach the 12th fret with my little finger.

I've added a reprise of the last line, as a finale, ending with CVIII. I like to end on a rising note, but you can leave off the finale if you prefer the C/G resolution.


 

I Know My Father Lives

Copyright LDS.  Here’s another of those “simple-sounding” Primary songs that are anything but simple to play.

This one has only five chords, and few chord changes-- more’s the pity, as some of those chords are physically quite demanding to hold! DO NOT attempt this song unless you are completely comfortable with  barre chords.  You’ll screw up the song, and maybe give yourself tendinitis.

This song uses the barred-E shape, the barred-C shape, and the barred-A shape.   If you are not comfortable holding these shapes, please learn them perfectly before starting.  You could  injure your hand if you cannot relax it while holding them.  I got tendinitis from playing wrong, and had to quit for two years. ‘Nuff said?           

Actually, the hardest chord change in the whole piece uses the only NON-barre chord, and it happens in the worst possible spot:  right at the end, when you must move from the tenth position to the  first position, in the space of an eighth-note!  To help with this transition, I’ve used the open e string for the preceding note.  The advantage is obvious.  The disadvantage is that it’s easy to buzz against the e-string with your hand, especially if you have short fingers like I do. 

The solution is practice.  Amateurs practice until they can hit the chord every time.  Pros practice until they cannot miss.  This chord change gives me trouble.  Here’s the regimen I use:

    PRACTICE TO PERFECTION

1.  Practice the whole phrase at half speed, using a metronome, until you can do it perfectly ten times in a row.  If you blow it even once, start over.

2.  Repeat #1 at full speed.  In this case, “full speed” is what sounds right to YOU.

3.  Repeat #2, plus the preceding phrase, until you can do them both perfectly ten times in a row.

4.  Repeat #2, with the following phrase, ten times in a row.

5.  Repeat with the preceding AND following phrases together, ten times in a row.

6.  Practice the whole song at full speed, without the metronome, until you can play the whole song without thinking about it.  If you goof even once, you haven’t really learned it yet.  Start over with #1.  If you don’t goof, but you have to think about it, you haven’t really learned it yet.  Keep practicing until the whole song is automatic.  It’s automatic if you can do something else (like carry on a conversation or  look around at your audience) while playing, without messing up.

This is a great method for memorizing ANYTHING.  I used it as a Temple missionary, when I had to learn all the temple ordinances, word perfect, in four languages.  It works.  There are other methods of memorization, but this is the fastest way to perfection.  You do want to be perfect, don’t you?  Now, you know how.  Yes, it’s a lot of drudgery.  What did you expect, magic?  The magic is what YOU DO with the piece, AFTER you have perfected it.  THAT’S what makes the song sound simple.

When I Am Baptized

I have recently received several requests for this Primary song. It was played at my grandson’s recent baptism. Another grandson will be baptized soon, so I couldn’t resist these requests.

It’s an easy song, too, with only one barre chord, a few pull-offs, and a slide. If you don’t like barre chords, you can substitute GaddD for GIII. The pull-offs can also be eliminated, too, if they give you trouble, and you can simply leave out the slide, making this a very easy, beginner level song.

Tips:

In measure [3], if you fret the D note in the third fret, second string with your ring finger, you’ll be all set up for the GIII chord (or the GaddD chord, if you choose to substitute) in the next measure. The pull-off in [5] is tricky, if you try to hold the other two notes while doing the pull-off. I just release the whole chord, sort of nicking the third string as I do, to make the pull-off.

The second line is a virtual duplicate of measures [2] - [5], except for an extra D note in [7].
In the Chorus, the D chords are for reference only. You don’t actually fret a full chord; just fret the D note on the second string with your index finger. This makes it possible to play the D/F# which follows by fretting the fourth string with the ring finger. That sets up the left hand to barre the first four strings in the fourth fret with the ring finger, in preparation for the slide in [12]. You can certainly omit the slide if you wish, but it sounds really neat.

Measure [14] is identical to [10], and [15] is very similar. You don’t have to fret either the D or the C chord. Just fret the second string with the index finger in the first space, and with the ring finger in the third space, as needed. The pull-off in [16] is easy, or it can be played normally, as desired. Repeat for a second verse if you wish. Many of the chords shown are for reference only, and may not go well with a singer or piano accompaniment, if you try to strum them.

New English-Spanish hymn list

For those who do not speak Spanish, an English translation follows the Spanish text.

Tabla de los títulos y números de los himnos, en inglés y español: se llama "Himnos y hymns".

He complido una lista comparativa de los himnos españoles y ingléses. Ahora incluye todos los himnos del hinario español, y todos los himnos en inglés, en una tabla de 48 páginas. Incluye cuatro tablas separadas, organizadas por sus nombres y por sus números en español, y también por sus nombres y números en inglés. También se incluyen los catorce himnos españoles que no se encuentran en el himnario inglés, y los 146 himnos en inglés, sin equivalentes en español.

Estos números son poco engañosos. Catorce de esos himnos en inglés son realmente arreglos musicales alternativas, arreglados especialmente para las voces masculinas o femininas. Entonces son duplicados de otros himnos ingléses que les traducen en el himnario español. El número exacto depende de cómo cuenteles.


Table of English and Spanish hymns, titles, and hymn numbers:  it's called, "Himnos y hymns".

I have updated and completed my comparative list of Spanish- and English-language hymns. It now includes ALL the Spanish and ALL the English hymns, in a table that is 48 pages long. It includes four separate tables, organized by Spanish name, Spanish Hymn number, English name, and English Hymn number. Also included are the fourteen Spanish hymns not found in the English hymnal, and the 146 English hymns without Spanish equivalents.

These numbers are a bit deceptive. Fourteen of those English hymns are actually alternate musical arrangements for men’s or women’s voices, and thus are duplicates of other English hymns that do have Spanish translations. The exact number depends on how you count them.

Love at Home

You can hear a dynamite guitar version by Michael Dowdle HERE. There are two versions.  I prefer the first one, but I’m not up to playing it.  If enough of you are interested, I’ll try to get him to share.  Comment on this post if you’re interested.  No promises though-- I don’t know him, except by reputation.  My version is NOT as awesome as Michael Dowdle’s, and is not based on his. In fact, I hadn't heard his version until after I wrote mine.  Mine is also not easy, but FAR easier than his, and the tab is free. 

Instructions:
The first verse is pretty straightforward.  Just thumb strum the chords as shown.  C/G  (also called C with a G Bass) is easy; just fret the #6 string with your pinkie.  In measure [3], fret the second note by flattening the middle finger across the second string briefly.  One word of caution: play ONLY the notes shown!  Strumming the whole chord will cause the melody to be lost.  Pay attention to the count.  I have left out most of the “ands” except where needed for clarity, as putting them all in makes the tab hard to read.  But you should be counting it as, “ONE-and-two-and-THREE-and-four-and” for EVERY measure.  There are a few “extra” notes that are not part of the melody, as in measure [6].

Measure [14] looks a little odd.  You play the first note  (on the 2nd string), then s-l-o-w strum the F chord.  In measure [20], be sure to play the G7III as written.  The F note on the 2nd string is needed for the melody, but playing it as a normal G7 doesn’t sound as good and requires lots more hand movement.  In the next measure, you may have to release the C chord in order to make the hammer-on at the end of the measure.

In measure [23] you may have trouble doing the pull-off as written.  Here’s a trick for making it easy:  release the whole G7III chord while doing the pull-off.  Works like a champ! 

While you are doing this, reposition the right hand to play the arpeggio in measure [24] as a finger-pick.  Remember to play this measure twice.  Accent the “1” beat the first time, and the “3” beat the second, and no one will know you’re just repeating the same measure. This sets you up to finger-pick the rest of the second verse (except where strums are indicated), making the key change to D as simple as any other chord change. 

If you don’t like arpeggios, you can omit measure [24] entirely. If you do, you’ll have to change chords, change keys, and re-orient your right hand, all at the same time, and your audience will be surprised by the changes. Their attention will switch from the music to your playing, and they’ll lose the beautiful feeling of the hymn.  A couple of bars of  transition will keep their attention on the music, where it belongs.

Measure [25] consists of four pairs of notes. Lightly accent the first note of each pair, as these are the melody notes.  Watch for similar patterns of note-pairs throughout the rest of the song, and treat them the same way, lightly accenting the melody notes.  Perform the slide in [26] by barring the neck of the guitar with the index finger, forming an F#II chord, then slide the whole chord up a fret to G7III. 
The next two measures are pretty straightforward, but pay attention to the count in [27], and play the second and third notes of that measure with the thumb.  Measure [29] is counted similarly, except there’s a slide on the first string instead of the hammer-on in [27].  There are two ways to do the slide.  You can fret all the first string notes with the middle finger, if you like.  I end up missing the slide note if I do this, so I play both the notes of the slide with the little finger, reserving the middle finger for the notes in the second fret.  Please yourself.  Play the bass runs in [30], [31], and [32] with the thumb, as a slow strum.

In [33], play the first two strings with the right ring and middle fingers, respectively.  In [34, I hold the D chord throughout the measure, lifting the middle finger just long enough to do the hammer-on, and playing the bass runs with the thumb, as previously.  Watch out for the first note in [35], which is played open, to follow the melody.

The A to A7 chord change in the next measure is really easy.  Just lift up your left middle finger.  Measure [37] has a tricky part.  The hammer-on is done twice as fast as all the others, to sound as “grace notes”.  That is, both notes together count as the “&”.  Watch the timing in [39].  The first two notes are held for the full “one-and” count, making it sound like the tempo slows briefly to half time.  It doesn’t, actually, it just sounds like it.

The double-string hammer-on in [40] looks harder than it is.  It’s a fast one like in [37].  Just place the ring finger on the second string, as in a normal D chord and strum the first four strings, then hammer-on the ring and index fingers.  Watch out for the pinches in [41], and the strums in [42] and [43], which are held.

The AII in [40] is an unusual chord.  Bar the first four strings in the second space, just as if you were going to play A7II, but fret the #1 string in the fifth space with the little finger.  This is somewhat easier to do if you are using the capo to raise the pitch of the guitar, as the frets are significantly closer together.  Play A7II normally, using either the middle or ring finger in the third space.

Play [45] and [46] just like [37] and [38].  The arpeggios in the next line serve the same function as in [24], preparing the audience for the upcoming key change.  But there’s a difference in [50].  Instead of playing the final G note at the fifth fret of the fourth string, lift the left hand entirely off the strings and play the third string open.  This makes the transition to C in [51] dead easy.

Back to the key of C again for the third verse. 

Play [51] and [52] as written.  In [52] you could substitute an easier, four-string F for the six-string one shown in the chord charts, since all the notes in the measure are on the first four strings only.  I don’t bother, since all the other Fs need the six-string version.  Your choice.  There’s a trick in [53].  Flatten the middle finger across the third string in the second space to follow the melody line.  It’s not hard to do, but it is easy to forget.

The following two measures use pinches that are done with the middle and ring fingers of the right hand.  Play the bass runs with the right hand thumb, in a slow strum.  If you wish, you can strum the last four notes of [54] up, with the middle finger, or finger-pick them normally.  The strummed chords in [55] and [56] are played as in the first verse.  Play the next two measures as shown, and play all the three note pinches in the next measures with the index, middle, and ring fingers, regardless of which strings are used.

Release the G7 chord after the second beat in [62], to put in the ligado riff on the second string.  The timing is a bit tricky, as the words of the lyrics fall “off the beat.”  Technically, though, it’s just a hammer-on, followed by two pull-offs.  Don’t be tempted to make these ligados too fast.  Each represents an eighth-note, just like most of the hammer-ons in this song.  Similarly, the long underscore in [63] does NOT indicate the timing of the hammer-on.  I had to lengthen it only because the written form of the lyrics (“there’s One”) required the extra spaces.

Measure [64]  has another of those slow-strummed bass runs, as in [14] in the first verse.  [67] through [70] slow way down, by holding each of the chords, or even individual notes, for two full counts-- “one-and-two-and” or even for the whole measure, as in measures [42] - [44].

The second string pull-off in [74] is easier if you remove the entire hand from the fretboard during the pull-off, but don’t pull-off the other strings!  No tricks in [75] and [76].  Just play as written, and try to sustain that final chord through all four beats.  You can substitute a regular C chord for the C/G if it’s hard for you to sustain, but the full sound of the C/G certainly sounds better for an ending.

Window to His Love

For my money, this is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. I'm sure it was originally conceived as a song about the missionary experience, but in reality, it also applies to any disciple of Christ. We all need to make ourselves into “a window to His love.”

This song is an excellent example of how barre chords can actually make a song easier to play. Six of the ten chords used are actually just two barre chords, played at different frets. Even that doesn’t tell the whole story, as the barred E-shape, barred Am-shape, and barred Am7-shape are so similar that they might as well all be one chord, thus cutting the number of chords used in half. Even the barred A-shape found in the CIII chord, while more difficult than the other barre chords in this song, actually makes the transition from GIII easier and faster than it would be if you used a normal C chord. You can substitute the four-string F-shape played in the III and V spaces some of the time, which I admit is easier, but it doesn’t work all the time. If you’re going to have to learn to play the full-barre versions anyway, why not play all six strings all the time?

Unlike most of my other tabs, this one is meant to be played as an accompaniment to a singer. If the singer wants a break after the chorus following Verse 2, just go directly to the Intro before playing Verse 3. You may even decide to insert the extra Intro yourself, just to show off. It sounds really cool with all the ligados, but is not especially hard to do. Just be sure to warn the vocalist!

INTRO:

Played right, the Intro sounds lovely and delicate. To avoid confusion, I’m going to refer to the fingers of the RIGHT hand as T, I, M, and R (for Thumb, Index, Middle, and Ring), and the fingers of the LEFT hand as numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 (for Index, Middle, Ring, and Pinkie, respectively). If you play left-handed, just reverse that. If you are a classical guitarist, and think I should stick to the Spanish p, i, m, a -- Sorry! Most of my readers don’t speak Spanish, and are not classically trained. That’s why the song is in tablature.

The lead finger in the first measure (and in most others) is the R finger. This begins a pattern-pick that continues throughout the Intro, and the brief reprises throughout the song. The first four notes of the measure are played normally, followed by a double-ligado: a hammer-on and immediate pull-off, counted as, “5-&-6”, using the #1 finger. The last two notes of the measure are counted and played normally, using the fingers specified in the tab.

The M finger leads in the second measure, and the double-ligado is done with the #2 or #3 finger, which ever is easiest for you. To do this, hold the barre with the #1 finger after the third note, but release the rest of the chord, to free the other fingers of the left hand. Release the barre after the double-ligado to play the open B string at the end of the measure. This kind of left hand finger-dancing only needs to be done when playing the full-barre F chord. If it seems excessive to you, you may find it easier to play the normal, (four-string) F chord, and fret the bass E string with the #4 finger briefly.

The third measure of the Intro is exactly like the first, and the final measure is played straight, holding the fifth note for three counts (5-6-7). Lead this final measure with the R finger again.

Measure [5] is also played straight. If you are not accompanying a singer, and you want a more delicate effect, just play the treble string of each chord, using an R finger lead, instead of the three-string pinches. These single notes will get lost if the vocalist has a strong voice. Measure [6] is fingered like measure [2], releasing the fingers first, then the barre at the end, for the note on the open string. Play measure [7] straight.

Measure [8] is not difficult, but watch out for the brief slide on the treble e-string. It’s just there for a bit of expression, and is not part of the count. You don’t even have to slide all the way down to the next note. In measure [9], hold the Am chord for 1-1/2 counts (one-and-two), then pick up the note on the open e-string with an upward picking motion, followed immediately by two downward strums of the whole chord, to the beat of “DUM, da-Dum, Dum”, like the word, “pumpernickle”.

Measure [10] is split between lines. Sorry, there just was no better way to print it, for various obscure, technical reasons. The last half of the measure has a downward T strum that stops at the 3rd string. Play the next note on the B string with the thumb. It’s much easier that way. Play measures [11], [12], and [13a] straight, then go back to begin the second verse with measure [5]. continue to measure [12] again, but the second time, continue with [13b] through [33a], while the singer sings the second verse and the chorus.

CHORUS:

Starting in measure [13b] through [31], the guitar will be the same for verses 2 and 3. Play the tremolo at the end of [13b] with the #3 finger, to ease the transition to the full barre in the V space. You can substitute a Dm chord for the Dm7v called out in measure [14] if it’s easier for you, but the Dm7v chord has a softer sound, which I find especially appropriate to underscore the word, “Love.” It’s actually slightly easier to play, too, as you are fretting one fewer string.

Through measure [28] the tab is straightforward, but in [29] you don’t actually play the full GIII chord. You only need to barre all the strings with the #1 finger, in the III space. Fret the notes in the V space with the #4 finger, and those in the IV space with the #3 finger. This may seem like doing it the hard way, but if you’re already able to play barre chords, you’ll probably find it easier than trying to hit all the notes rapidly by finger dancing.

The double-ligado in [30] is made by sliding the #4 finger up and down the neck one fret, in a move that is technically called a mordant. It doesn’t sound any better than the hammer-on/pull-off used in the rest of the song, but if you’ve been playing along with the tab, you’ll have run out of fingers, so the mordant is the only option.

Measures [31] through [33a] are played pretty much like the last three measures of the Intro, with only slight variation in the initial pinches of each measure. You can play them identically to the Intro, if you like, and most likely no one will know or care. Then go back and play the whole verse and chorus over again, while the singer sings the third verse and chorus, ending with measures [32b] through [34]. Measure [32b] is actually played the same as [32a], but the singer does not end the measure by singing the word “I.” The next measure is nearly identical to [6], and can be played that way if you like, but the pace is very different. You begin slowing in [32b], but in [33], you want to slow to half-speed by the end of the measure, then hold the final C chord in [34] as long as you can, and bask in the applause.

LEGAL STUFF:

This song is NOT in public domain! I’ve tried to contact Julie DeAzvedo repeatedly to ask about copyrights and permissions, but she has never answered me. I’ve had the song tabbed for years, but couldn’t include it here, without permission. Recently, I learned that the LDS Church owns the copyright, and since I have their permission to publish their copyrighted songs, for non-commercial, home and church use, and since the guitar arrangement is my own, I list it here. Please honor the Church’s standards, and refrain from circulating this piece or using it for commercial purposes of any kind, without written permission from the copyright holder.

Easter Medley: a duet for piano and guitar

This is an original arrangement for piano and classical guitar, by Joanne Niewinski and me. We played it last year in our ward’s Easter Sacrament Meeting. Some of the ward leaders resisted having a guitar perform in such a holy setting, until we challenged them to show us the handbook’s ban on guitars. There never was such a ban, of course, Mormon legends to the contrary notwithstanding. As Michael Moody said, speaking as Church General Music Director, “We are an international church and do not discriminate against any instrument or musical tradition, as long as the sacred character of the Sacrament is preserved.”

For those who would like to try an ambitious project like this, I am including both my guitar part and Sister Niewinski’s piano part, (with her kind permission.) I'm sorry the piano part didn't scan well, but it is playable. It is a medley of “He Is Risen,” and “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today.” Both sound very good as a piano-guitar duet, and are in the key of C, an easy one for both instruments.

It’s intended to be an instrumental duet; the words are only included for reference. The music goes faster than it would if it were sung. Even with all three verses of “He Is Risen,” a complete verse of “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today,” a four-bar introduction, several reprises, and a finale, it barely occupies three minutes of time. Feel free to lengthen the introduction and finale, add more verses, or make other changes, if you wish.

I played my Cervantes classical guitar, with high-tension D’Addario strings, and used a regular, Church microphone on a boom, playing through the chapel sound system, which was set a notch louder than usual. The piano was not amplified. The sound balance was good, but I had to place the microphone right at the sound hole, very close to the strings, which made playing around the microphone rather awkward. It would have been possible with a straight microphone stand, but really clumsy. The boom helped a lot. A guitar mic or acoustic pickup would have solved the problem perfectly, but I couldn’t find one that would interface with the Church’s sound system. If I’d had a “stand-alone” sound system, designed for a guitar, I’d have used it.

At the end of the Guitar Coda, the meter changes briefly to 2/4, so the last two counts of the measure can be dropped. We go right into the beginning of “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today,” dropping the last syllable of “vic-tor-y.” We did this to create some musical tension, which we resolved by bringing the piano in for the “alleluyah” at the end of the line. We tried bringing the piano in at the beginning of the line, but it sounded like the pianist came in early by mistake.

There are lots of ligados-- hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides. They make a nice contrast to the more staccato piano. Most of the ligados are simple, but in a few places, there are several in a row. The trickiest part is in the last line on page two, where you have three ligados, a fast bass run, then a complex riff in the last measure. The hard part is the timing. Some of the notes are eighth-notes, while others are quarter-notes. Remember to count: “ONE-and-TWO-and-THREE-and-FOUR-and” for every measure, paying attention to which notes fall on the counting numbers and which fall on the “ands”.

The piano part in the third verse is lighter and more delicate than most piano music played in church. It sounds a bit like a music box. The guitar just plays rhythm here, hence the strummed chords. Where the piano plays loud in the last line of the verse (“Death is conquer’d, man is free”), the guitar needs to be as loud as possible (ff, or fortissimo), or the piano will drown it out. The rest of the line can be a little less forte, but still moderately loud (mf, or mezzo-forte).

After the piano and guitar each take a solo on the same line, the finale is played together. We used these multiple repetitions to drive home the message that “Christ has won the victory,” which is the whole point of Easter. Even though the words were not sung, the congregation heard them in their heads, and got the point.

The two parts diverge musically in the finale, then reunite for the final chord, which both instruments sound simultaneously. Do whatever it takes to make it simultaneous. The slightest error in timing will be obvious. Hold the chord for two full measures, if possible. Unless you have an electric guitar, you will not be able to sustain the chord as long as the piano. It’s important that guitarist and pianist damp or release the chord at the exact same instant. If not, it will sound like you were competing for the longest hold. (And the piano won.)

We performed this duet as the climax of the Easter Sacrament Meeting, just before the closing prayer, and not as an instrumental “rest hymn” in the middle of the service. It was a wonderful, spiritual experience for everyone. Even those who had resisted having a guitar in Sacrament Meeting loved it. Several came up to me afterwards and admitted their prejudice. Only then did I learn that one of them had been the bishop.