Well, it's a Christmas carol, even if it's not in the hymnal, or even specifically Christian, and it has always bothered me that it would be impossible to see ANY ships from the region near Bethlehem. Oh, well! It's a pretty song to play on the guitar, and quite easy. There are no barre chords at all. Basically, it's C, G, and G7, with just one variation of each. I've tagged the variations with asterisks, as the real names of the chords take up a lot of room, and are quite unnecessary. For you purists, I've included the real names on the chord charts. If you just wanted to strum along with some carolers, you wouldn't even need to play the variations, just the three basic chords.
Good thing, too, at least in Salt Lake City where I live-- it gets DARN COLD of a winter evening, cold enough to make any but the simplest playing impossible, and I've never figured out how to play with gloves on. Enjoy! Of course, it's in the public domain.
Showing posts with label no difficult techniques. Show all posts
Showing posts with label no difficult techniques. Show all posts
Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
Merry Christmas!
Here's another one of my favorite Christmas Carols. Enjoy!
The music:
This is not a difficult song, but it needs a bit of explanation. As published in Hymns, it is written in the key of F, which is nearly impossible for most guitarists. I have transposed it up two frets, to the key of G. Other than that, the first verse is taken exactly from the soprano and alto lines in Hymns. The song is in the public domain, so that’s okay. For those who just want to accompany singers, I have included the rhythm guitar chords, in lightface type. They won’t help you with the tab, though. So if you’re trying to play the tab as written, just ignore the lightface chords in the first verse. (The second verse is different. More on that later.)
The first verse does not need chord symbols, as there are NO CHORDS in this verse, just two-finger pinches. For those who are not classically trained, I have included notations about which left-hand finger to use to fret the notes. Normally, in classical guitar notation, such abbreviations are given in Spanish: p - i - m - a, for the Spanish words, pulgar, indicio, medio, & anulario. Since the song is written in English, and few of my followers are classically trained, I decided to use the English abbreviations: t - i - m - r (for thumb, index, middle, & ring) instead. If you are a classical guitarist, please just deal with it.
There are a couple of places where it’s easier to just slide the left hand up or down the neck, rather than switching fingers. You’ll find them as you play through the song. I tried to specify the fingering that I think will be easiest for a beginner. If you think a different fingering would be better, please yourself. This is just my arrangement; it wasn’t handed down by Mendelssohn!
The second verse is a different story.
First, the lyrics: I couldn’t keep the song on three pages and use the real lyrics for the second verse. They just take up more room, and are not as easy to follow. Since I only include lyrics to aid in following the rhythm, I re-used the lyrics from the first verse. This is supposed to be a guitar solo, anyway.
Second, the arrangement: This is one of my easier guitar arrangements. Half the notes are played on open strings! All the chords are easy to play, and most are well-known to every guitarist. The only exceptions are GaddD and CaddD, which are both slight variations of the basic G-shape. There are no difficult chord changes, and NO BARRE CHORDS!
I have included chord symbols where they would be helpful in knowing where to place the fingers of the left hand. I have left them out, where they are not needed. For example, where all the strings are played open, it is not necessary to hold a G chord, even though that is what you would do if you were playing accompaniment or rhythm guitar. In other places, only a single note of a chord is called for. In such places, I have left out the unnecessary chord changes, for clarity. If you wish to play rhythm, use the chords from the first verse.
History:
This is one of eight thousand hymn lyrics written by Charles Wesley, younger brother of John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church. During his life, Charles published over six thousand of his hymns, many of which are found in the LDS hymnal.
The tune he had in mind is not the one usually associated with this carol. Wesley envisioned it being sung to the tune of Christ the Lord Is Risen Today, which he also wrote. The tune we now use was part of a secular cantata, written a hundred years later by Felix Mendelssohn, to commemorate the invention of the printing press. Fifteen years after that, English musician William H. Cummings adapted Mendelssohn’s tune to Wesley’s lyrics, creating the sprightly Christmas carol we now know.
There have been many other tweaks since Wesley’s day. Even the first line (and hence, the title) of the song has changed. Originally, it began, “Hark! how all the welkin rings / Glory to the King of Kings”. Wesley’s co-worker, George Whitefield, persuaded him to change it. Thank you, George!
Here's another one of my favorite Christmas Carols. Enjoy!
The music:
This is not a difficult song, but it needs a bit of explanation. As published in Hymns, it is written in the key of F, which is nearly impossible for most guitarists. I have transposed it up two frets, to the key of G. Other than that, the first verse is taken exactly from the soprano and alto lines in Hymns. The song is in the public domain, so that’s okay. For those who just want to accompany singers, I have included the rhythm guitar chords, in lightface type. They won’t help you with the tab, though. So if you’re trying to play the tab as written, just ignore the lightface chords in the first verse. (The second verse is different. More on that later.)
The first verse does not need chord symbols, as there are NO CHORDS in this verse, just two-finger pinches. For those who are not classically trained, I have included notations about which left-hand finger to use to fret the notes. Normally, in classical guitar notation, such abbreviations are given in Spanish: p - i - m - a, for the Spanish words, pulgar, indicio, medio, & anulario. Since the song is written in English, and few of my followers are classically trained, I decided to use the English abbreviations: t - i - m - r (for thumb, index, middle, & ring) instead. If you are a classical guitarist, please just deal with it.
There are a couple of places where it’s easier to just slide the left hand up or down the neck, rather than switching fingers. You’ll find them as you play through the song. I tried to specify the fingering that I think will be easiest for a beginner. If you think a different fingering would be better, please yourself. This is just my arrangement; it wasn’t handed down by Mendelssohn!
The second verse is a different story.
First, the lyrics: I couldn’t keep the song on three pages and use the real lyrics for the second verse. They just take up more room, and are not as easy to follow. Since I only include lyrics to aid in following the rhythm, I re-used the lyrics from the first verse. This is supposed to be a guitar solo, anyway.
Second, the arrangement: This is one of my easier guitar arrangements. Half the notes are played on open strings! All the chords are easy to play, and most are well-known to every guitarist. The only exceptions are GaddD and CaddD, which are both slight variations of the basic G-shape. There are no difficult chord changes, and NO BARRE CHORDS!
I have included chord symbols where they would be helpful in knowing where to place the fingers of the left hand. I have left them out, where they are not needed. For example, where all the strings are played open, it is not necessary to hold a G chord, even though that is what you would do if you were playing accompaniment or rhythm guitar. In other places, only a single note of a chord is called for. In such places, I have left out the unnecessary chord changes, for clarity. If you wish to play rhythm, use the chords from the first verse.
History:
This is one of eight thousand hymn lyrics written by Charles Wesley, younger brother of John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church. During his life, Charles published over six thousand of his hymns, many of which are found in the LDS hymnal.
The tune he had in mind is not the one usually associated with this carol. Wesley envisioned it being sung to the tune of Christ the Lord Is Risen Today, which he also wrote. The tune we now use was part of a secular cantata, written a hundred years later by Felix Mendelssohn, to commemorate the invention of the printing press. Fifteen years after that, English musician William H. Cummings adapted Mendelssohn’s tune to Wesley’s lyrics, creating the sprightly Christmas carol we now know.
There have been many other tweaks since Wesley’s day. Even the first line (and hence, the title) of the song has changed. Originally, it began, “Hark! how all the welkin rings / Glory to the King of Kings”. Wesley’s co-worker, George Whitefield, persuaded him to change it. Thank you, George!
How Great Thou Art
An all-time favorite of the entire Christian world. The arrangement is my own, but the lyrics are NOT in public domain. I could not obtain permission to publish them, so, sorry-- no lyrics! If you simply MUST have them, they are in the LDS Hymnal, where they are published with permission.
Most of the chords are easy and common, with a few exceptions. You'll want to use the FI instead of the normal, four-string version, as the bass strings are what lend the chord its fullness. The G7 add 5 chord is just a normal G7, with one finger added. It's no harder to play than a normal C7. It's only the name that makes it look tough, but the sound is beautiful, and necessary for the melody.
You can either pinch all the chords, or strum some of them. I have put in strum lines on a few chords, to illustrate how to do this, but you can strum as many as you like-- or none at all. I've put in some of those "dread arpeggios" in the refrain, to make it sound different from the verses, and because I like them. They also liven up a song that otherwise seems to drag a bit, when played as a purely instrumental solo.
There are a couple of places where slightly non-standard techniques are used, but they are easier than standard, rather than the reverse. In the second measure of the refrain ("Then sings my soul, my Sav-ior..."), the D note at the third fret, second string can be most easily reached by flattening the little finger of the left hand briefly, instead of moving the finger. This leaves the fingers in an advantageous position for the transition to the following FI chord. Similarly, five bars later, on the word "great", you can catch the A on the third string (second fret) by flattening the middle finger briefly, instead of moving it to the next string and back again. This avoids a finger dance that I find a bit awkward.
The finale is my own, and you can certainly leave it out, by simply deleting the BVII chord and slide, going straight to the CVIII. I originally put it in because I have short arms and small hands, and had trouble reaching the CVIII while staying in rhythm. Unless I really concentrated, I'd hit the BVII every time! Once, I did it while performing, so I just faked a "Hawaiian" riff, and slid the whole chord up a notch. It sounded great, the congregation loved it, and I've been playing it that way ever since! If your fingers squeal on the strings when you slide, spray the strings with string lubricant, available at guitar shops or online.
Do not use any kind of grease or oil to lube strings, unless you just love changing them. Grease and oil are dirt magnets, and will pull dirt right out of your fingers. Before you know it, your strings will sound dull and hard to tune. I tell my students to wash their hands with soap, before they pick up the guitar, to cut the natural oil in their fingertips.
Most of the chords are easy and common, with a few exceptions. You'll want to use the FI instead of the normal, four-string version, as the bass strings are what lend the chord its fullness. The G7 add 5 chord is just a normal G7, with one finger added. It's no harder to play than a normal C7. It's only the name that makes it look tough, but the sound is beautiful, and necessary for the melody.
You can either pinch all the chords, or strum some of them. I have put in strum lines on a few chords, to illustrate how to do this, but you can strum as many as you like-- or none at all. I've put in some of those "dread arpeggios" in the refrain, to make it sound different from the verses, and because I like them. They also liven up a song that otherwise seems to drag a bit, when played as a purely instrumental solo.
There are a couple of places where slightly non-standard techniques are used, but they are easier than standard, rather than the reverse. In the second measure of the refrain ("Then sings my soul, my Sav-ior..."), the D note at the third fret, second string can be most easily reached by flattening the little finger of the left hand briefly, instead of moving the finger. This leaves the fingers in an advantageous position for the transition to the following FI chord. Similarly, five bars later, on the word "great", you can catch the A on the third string (second fret) by flattening the middle finger briefly, instead of moving it to the next string and back again. This avoids a finger dance that I find a bit awkward.
The finale is my own, and you can certainly leave it out, by simply deleting the BVII chord and slide, going straight to the CVIII. I originally put it in because I have short arms and small hands, and had trouble reaching the CVIII while staying in rhythm. Unless I really concentrated, I'd hit the BVII every time! Once, I did it while performing, so I just faked a "Hawaiian" riff, and slid the whole chord up a notch. It sounded great, the congregation loved it, and I've been playing it that way ever since! If your fingers squeal on the strings when you slide, spray the strings with string lubricant, available at guitar shops or online.
Do not use any kind of grease or oil to lube strings, unless you just love changing them. Grease and oil are dirt magnets, and will pull dirt right out of your fingers. Before you know it, your strings will sound dull and hard to tune. I tell my students to wash their hands with soap, before they pick up the guitar, to cut the natural oil in their fingertips.
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.
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