I couldn’t find this hymn, in my records, so I rewrote it, then found the old one here on the blog. I like the new version MUCH better! It’s actually easier to play, too. I feel I was inspired to do the new version. Try it!
Level of difficulty
This is going to be one of my personal favorites! Play it with lots of feeling. There are no barre chords, no hard chords-- not many chords at all. Most of the piece is melody. I’ve tried to avoid hard chord changes. There’s a lot of repetition, too: the second two lines of the verse are almost a complete repetition of the first two lines.
There are quite a few hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, and tremolos. For this reason, I was tempted to classify the piece as Intermediate level, but honestly, it’s not beyond most beginners. You could actually omit those special techniques and it would sound okay, but please don’t! It sounds SOOO much better with “expression.” The following paragraphs tell in detail how to do this.
Chording
I’ve tried to arrange the fingering to make it easy and smooth. This requires a slight alteration in the way you play the CaddD chord. Play it like a C chord, but with the D added on the 2nd string, 3rd space, as shown in the chord charts. Leave the index finger in place too, on the same string, as in a normal C chord, and it positions your hand perfectly for the pull-off which follows.
Phrasing
Play the last line on page one as a single phrase. In the fourth measure of that line, move your hand position up the neck of the guitar, and fret the D on the 2nd string, 3rd space with your index finger. That’s what the Roman numeral III above the note indicates. This allows you to fret the C on the third string, 5th space, with your ring finger. Your middle finger then falls naturally into position for the slide, making an easy transition to the strummed G7 chord. This may seem like a lot of finger dancing for the sake of one easy chord change. Trust me, it’s not. I spent nearly as much time smoothing out chord changes as I did in arranging the rest of the song.
In the next-to-last measure of the next-to-last line of the Chorus, I've made one significant change. Instead of pinching the 2nd and 4th strings for the double slide, as in the previous line, strum the first four strings, with strings #1 and #3 open. These strings will continue to ring as you do the double slide on the other two strings, giving an interesting effect.
The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th measures of the Chorus also need to be played as a single musical phrase. I suggest you practice with a metronome until you can play each phrase with absolute regularity. The fastest way to do this is to start slowly, maybe even at half speed. Do not increase your speed until you can play each phrase with absolute regularity of tempo. Gradually increase the speed with increasing fluency, until you can play at full speed in perfect tempo.
Expression
In the next line, do the “strong tremolo” with the ring finger, to set up for the double slide that follows. Make the tremolo as strong as possible, vibrating the ring finger along (not across) the string, without actually moving the end of the finger. Use the middle and ring fingers for the double slide. Pre-spray the strings with string lubricant if necessary, to avoid squeaking. Trust me, all this “expression” without ever pausing or changing pace will blow the minds of your listeners.
You can strum the pinched chords, or pinch any of the strummed ones, if you wish. I’ve put in a variety, with mostly pinched chords in the verse, and mostly strummed ones in the chorus. In some places, I’ve done it to make playing easier, in others for the sound effect. Try it as tabbed, then make any modifications you like. I don’t have an electric guitar available to try this song on, but I bet it would sound great. Somebody please try it and let me know.
History
Charles Hutchinson Gabriel composed the music and wrote the lyrics. Known as a child prodigy of the organ, he began writing and composing hymns for his own church by age 16. As a young adult, he began a career as a prolific professional gospel song writer / composer. He is said to have written and/or composed between 7,000 and 8,000 songs, many still available in hymnals of various churches. He wrote under several names, including Charlotte G. Homer!
Gabriel was also known as a humble man, apparently unaffected by the adulation that often gives child prodigies a swelled head. This song reflects his humility in Christ. It is in the public domain. I have been unable to find any more specific details about its composition. The message speaks for itself.
Showing posts with label no hard techniques. Show all posts
Showing posts with label no hard techniques. Show all posts
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Apology: I know I promised my next song would be “Where Can I Turn for Peace.” It’s just not coming together quickly. Normally, I’d just take the time to do it right, but my wife and I have just begun a temple mission here in Santiago, Chile, and have not even finished unpacking yet. I had been saving this one for Christmas, as many consider it a Christmas Carol, which it is not (see History below).
The tab:
This is written as a duet for two guitars, but I originally intended it as a duet with another kind of instrument. I think it would sound especially good with a violin, cello, flute, or woodwind. Since these all play in different keys, I didn’t know whether to write the guitar part in Am or Em, so I did it in both. Then I realized that you could also get an interesting effect by playing both versions together, with the Em part played with a capo to put them in the same key. Hence, the duet version. If you just want to play it as a solo, or to accompany singers, I recommend the Am version (upper staff). It’s easier, and just as pretty, and there are no hard transitions and only one barre chord. In fact, it’s one of the easier songs I know. If the barred Amv is too hard for you, substitute the regular Am as in the last measure of the previous line. It won’t sound quite as good, but the audience won’t know.
There are a lot of hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides. Please don’t leave them out, as they contribute greatly to the beauty of the song. Despite the large number of such ligado techniques, the slow, regular tempo makes this an ideal vehicle for learning them, so I have listed the difficulty level as “beginner to intermediate”. There are no unusual chords in the upper staff, but there are a few melody notes that are not part of the chords being played. Watch for them.
In the 4th measure, fret the D note on the 2nd string with the little finger. In the second measure of the third line, make the slide with the ring finger, for strength. The little finger probably will not be strong enough. In the last line before the Finale, there’s a mordant. This is a technical music term meaning to slide the note up to the next note and back down again. It counts as one beat of the tempo. Do it with the middle finger, then pull off the third string, all in one fluid phrase. It’s not hard to do, and sounds fantastic. If you tend to speed up during this maneuver, play it with a metronome. There are several good metronome apps available free on the internet. Some are even abailable as phone apps.
The song, as usually sung, has seven verses, but since this is an instrumental solo, you can include as many or as few as you like. After the last verse, play the Finale. It sounds much like a repetition of the last line, but there are differences. Play it about half speed, for emphasis.
The lower staff is in the key of Em. If you’re playing it as a guitar duet, place the capo in the 5th space. If you’re playing with some other instrument, or with singers, put the capo wherever you need to. This version is a bit harder than the upper staff, and contains a couple of barre chords. The G (7) chord is actually easier than it looks. It’s a normal G chord, but since you’re not playing the 1st string anyway, you can fret it as if it were a G7, which makes the transition faster.
History
This lovely, medieval melody, from the early Middle Ages, may be more than 1000 years old. Like other very old songs, even the century of composition is not known for sure. Most authorities place it around the Twelfth Century, but it could well be based on Gregorian chants and “plainsong” (unaccompanied singing) of the Eighth or Ninth Century. Others point out that it did not achieve its present form until much later, possibly as “recently” as the late 1400s.
The lyrics are based on a Catholic chant usually sung at evening prayer (“Vespers”), in which the leader calls out one of the seven names of Christ in the New Testament, and the choir responds. The seven verses of the poem correspond to these seven names, except that the last one, Emmanuel (Hebrew for “God is with us”) has been moved to the first position in the hymn.
Like many other hymns, the lyrics were originally sung to other tunes than the one we now associate with it. The present tune has been associated with the hymn for centuries, so long that the tune has taken on the name of the chant, “Veni, veni” (“O come, o come” in Latin). Until it was translated into English scarcely 150 years ago, it was known by the Latin title. The English title is an exact translation. Latin customs in writing titles used capital letters only at the beginning of the first word, and for names and references to Deity, so English writers who wish to appear authentic follow that convention, and may also spell “Oh” as just the letter O, but it’s okay to modernize the spelling if you wish. Since the song has been around so long, and no one knows how it originally went anyway, it’s also perfectly acceptable to arrange the music to suit yourself. It’s definitely in the Public Domain.
Here are the verses, in the most popular English translation, done by John Mason Neale in 1851:
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
In ancient times did'st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
The tab:
This is written as a duet for two guitars, but I originally intended it as a duet with another kind of instrument. I think it would sound especially good with a violin, cello, flute, or woodwind. Since these all play in different keys, I didn’t know whether to write the guitar part in Am or Em, so I did it in both. Then I realized that you could also get an interesting effect by playing both versions together, with the Em part played with a capo to put them in the same key. Hence, the duet version. If you just want to play it as a solo, or to accompany singers, I recommend the Am version (upper staff). It’s easier, and just as pretty, and there are no hard transitions and only one barre chord. In fact, it’s one of the easier songs I know. If the barred Amv is too hard for you, substitute the regular Am as in the last measure of the previous line. It won’t sound quite as good, but the audience won’t know.
There are a lot of hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides. Please don’t leave them out, as they contribute greatly to the beauty of the song. Despite the large number of such ligado techniques, the slow, regular tempo makes this an ideal vehicle for learning them, so I have listed the difficulty level as “beginner to intermediate”. There are no unusual chords in the upper staff, but there are a few melody notes that are not part of the chords being played. Watch for them.
In the 4th measure, fret the D note on the 2nd string with the little finger. In the second measure of the third line, make the slide with the ring finger, for strength. The little finger probably will not be strong enough. In the last line before the Finale, there’s a mordant. This is a technical music term meaning to slide the note up to the next note and back down again. It counts as one beat of the tempo. Do it with the middle finger, then pull off the third string, all in one fluid phrase. It’s not hard to do, and sounds fantastic. If you tend to speed up during this maneuver, play it with a metronome. There are several good metronome apps available free on the internet. Some are even abailable as phone apps.
The song, as usually sung, has seven verses, but since this is an instrumental solo, you can include as many or as few as you like. After the last verse, play the Finale. It sounds much like a repetition of the last line, but there are differences. Play it about half speed, for emphasis.
The lower staff is in the key of Em. If you’re playing it as a guitar duet, place the capo in the 5th space. If you’re playing with some other instrument, or with singers, put the capo wherever you need to. This version is a bit harder than the upper staff, and contains a couple of barre chords. The G (7) chord is actually easier than it looks. It’s a normal G chord, but since you’re not playing the 1st string anyway, you can fret it as if it were a G7, which makes the transition faster.
History
This lovely, medieval melody, from the early Middle Ages, may be more than 1000 years old. Like other very old songs, even the century of composition is not known for sure. Most authorities place it around the Twelfth Century, but it could well be based on Gregorian chants and “plainsong” (unaccompanied singing) of the Eighth or Ninth Century. Others point out that it did not achieve its present form until much later, possibly as “recently” as the late 1400s.
The lyrics are based on a Catholic chant usually sung at evening prayer (“Vespers”), in which the leader calls out one of the seven names of Christ in the New Testament, and the choir responds. The seven verses of the poem correspond to these seven names, except that the last one, Emmanuel (Hebrew for “God is with us”) has been moved to the first position in the hymn.
Like many other hymns, the lyrics were originally sung to other tunes than the one we now associate with it. The present tune has been associated with the hymn for centuries, so long that the tune has taken on the name of the chant, “Veni, veni” (“O come, o come” in Latin). Until it was translated into English scarcely 150 years ago, it was known by the Latin title. The English title is an exact translation. Latin customs in writing titles used capital letters only at the beginning of the first word, and for names and references to Deity, so English writers who wish to appear authentic follow that convention, and may also spell “Oh” as just the letter O, but it’s okay to modernize the spelling if you wish. Since the song has been around so long, and no one knows how it originally went anyway, it’s also perfectly acceptable to arrange the music to suit yourself. It’s definitely in the Public Domain.
Here are the verses, in the most popular English translation, done by John Mason Neale in 1851:
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
In ancient times did'st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
Oh, Hush Thee, My Baby
Well, it's a little late for Christmas this year, but it took me longer to refine this song than I expected. This
link will bring up two different versions. There are no barre chords
in either one, but that does not mean they are both “easy”. The first
one is beginner to intermediate level of difficulty. It’s in the key of G, so
there are no difficult chords, though there are hammer-ons, pull-offs,
and slides. They sound cool, and are not hard to do.
The second version is an exact transcription of the piano music published in the Children’s Songbook, transposed to the key of G, using the transposing engine found in the Church’s interactive music player at lds.org. Unlike most piano pieces, this song is doesn’t sound bad as a guitar piece. There are two musical “parts”, which on the piano are right hand and left hand, making it easy to keep them separate. On the guitar, this does not work out quite so well. I have italicized the “left hand” part, and specified “Drop D” tuning (lower the bass E string to D) to aid the guitarist, but it’s still not an easy piece to play. Many of the necessary techniques are actually classical guitar techniques. If you can play classical guitar, this is the one for you, but you won’t need my instructions. If you are not a classical guitarist, I recommend my fingerstyle arrangement. It’s much easier, and frankly, I think it sounds better.
Please note that the chords called for in the tab are for finger position only, not for strumming. Perhaps the best example of this is the initial G7 chord. Actually, the chord played is a G, since the #1 string is not played. You could play it as a G-shape if you wanted to, but your fingers would not be in the right position to fret the following melody notes. Putting your fingers in the G7 shape fixes the problem. But if you strum the full G7 chord, it will sound wrong. This piece is intended as an instrumental solo. It would be hard to play in Eb major, as it is written in the Children’s Songbook. You’d have to transpose it, which I did.
You may also notice that most of the D7 chords include the open A string, a departure from the usual practice. Normally, the bass note of this chord is the open D string, and the A string is not used. Technically, this chord should be called D7/A. For simplicity, since all the D7 chords are played this way, and the only difference is the open A string, I have labeled them all D7, and show the change in the chord diagram at the end. This does not matter in the second, harder version, as the Drop D tuning there makes the extreme bass D note available. I had thought to include Drop D tuning in this version as well, but it seemed an unnecessary complication.
This song is not in the public domain. The copyright is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and is used by permission. Please abide their use restrictions, and use this only for non-commercial, church or personal use.
The second version is an exact transcription of the piano music published in the Children’s Songbook, transposed to the key of G, using the transposing engine found in the Church’s interactive music player at lds.org. Unlike most piano pieces, this song is doesn’t sound bad as a guitar piece. There are two musical “parts”, which on the piano are right hand and left hand, making it easy to keep them separate. On the guitar, this does not work out quite so well. I have italicized the “left hand” part, and specified “Drop D” tuning (lower the bass E string to D) to aid the guitarist, but it’s still not an easy piece to play. Many of the necessary techniques are actually classical guitar techniques. If you can play classical guitar, this is the one for you, but you won’t need my instructions. If you are not a classical guitarist, I recommend my fingerstyle arrangement. It’s much easier, and frankly, I think it sounds better.
Please note that the chords called for in the tab are for finger position only, not for strumming. Perhaps the best example of this is the initial G7 chord. Actually, the chord played is a G, since the #1 string is not played. You could play it as a G-shape if you wanted to, but your fingers would not be in the right position to fret the following melody notes. Putting your fingers in the G7 shape fixes the problem. But if you strum the full G7 chord, it will sound wrong. This piece is intended as an instrumental solo. It would be hard to play in Eb major, as it is written in the Children’s Songbook. You’d have to transpose it, which I did.
You may also notice that most of the D7 chords include the open A string, a departure from the usual practice. Normally, the bass note of this chord is the open D string, and the A string is not used. Technically, this chord should be called D7/A. For simplicity, since all the D7 chords are played this way, and the only difference is the open A string, I have labeled them all D7, and show the change in the chord diagram at the end. This does not matter in the second, harder version, as the Drop D tuning there makes the extreme bass D note available. I had thought to include Drop D tuning in this version as well, but it seemed an unnecessary complication.
This song is not in the public domain. The copyright is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and is used by permission. Please abide their use restrictions, and use this only for non-commercial, church or personal use.
Welcome, Welcome, Sabbath Morning
The name of Ebenezer Beesley, the composer of this hymn, may seem familiar to you. If so, it’s probably because he composed the tunes to many other hymns in the LDS hymnal, including:
#5 High on the Mountain Top
#16 What Glorious Scenes Mine Eyes Behold
#32 The Happy Day at Last Has Come
#76 God of Our Fathers, We Come Unto Thee
#77 Great Is the Lord
#156 Sing We Now at Parting
#232 Kind Words Are Sweet Tones of the Heart
#177 Tis Sweet to Sing the Matchless Love
#185 Reverently and Meekly Now
#232 Let Us Oft Speak Kind Words
#280 Welcome, Welcome, Sabbath Morning
#282 We Meet Again in Sabbath School
He has more tunes in the current LDS hymnal than any other composer except for Evan Stephens, and also composed others that were included in previous editions of the hymnal, but are not used in the current edition.
“Welcome, Welcome, Sabbath Morning” is a sprightly tune, and sounds good played fast, as just an instrumental melody, without any chording at all, but I have included one G7 and one G chord, just for variety. They are so simple, and so standard, that I haven’t even included chord charts. If you are such a rank beginner that you do not know how to play these chords, you probably should not be starting with this hymn. It’s not really a simple song. It’s full of hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides. You could certainly play it without those techniques, but it wouldn’t sound nearly as good. Using ligado techniques of various sorts as well as normal, stacatto notes adds a subtle kind of interest to the song that you cannot get from a piano. I haven’t tried it, but I suspect it would sound good as a duet with a violin or viola.
If you are a newcomer to finger-picking, the simplicity of this song may tempt you to try it, despite the use of slightly advanced techniques. Go ahead! None of the techniques in this song are especially difficult, even if you are trying them for the first time. Here are some tips to make it even easier:
With a few exceptions detailed below, always fret all notes in the first space with the index finger, those in the second space with the middle finger, and those in the third space with the ring finger. This allows you to change from one note to the next quickly, without moving the hand.
The exceptions are several notes in the fourth and fifth spaces:
In the second line, the double pull-off 5-3-0 requires you to move your hand up the neck, so you can fret the fifth space with your ring finger, while simultaneously fretting the same string in the third space with the index finger. This allows for an extremely fast double pull-off. While your index finger is still at the third fret, play the 3-0 pull-off on the next string with the index finger, then move it back to normal position for the rest of the line.
At the end of the first measure in line three, move your hand to make the slide with your strongest finger, which for most guitarists is the middle finger. The next two notes are on open strings, giving you plenty of time to move your hand back into the normal ("first") position.
In the next measure, you can either move your hand again, then move it back quickly, or, if your hand will stretch, you can fret it with the pinkie, without moving your hand. Try it both ways, and do it the way that works best for you.
The first two measures of the next line are played exactly the same as line three, but in the third measure, you will need to reposition your hand to fret the slide, so you might as well play the whole measure that way. The double slide, down-and-up, is not nearly as hard as it looks. The only tricky part is hitting the right fret. It’s fast, and it’s easy to slide too far unintentionally. The solution is to practice. A lot.
The last two lines are played exactly like the first two, except one octave lower, and the final chord is a G, instead of a G7. Playing the same notes an octave lower does require different fingering on the fretboard, but the techniques are the same as in the rest of the song. You will probably notice that it’s easier to hit the G chord from the lower notes, since the first and second fingers are already positioned near the 5th string. If this seems like a lot of extra work, you can simply play the last two lines exactly like the first two, only adding the chord at the end. The notes will not be wrong, but it’ll sound a bit funny, as your brain will expect the lower notes. That’s all there is to it!
If you’ve never done them before, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides may seem daunting to you. They need not. The hammer-on is indicated by two notes connected with an underscore, when the second note is higher in pitch than the first note. Perform it by playing the string normally, as indicated in the tab, then hammering down on the string in the indicated space with the tip of the proper finger: --0__2--. This creates a sound that makes the two notes seem to be tied together. Ligado is the Spanish word for “tied”, and is used in guitar music to indicate connected notes like these. Hammer-ons are also often indicated in tablature by the letter h before the note: --0--h2--.
Pull-offs are even easier. They are indicated with an underscore, like the hammer-on, but the second note is lower than the first. Sometimes they are indicated with a p before the note. You simply play the note as indicated, then, without pausing, pluck the string with the same finger of the left hand that is holding the note: --2__0--. This also causes the notes to sound connected, so is also called a ligado.
Another way to connect two notes is to slide from one note to the next without lifting the finger off the string. This is called a slide, or glissando, and is indicated in my tabs with a slash. A forward slash / indicates you are sliding up the neck (toward the body of the guitar) A back slash \ means you are sliding down the neck (away from the body of the guitar). “Up” and “down” in this sense refer to whether the next note is higher or lower in pitch, and have nothing to do with which part of the guitar is physically higher or lower. Slides look like this in the tab: --4-/-5-- and --4-\-2--.
If you are a real beginner, practice this song slowly, until you can play it smoothly all the way through, then gradually increase the pace. Otherwise, you’ll end up playing parts of it faster than others, and the habit will be really hard to break.
This is one of the very few hymns in the LDS hymnal that is NOT easier to play in C (on the guitar), so I have transposed it to the key of G. You can use a capo at the fifth fret, to play this song in the key of C, as it was written in the hymnal, if you wish. Unless you are playing with another instrument or a singer, I cannot imagine why you would want to do so.
Welcome, Welcome, Sabbath Morning is in the public domain.
#5 High on the Mountain Top
#16 What Glorious Scenes Mine Eyes Behold
#32 The Happy Day at Last Has Come
#76 God of Our Fathers, We Come Unto Thee
#77 Great Is the Lord
#156 Sing We Now at Parting
#232 Kind Words Are Sweet Tones of the Heart
#177 Tis Sweet to Sing the Matchless Love
#185 Reverently and Meekly Now
#232 Let Us Oft Speak Kind Words
#280 Welcome, Welcome, Sabbath Morning
#282 We Meet Again in Sabbath School
He has more tunes in the current LDS hymnal than any other composer except for Evan Stephens, and also composed others that were included in previous editions of the hymnal, but are not used in the current edition.
“Welcome, Welcome, Sabbath Morning” is a sprightly tune, and sounds good played fast, as just an instrumental melody, without any chording at all, but I have included one G7 and one G chord, just for variety. They are so simple, and so standard, that I haven’t even included chord charts. If you are such a rank beginner that you do not know how to play these chords, you probably should not be starting with this hymn. It’s not really a simple song. It’s full of hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides. You could certainly play it without those techniques, but it wouldn’t sound nearly as good. Using ligado techniques of various sorts as well as normal, stacatto notes adds a subtle kind of interest to the song that you cannot get from a piano. I haven’t tried it, but I suspect it would sound good as a duet with a violin or viola.
If you are a newcomer to finger-picking, the simplicity of this song may tempt you to try it, despite the use of slightly advanced techniques. Go ahead! None of the techniques in this song are especially difficult, even if you are trying them for the first time. Here are some tips to make it even easier:
With a few exceptions detailed below, always fret all notes in the first space with the index finger, those in the second space with the middle finger, and those in the third space with the ring finger. This allows you to change from one note to the next quickly, without moving the hand.
The exceptions are several notes in the fourth and fifth spaces:
In the second line, the double pull-off 5-3-0 requires you to move your hand up the neck, so you can fret the fifth space with your ring finger, while simultaneously fretting the same string in the third space with the index finger. This allows for an extremely fast double pull-off. While your index finger is still at the third fret, play the 3-0 pull-off on the next string with the index finger, then move it back to normal position for the rest of the line.
At the end of the first measure in line three, move your hand to make the slide with your strongest finger, which for most guitarists is the middle finger. The next two notes are on open strings, giving you plenty of time to move your hand back into the normal ("first") position.
In the next measure, you can either move your hand again, then move it back quickly, or, if your hand will stretch, you can fret it with the pinkie, without moving your hand. Try it both ways, and do it the way that works best for you.
The first two measures of the next line are played exactly the same as line three, but in the third measure, you will need to reposition your hand to fret the slide, so you might as well play the whole measure that way. The double slide, down-and-up, is not nearly as hard as it looks. The only tricky part is hitting the right fret. It’s fast, and it’s easy to slide too far unintentionally. The solution is to practice. A lot.
The last two lines are played exactly like the first two, except one octave lower, and the final chord is a G, instead of a G7. Playing the same notes an octave lower does require different fingering on the fretboard, but the techniques are the same as in the rest of the song. You will probably notice that it’s easier to hit the G chord from the lower notes, since the first and second fingers are already positioned near the 5th string. If this seems like a lot of extra work, you can simply play the last two lines exactly like the first two, only adding the chord at the end. The notes will not be wrong, but it’ll sound a bit funny, as your brain will expect the lower notes. That’s all there is to it!
If you’ve never done them before, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides may seem daunting to you. They need not. The hammer-on is indicated by two notes connected with an underscore, when the second note is higher in pitch than the first note. Perform it by playing the string normally, as indicated in the tab, then hammering down on the string in the indicated space with the tip of the proper finger: --0__2--. This creates a sound that makes the two notes seem to be tied together. Ligado is the Spanish word for “tied”, and is used in guitar music to indicate connected notes like these. Hammer-ons are also often indicated in tablature by the letter h before the note: --0--h2--.
Pull-offs are even easier. They are indicated with an underscore, like the hammer-on, but the second note is lower than the first. Sometimes they are indicated with a p before the note. You simply play the note as indicated, then, without pausing, pluck the string with the same finger of the left hand that is holding the note: --2__0--. This also causes the notes to sound connected, so is also called a ligado.
Another way to connect two notes is to slide from one note to the next without lifting the finger off the string. This is called a slide, or glissando, and is indicated in my tabs with a slash. A forward slash / indicates you are sliding up the neck (toward the body of the guitar) A back slash \ means you are sliding down the neck (away from the body of the guitar). “Up” and “down” in this sense refer to whether the next note is higher or lower in pitch, and have nothing to do with which part of the guitar is physically higher or lower. Slides look like this in the tab: --4-/-5-- and --4-\-2--.
If you are a real beginner, practice this song slowly, until you can play it smoothly all the way through, then gradually increase the pace. Otherwise, you’ll end up playing parts of it faster than others, and the habit will be really hard to break.
This is one of the very few hymns in the LDS hymnal that is NOT easier to play in C (on the guitar), so I have transposed it to the key of G. You can use a capo at the fifth fret, to play this song in the key of C, as it was written in the hymnal, if you wish. Unless you are playing with another instrument or a singer, I cannot imagine why you would want to do so.
Welcome, Welcome, Sabbath Morning is in the public domain.
We’ll Sing All Hail to Jesus’ Name
Not much information about the author (Richard Aldridge), composer (Joseph Coslett), or history of this hymn, but it’s a pretty one, popular in Sacrament Meetings, and not hard to play.
Basically, there are only three chords: C, F, and G7, plus a couple of easy variations. For example, F/A is just a regular, four-string F chord, but you also play the open A string. F/C is similar, but you have to fret the A string in the third space with your pinkie, to include the bass C note. C/G is a regular C chord, with the pinkie fretting the G note on the bass E string, third space. Not a hard one in the lot!
There are a few spots in the tab where the techniques are not dead obvious. The first occurs in the fourth measure. Unless your hands are unusually flexible, it’s going to be much easier to PUSH OFF the ligado on the third string, than to pull it off. This technique is not difficult, but may be unfamiliar to you. Repeat in the fourth measure of the second line.
In the first measure of the last line, you’ll have to play the F/C chord, then immediately release it, to play the sequential pull-offs on the second string. In the third and fourth measures of that line, strum the notes indicated, for a ligado effect. Pinch the chord in the next-to-last measure, for contrast, and end with a strummed chord.
You don’t have to strum or pinch the chords as shown, of course, if changing between strumming and pinching seems difficult. The song will still sound good if you just strun, or just pinch. But this is an instrumental solo, and it’s an easy way to add interest to the music, without having to learn any new techniques or chords.
The last note of the song is shown in parentheses (0) because you only play it if you are going to repeat the verse. It replaces the first, partial measure of the next verse. The final time, you do not play this last note, but just let the chord ring.
This song is in the public domain.
Basically, there are only three chords: C, F, and G7, plus a couple of easy variations. For example, F/A is just a regular, four-string F chord, but you also play the open A string. F/C is similar, but you have to fret the A string in the third space with your pinkie, to include the bass C note. C/G is a regular C chord, with the pinkie fretting the G note on the bass E string, third space. Not a hard one in the lot!
There are a few spots in the tab where the techniques are not dead obvious. The first occurs in the fourth measure. Unless your hands are unusually flexible, it’s going to be much easier to PUSH OFF the ligado on the third string, than to pull it off. This technique is not difficult, but may be unfamiliar to you. Repeat in the fourth measure of the second line.
In the first measure of the last line, you’ll have to play the F/C chord, then immediately release it, to play the sequential pull-offs on the second string. In the third and fourth measures of that line, strum the notes indicated, for a ligado effect. Pinch the chord in the next-to-last measure, for contrast, and end with a strummed chord.
You don’t have to strum or pinch the chords as shown, of course, if changing between strumming and pinching seems difficult. The song will still sound good if you just strun, or just pinch. But this is an instrumental solo, and it’s an easy way to add interest to the music, without having to learn any new techniques or chords.
The last note of the song is shown in parentheses (0) because you only play it if you are going to repeat the verse. It replaces the first, partial measure of the next verse. The final time, you do not play this last note, but just let the chord ring.
This song is in the public domain.
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, EASY version
I never was really satisfied with the other version, but have left it on the blog, for those like me who like barre chords. For those who don't, this version has NO BARRE CHORDS, nor any hard chords or techniques at all. In fact, it is "almighty easy"!
It's so easy, there's really not a lot to say about it. If you can't do hammer-ons or pull-offs, just ignore them. The song will still sound just fine.
There are only four chords in the song, but two of them may look a little strange. GaddD and CaddG are just very simple variations on normal G and C chords. GaddD is played exactly like a regular G chord, except the ring finger of the left hand frets the second string in the third space, instead of the first string, which is not played. It's actually easier to play than a regular G, because the hand doesn't have to stretch so far. CaddG is played exactly like a regular C, except you have to add the G note on the first string, third space, with your pinkie. If this is hard for you, you can just play a regular C, but the melody will suffer. C'mon! It's not that hard!
There are a couple of spots where you have to hold the first note in the measure for a count of 1 and a half beats. If you just hold the first note a bit, then make the last two notes very quick, it'll come out right. If you don't know the song, and don't know how to count, go ahead and make all three notes equal in all the measures. It'll sound a little different in a couple of places, to those who know the song, but it won't sound bad, just a little odd. Your audience may even think you did it that way on purpose!
I like to repeat the final phrase of the last line, using a bass run, on the last time through.
That's IT! Way better than the other tab I wrote for it at first. I think you'll enjoy it. It was written in 1665, so the copyright has definitely expired, if there ever was one.
It's so easy, there's really not a lot to say about it. If you can't do hammer-ons or pull-offs, just ignore them. The song will still sound just fine.
There are only four chords in the song, but two of them may look a little strange. GaddD and CaddG are just very simple variations on normal G and C chords. GaddD is played exactly like a regular G chord, except the ring finger of the left hand frets the second string in the third space, instead of the first string, which is not played. It's actually easier to play than a regular G, because the hand doesn't have to stretch so far. CaddG is played exactly like a regular C, except you have to add the G note on the first string, third space, with your pinkie. If this is hard for you, you can just play a regular C, but the melody will suffer. C'mon! It's not that hard!
There are a couple of spots where you have to hold the first note in the measure for a count of 1 and a half beats. If you just hold the first note a bit, then make the last two notes very quick, it'll come out right. If you don't know the song, and don't know how to count, go ahead and make all three notes equal in all the measures. It'll sound a little different in a couple of places, to those who know the song, but it won't sound bad, just a little odd. Your audience may even think you did it that way on purpose!
I like to repeat the final phrase of the last line, using a bass run, on the last time through.
That's IT! Way better than the other tab I wrote for it at first. I think you'll enjoy it. It was written in 1665, so the copyright has definitely expired, if there ever was one.
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.
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