“Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel” was written and composed by Will L. Thompson, the same Southern Baptist composer who wrote the famous hymn, “Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling”. It was first included in the Latter-Day Saint hymnal, Songs of Zion, published by the Northern States Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 1908. Latter-Day Saints musicians may be interested to know that the first line was changed, from “The world has need of Christian men...” to “willing men...”. At that time, it was not considered unusual for local missions or other units of the Church to produce their own hymnals. I have been unable to learn the exact year of the song's composition or its publication history, though it appears to have been first published as a Southern Baptist hymn about the same time that it appeared in Songs of Zion.
The title comes (originally) from one of Aesop’s Fables, “The Tale of Hercules and the Wagoner”. The tale goes as follows (spelling modernized):
A wagoner was once driving a heavy load along a very muddy way. At last he came to a part of the road where the wheels sank half-way into the mire, and the more the horses pulled, the deeper sank the wheels. So the wagoner threw down his whip, and knelt down and prayed to Hercules the Strong:
"O Hercules, help me in this my hour of distress."
But Hercules appeared to him, and said, "Tut, man, don't sprawl there. Get up and put your shoulder to the wheel."
The gods help them that help themselves.
This song is not difficult to play for anyone who doesn’t mind a few barre chords and ligados. Intermediate level guitarists should have no trouble with it. You will, however, need a guitar that allows you to perform a double hammer-on. There are a few places where you hammer-on a note, then hammer-on a higher note on the same string. If you’ve never done this before, don’t worry; it’s not nearly as hard as it looks, as long as your guitar can sustain that second note long enough for the second hammer-on to work. If your guitar won’t do this, try putting higher tension strings on it. You’ll be amazed at the difference that can make. Of course, there’s hardly a guitar in existence that cannot benefit from new strings!
You may find the FV chord difficult if you are not used to it. It’s just a C-shape chord, barred at the 5th fret, and is basic to many styles of music. If you don’t know it, this is an excellent opportunity to learn it. You can’t follow the melody of this song without it.
Another place you may want to practice is the slide on the first string, in the third measure of the next to last line, where you are holding a CIII chord, and have to slide from G to F on the first string. The trick is that you don’t actually have to hold the barre in the 3rd space; you have enough time to release the barre and fret the G note with the tip of your index finger, making the slide much easier.
The only relatively quick chord change needed is in the next measure, in the transition from C to G7addD. This is only a problem if you play this chord as a normal G7, then add the D a moment later. Trust me, you will not have time to do it this way. But if you learn the chord, as a chord, and play it all at once, you’ll have enough time. Once again, the “trick” is lots of practice.
The last line is a recap of the previous line. This is not according to the hymnal, nor does it match the original hymn in the Southern Baptist hymnal. It’s an addition I put in, just ‘cause it sounds better to my mind. Leave it out if you don’t like it. Or, you can leave it in, and leave out the previous line. They are not the same.
This song is in the public domain.
Souviens-toi
Souviens-toi
A Hungarian young woman named Nami Tóth requested this song. It’s from the French language version of the LDS hymnal, called “Cantiques”, which is French for “Hymns”. The music is based on the New World Symphony by Antonin Dvorak, which in turn was based on an American Negro spiritual called, “Steal Away to Jesus.” Some musicologists believe this to be one of the “code songs” used by the slaves to pass on the information that a “conductor” on the “Underground Railroad” was in the area, and an escape was planned. I’m a sucker for the message of liberation, for the French language, and for requests from Saints in places where I’ve never been, especially if they are young people, and especially if I find the music unusual or interesting. How could I resist? Nami, this one’s for you!
PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT an easy song to play. When I first transposed it, there were more chords in it than in any other hymn I’ve ever tabbed. There were more hard chords in it. There were more strange chords in it. I had to invent a couple of chord names. One was so long, I had to truncate it. Two chords were simply impossible to play for anyone with normal hands. I simplified one to make it playable, and left the other one out, replacing it with a single melody note. Other chords needed to have their notes rearranged. I maintained the melody notes as the treble note of each chord (the usual practice), rearranging the order of the other notes to make playable chords. It was still impossible, so I bit my lip, apologized to Dvorak, and re-wrote the whole song.
The result sounds very close to the original, but it contains thirteen fewer chords. At the cost of some very subtle (and very beautiful) harmonies, it is now merely difficult to play on the guitar, instead of impossible. If you are a regular on this blog, you will find nearly all the chords familiar.
Strum all the chords with the thumb or with a relatively soft pick. If thumb strumming, pluck the individual melody notes with the middle or ring finger. I find using the ring finger allows me to play with a rocking motion of the wrist.
In the third measure of the first line, you can leave the left ring finger on the second string, 5th space, which converts the GIII chord into a G6, for a nice, subtle harmony. I did not call for this in the tab, because I used it later in the fifth line, which is otherwise very similar.
The second line starts the same as the first, but don’t omit the G13→ Bdim→ Am chord progression. It’s beautiful. Your audience will love it, and it’s not hard. G13 may be unfamiliar to you, but it’s only a three finger chord. Bdim is even easier, being exactly the same as G13, except that you lift up the left ring finger. It can be a bit of a trick to get from there to Am quickly. I don’t know any special tricks for this. You just have to practice until you can do it fast. Be sure to play only the strings shown in the tablature, to bring out the melody notes. The chord charts show the standard fingering for the chords, but not all notes shown in the charts are used in the tablature every time.
The third and fourth lines are virtually identical, and contain only one chord. You may find it hard to hold the barred FI chord that long. Not to worry. There are a couple of spots in each line where you have to lift your fingers off the strings, to play the open notes on the 2nd and 3rd strings. It’s a good idea to lift off only the index and middle fingers, leaving the other two fingers in place, to facilitate your return to the full FI chord moments later.
The fifth line is very similar to the first line, except for the G6 chord in measure two, and the G7III chord in measure four. Be sure to add in the F note on the 2nd string, 6th space at just the right moment. You could hammer it on if you want to. Audiences love it.
The GaddD chord in the first measure of the last line is not nearly as strange or difficult as it may appear from the name. Just barre the first two strings in the third space, and play the next two strings open. You don’t even have to move your hand out of the C position. Just barre the strings with the little finger and lift the rest of the fingers off the strings. As soon as the strings quit ringing, immediately move the left hand up the neck to the 8th fret.
The next measures are the only really difficult ones. They are going to require some practice, especially if you are not used to playing barre chords at the 8th fret. ALL the chords in the rest of the song are played with the barre at the 8th fret. There’s just no other way to do it that is any easier.
Play the CVIII. As you can see in the chord charts, this is just an E-shape chord barred at the 8th fret. All the following chords are based on this chord shape, and are played without moving the barre, so it’s important that you get comfortable playing CVIII. Your finger’s going to be there, without moving, for the next three measures.
You could play G11 by barring the first five strings at the 10th fret. If you are playing a steel-string guitar, or have a cut-away body, go right ahead and do it that way. If, like me, you have a classical guitar with the 12th fret at the body, you probably won’t be able to fit your hand into the narrow space between the 10th and 12th frets. My solution is to keep the barred E-shape at the 8th fret, but flatten the left hand against the neck, in effect fretting all of the first five strings at the 10th fret, as shown in the chord chart.
The next chord is actually a plain CVIII chord, with the high C added at the 12th fret. Hence, its name, CaddE. By returning to the CVIII , and playing only the first four strings, you should be able to stretch your hand far enough to hit the 12th space with your little finger. If your fingers are short and stubby like mine, you may need to cover the note on the 4th string with your ring finger, which would normally be covering the 5th string, if you were playing more than four strings. You may notice that this chord looks a lot like a normal F chord, only barred at the 8th fret. You are right, and you can play it that way if you wish. I find it easier to barre the first two strings with the first joint of the index finger, as I would do if barring all six strings. This allows me to stretch my little finger farther. I suggest you try it both ways, then do it the way that’s easiest for you. It’s probably going to be difficult no matter how you try. No pain, no gain!
Hold the final CVIII chord as long as you can. Check the position of your fingertips, to ensure each is as close to the “sweet spot” between the frets as possible. If your fretting technique is good, you should be able to hold the chord at least for a count of 3. If the chord won’t sustain, recheck your fretting technique. Best way to do this is by looking in a mirror. That way, you can see what your fingers are doing, without having to bend your wrist and mess up your finger position.
The lyrics to this song were written by a Church-sponsored committee, and the copyright is held by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Used by permission. You may download it, copy it for your own or church use, and perform it, as long as you don’t distribute it or charge money for performing.
A Hungarian young woman named Nami Tóth requested this song. It’s from the French language version of the LDS hymnal, called “Cantiques”, which is French for “Hymns”. The music is based on the New World Symphony by Antonin Dvorak, which in turn was based on an American Negro spiritual called, “Steal Away to Jesus.” Some musicologists believe this to be one of the “code songs” used by the slaves to pass on the information that a “conductor” on the “Underground Railroad” was in the area, and an escape was planned. I’m a sucker for the message of liberation, for the French language, and for requests from Saints in places where I’ve never been, especially if they are young people, and especially if I find the music unusual or interesting. How could I resist? Nami, this one’s for you!
PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT an easy song to play. When I first transposed it, there were more chords in it than in any other hymn I’ve ever tabbed. There were more hard chords in it. There were more strange chords in it. I had to invent a couple of chord names. One was so long, I had to truncate it. Two chords were simply impossible to play for anyone with normal hands. I simplified one to make it playable, and left the other one out, replacing it with a single melody note. Other chords needed to have their notes rearranged. I maintained the melody notes as the treble note of each chord (the usual practice), rearranging the order of the other notes to make playable chords. It was still impossible, so I bit my lip, apologized to Dvorak, and re-wrote the whole song.
The result sounds very close to the original, but it contains thirteen fewer chords. At the cost of some very subtle (and very beautiful) harmonies, it is now merely difficult to play on the guitar, instead of impossible. If you are a regular on this blog, you will find nearly all the chords familiar.
Strum all the chords with the thumb or with a relatively soft pick. If thumb strumming, pluck the individual melody notes with the middle or ring finger. I find using the ring finger allows me to play with a rocking motion of the wrist.
In the third measure of the first line, you can leave the left ring finger on the second string, 5th space, which converts the GIII chord into a G6, for a nice, subtle harmony. I did not call for this in the tab, because I used it later in the fifth line, which is otherwise very similar.
The second line starts the same as the first, but don’t omit the G13→ Bdim→ Am chord progression. It’s beautiful. Your audience will love it, and it’s not hard. G13 may be unfamiliar to you, but it’s only a three finger chord. Bdim is even easier, being exactly the same as G13, except that you lift up the left ring finger. It can be a bit of a trick to get from there to Am quickly. I don’t know any special tricks for this. You just have to practice until you can do it fast. Be sure to play only the strings shown in the tablature, to bring out the melody notes. The chord charts show the standard fingering for the chords, but not all notes shown in the charts are used in the tablature every time.
The third and fourth lines are virtually identical, and contain only one chord. You may find it hard to hold the barred FI chord that long. Not to worry. There are a couple of spots in each line where you have to lift your fingers off the strings, to play the open notes on the 2nd and 3rd strings. It’s a good idea to lift off only the index and middle fingers, leaving the other two fingers in place, to facilitate your return to the full FI chord moments later.
The fifth line is very similar to the first line, except for the G6 chord in measure two, and the G7III chord in measure four. Be sure to add in the F note on the 2nd string, 6th space at just the right moment. You could hammer it on if you want to. Audiences love it.
The GaddD chord in the first measure of the last line is not nearly as strange or difficult as it may appear from the name. Just barre the first two strings in the third space, and play the next two strings open. You don’t even have to move your hand out of the C position. Just barre the strings with the little finger and lift the rest of the fingers off the strings. As soon as the strings quit ringing, immediately move the left hand up the neck to the 8th fret.
The next measures are the only really difficult ones. They are going to require some practice, especially if you are not used to playing barre chords at the 8th fret. ALL the chords in the rest of the song are played with the barre at the 8th fret. There’s just no other way to do it that is any easier.
Play the CVIII. As you can see in the chord charts, this is just an E-shape chord barred at the 8th fret. All the following chords are based on this chord shape, and are played without moving the barre, so it’s important that you get comfortable playing CVIII. Your finger’s going to be there, without moving, for the next three measures.
You could play G11 by barring the first five strings at the 10th fret. If you are playing a steel-string guitar, or have a cut-away body, go right ahead and do it that way. If, like me, you have a classical guitar with the 12th fret at the body, you probably won’t be able to fit your hand into the narrow space between the 10th and 12th frets. My solution is to keep the barred E-shape at the 8th fret, but flatten the left hand against the neck, in effect fretting all of the first five strings at the 10th fret, as shown in the chord chart.
The next chord is actually a plain CVIII chord, with the high C added at the 12th fret. Hence, its name, CaddE. By returning to the CVIII , and playing only the first four strings, you should be able to stretch your hand far enough to hit the 12th space with your little finger. If your fingers are short and stubby like mine, you may need to cover the note on the 4th string with your ring finger, which would normally be covering the 5th string, if you were playing more than four strings. You may notice that this chord looks a lot like a normal F chord, only barred at the 8th fret. You are right, and you can play it that way if you wish. I find it easier to barre the first two strings with the first joint of the index finger, as I would do if barring all six strings. This allows me to stretch my little finger farther. I suggest you try it both ways, then do it the way that’s easiest for you. It’s probably going to be difficult no matter how you try. No pain, no gain!
Hold the final CVIII chord as long as you can. Check the position of your fingertips, to ensure each is as close to the “sweet spot” between the frets as possible. If your fretting technique is good, you should be able to hold the chord at least for a count of 3. If the chord won’t sustain, recheck your fretting technique. Best way to do this is by looking in a mirror. That way, you can see what your fingers are doing, without having to bend your wrist and mess up your finger position.
The lyrics to this song were written by a Church-sponsored committee, and the copyright is held by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Used by permission. You may download it, copy it for your own or church use, and perform it, as long as you don’t distribute it or charge money for performing.
God Loved Us, So He Sent His Son
As written in Hymns, this song is in 2/2 tempo; each measure consists of two half notes. It’s appropriate to a very slow, solemn song like this, but it makes counting really difficult, as there are numerous points where you have to play 16th notes. That’s not bad in standard music notation, but in a tab where everything is a fraction of a half-note, you’d end up counting something like: “and-a-one-uh and-a-two-uh,” etc. Clumsy and confusing. Much better to recast it as 4/4 and eliminate the 16th notes. Eighth notes are bad enough.
This song has been transposed to the key of C. I tried to transpose it to G, which is musically closer to the original, but it was impossible to play, so C it is. That does require the use of a few “unusual” chords, but they are not difficult ones. C/G (pronounced C over G) is just a normal C chord, with a G bass added on the #6 string.
C and Am are played normally, but GaddD is another interesting variation. It is played exactly like a normal G, except the #1 string is not played, and the ring finger frets the #2 or B string in the third space, instead of the #1 string. This chord is sometimes written as Gadd3, because D is the third note in the G scale. It is dead easy to play, even easier than a normal G.
The rest of the chords are all easy barre chords. GIII, CVIII, and FI are all barred E-shapes. The only difference is their position on the guitar neck. G7III is even easier, as it’s just a barred E7-shape.
The words to this hymn were written by Edward P. Kimball, who was the Mormon Tabernacle Choir organist for more than thirty years. He was the organist when Music and the Spoken Word was begun. His son, Ted Kimball, was the first announcer for the show. Edward P. Kimball also wrote the music to "Great God, To Thee My Evening Song" and "The Wintry Day Descending to a Close", two other hymns included in the “green”hymnal. He died in 1935.
The music for this hymn was written by Alexander b. Schreiner. Copyright is held by the LDS Church, Used by permission. This song is NOT in the Public Domain. You may use it for personal or church use, but may not distribute it or charge for it, without written permission of the copyright holder.
This song has been transposed to the key of C. I tried to transpose it to G, which is musically closer to the original, but it was impossible to play, so C it is. That does require the use of a few “unusual” chords, but they are not difficult ones. C/G (pronounced C over G) is just a normal C chord, with a G bass added on the #6 string.
C and Am are played normally, but GaddD is another interesting variation. It is played exactly like a normal G, except the #1 string is not played, and the ring finger frets the #2 or B string in the third space, instead of the #1 string. This chord is sometimes written as Gadd3, because D is the third note in the G scale. It is dead easy to play, even easier than a normal G.
The rest of the chords are all easy barre chords. GIII, CVIII, and FI are all barred E-shapes. The only difference is their position on the guitar neck. G7III is even easier, as it’s just a barred E7-shape.
The words to this hymn were written by Edward P. Kimball, who was the Mormon Tabernacle Choir organist for more than thirty years. He was the organist when Music and the Spoken Word was begun. His son, Ted Kimball, was the first announcer for the show. Edward P. Kimball also wrote the music to "Great God, To Thee My Evening Song" and "The Wintry Day Descending to a Close", two other hymns included in the “green”hymnal. He died in 1935.
The music for this hymn was written by Alexander b. Schreiner. Copyright is held by the LDS Church, Used by permission. This song is NOT in the Public Domain. You may use it for personal or church use, but may not distribute it or charge for it, without written permission of the copyright holder.
An old friend...
I received an interesting email the other day, in connection with this blog. With the permission of the sender, here it is.
Hello Don.
How are you doing? Well, I hope.
I don’t know if you will remember me or not. My wife, Katherine and I lived in your ward in West Valley for a short while before moving to Midvale. We came to your house for dinner one Sunday and played a board game. You also stopped by as a home teacher and told me about your experience with reconciling your belief in evolution with a creationism religion.
Since those days, Katherine and I have had two beautiful children and I have joined the Navy. We are now living in the Fresno, California area and I am currently on board the USS Carl Vinson on a deployment in the west pacific.
I had been looking for simple chords to play the song ‘Love One Another’ on my little ukulele and stumbled across your web page. (I’ve been trying to learn how to play the ukulele out here) I saw your name and wondered if it was the same guy I knew from West Valley, so I clicked on the picture and lo and behold…
Unfortunately, the internet out here on the ship is so slow that your web page does not load fully and I can’t see chords. I was wondering if you could email me just a simple beginners arrangement or perhaps even just the simple chords for that song. I would greatly appreciate it.
I wish you and your family the very best,
Glenn
So, I used to be his home teacher, and he is now serving our country. Naturally, I wanted to send him what he requested, but I didn't have it. for one thing, I don't play the ukulele. For another, I only have a pdf of the guitar tab. So, I created a cheat sheet for him, in Microsoft Word, found the uke chords he would need, and sent it to him as an attachment to my email reply. It worked.
Glenn wanted to thank me for it, but I ended up thanking him, as much as you can thank someone for risking his life to protect you. So, as a tribute to Glenn, and all the others who are risking their lives in defense of their country, I am posting a pdf version of the cheat sheet, plus the original Word document, for those who may not have good internet access. Thank you, Glenn!
The pdf version is called, "Love One Another for ukulele".
The Word version is called, "Love One Another 4 ukulele".
Enjoy! and while you're enjoying, please think of our servicemen and -women who are risking their lives to protect you, and say a little prayer in their behalf. Thanks.
Don
Hello Don.
How are you doing? Well, I hope.
I don’t know if you will remember me or not. My wife, Katherine and I lived in your ward in West Valley for a short while before moving to Midvale. We came to your house for dinner one Sunday and played a board game. You also stopped by as a home teacher and told me about your experience with reconciling your belief in evolution with a creationism religion.
Since those days, Katherine and I have had two beautiful children and I have joined the Navy. We are now living in the Fresno, California area and I am currently on board the USS Carl Vinson on a deployment in the west pacific.
I had been looking for simple chords to play the song ‘Love One Another’ on my little ukulele and stumbled across your web page. (I’ve been trying to learn how to play the ukulele out here) I saw your name and wondered if it was the same guy I knew from West Valley, so I clicked on the picture and lo and behold…
Unfortunately, the internet out here on the ship is so slow that your web page does not load fully and I can’t see chords. I was wondering if you could email me just a simple beginners arrangement or perhaps even just the simple chords for that song. I would greatly appreciate it.
I wish you and your family the very best,
Glenn
So, I used to be his home teacher, and he is now serving our country. Naturally, I wanted to send him what he requested, but I didn't have it. for one thing, I don't play the ukulele. For another, I only have a pdf of the guitar tab. So, I created a cheat sheet for him, in Microsoft Word, found the uke chords he would need, and sent it to him as an attachment to my email reply. It worked.
Glenn wanted to thank me for it, but I ended up thanking him, as much as you can thank someone for risking his life to protect you. So, as a tribute to Glenn, and all the others who are risking their lives in defense of their country, I am posting a pdf version of the cheat sheet, plus the original Word document, for those who may not have good internet access. Thank you, Glenn!
The pdf version is called, "Love One Another for ukulele".
The Word version is called, "Love One Another 4 ukulele".
Enjoy! and while you're enjoying, please think of our servicemen and -women who are risking their lives to protect you, and say a little prayer in their behalf. Thanks.
Don
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.
The Iron Rod
I had thought to fancy this up, with cool chords and lots of fill, but after trying to do so, I decided this simple and easy version sounds better. This is one of the easiest hymns I've ever published. It's in the key of C, so you can easily transpose it into D, as shown in the hymnal, just by using a capo in the 2nd space, which makes it even easier to play. There are no barre chords, and only three basic chords, though a couple of times you'll want to alter the C chord to a C/G by adding the G note on the #6 (bass) string with your pinkie.
There's also an alternate G7 chord voicing labelled G7*, which requires you to add the F note on the 4th string, III fret. If you're not used to it, and you're not using a capo, this may be slightly difficult for you. If so, you can play it as a three-finger chord by not playing the #1 string, which isn't needed for the melody at that time anyway. In the chord diagram, I have shown this by printing the 0 on the first string in light-face type, and placing an X above the nut over that string. Musically, there is no difference between the two ways of playing this chord; use whichever is easiest for you.
Other than those two slight differences, there are no unusual chords at all. My only other departure from my usually tabbing is to list "strum all chords" at the beginning of the tab, then leave off all the "strum" signs as unnecessary. Let's keep it simple!
There are a couple of techniques that make the song easier to play and nicer to hear. There are a few slides, hammer-ons, and pull-offs. These are not strictly necessary to play the melody. You could play them as individual notes, but they sound very much nicer as written. And, unless the techniques are just impossible for you, they actually make the song easier to play. One is written a little strangely. In the first measure of the Refrain, the second note (over the word, "to") is plucked and allowed to ring briefly, before hammering-on the next note. This follows the normally sung rhythm,
"Hold__to__the-rod__...." It shouldn't take much practice for you to get it right, as even children have been singing that rhythm for years.
There's also an alternate G7 chord voicing labelled G7*, which requires you to add the F note on the 4th string, III fret. If you're not used to it, and you're not using a capo, this may be slightly difficult for you. If so, you can play it as a three-finger chord by not playing the #1 string, which isn't needed for the melody at that time anyway. In the chord diagram, I have shown this by printing the 0 on the first string in light-face type, and placing an X above the nut over that string. Musically, there is no difference between the two ways of playing this chord; use whichever is easiest for you.
Other than those two slight differences, there are no unusual chords at all. My only other departure from my usually tabbing is to list "strum all chords" at the beginning of the tab, then leave off all the "strum" signs as unnecessary. Let's keep it simple!
There are a couple of techniques that make the song easier to play and nicer to hear. There are a few slides, hammer-ons, and pull-offs. These are not strictly necessary to play the melody. You could play them as individual notes, but they sound very much nicer as written. And, unless the techniques are just impossible for you, they actually make the song easier to play. One is written a little strangely. In the first measure of the Refrain, the second note (over the word, "to") is plucked and allowed to ring briefly, before hammering-on the next note. This follows the normally sung rhythm,
"Hold__to__the-rod__...." It shouldn't take much practice for you to get it right, as even children have been singing that rhythm for years.
Baptism (Jesus Came to John the Baptist)
Don’t let the chord names fool you! This is not a particularly hard song. In fact, there are really only four chords: a couple of barred E-shapes, a couple of barred A-shapes, C, and G7. There are some quick chord changes, but the barre chords make them really easy. Just move your hand along the neck without changing the chord shape. (Lift your fingers completely off the strings to avoid that annoying scraping noise.)
The pattern pick is also easy: groups of three notes, with lots of repetition. Yes, it’s fairly fast, and there are lots of fill notes, but they are all in the original music as published in The Children’s Songbook.
The time signature is also unususal, but is also in the original, and actually makes the playing easier for the guitar. I could have recast it as 6/8, 3/8, or even as 4/4, with four triplets per measure. All would have been more confusing than the 12/8 tempo as originally written. Just remember that each measure contains four groups of three notes each, with the stress on the first note of each group, and you’ll do fine. The lyrics naturally stress the lines properly.
I have replaced the introduction in the book with my own. If you don’t like it, you are free to replace my introduction with whatever you feel works better. My intro is just arpeggios in C. It’s brief, to give the audience just enough time to get used to the rhythm, without overwhelming the rather simple melody line. The only difficult part of the introduction comes right at the end, when you have to switch from leading with your right thumb to leading with your right middle finger, ring finger, etc. (bass lead to treble lead).
The tab is straightforward and needs no explanation, for the most part. An exception is at the end of the third line. I have specified the GIII chord, rather than the normal G, because it makes for a very fast chord change to the CVIII chord that starts the next phrase. Both chords are just barred E-shapes, so all you have to do is move your hand from the III position to the VIII position. This would be a much harder chord change if you also had to change fingering at the same time.
In the first measure of the fourth line, you’‘ll have to stretch your left pinkie two frets up the neck to hit the high B at the 12th fret. Don’t worry, the frets are really close together in this part of the neck, and the stretch isn’t difficult.
The FVIII in the next measure is just a barred A-shape, one of the most standard barre chords around. Fret it the same way you would fret an A-shape in the III space, because you’ll be going there soon. The FVIII to CIII transition is accomplished by maintaining the finger shape and moving the entire hand along the neck, similar to the E-shape transition in the third line.
There’s another pinkie stretch in the first measure of the finale. This time, it’s only one fret, so even though the frets are farther apart near the nut, it’s not as great a stretch as the one at the 12th fret. You will have to switch back to thumb lead in the next measure. The arpeggios which make up the last 1-1/2 measures of the verse are all exactly the same. Then go right to the beginning of the first measure in the next verse, skipping the Introduction.
The finale of the last verse is NOT the same. The first measure is identical to the corresponding measures of Verses 1 and 2, but the arpeggios are different, as is the ending. Slow down for the final three notes and chord. You may substitute a C/G chord final C, if you wish, by fretting the #6 string with your pinkie in the 3rd space while playing the C chord. This gives it a fuller sound.
This song is not in the public domain. The copyright is held by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The guitar arrangement and tablature are mine.
The pattern pick is also easy: groups of three notes, with lots of repetition. Yes, it’s fairly fast, and there are lots of fill notes, but they are all in the original music as published in The Children’s Songbook.
The time signature is also unususal, but is also in the original, and actually makes the playing easier for the guitar. I could have recast it as 6/8, 3/8, or even as 4/4, with four triplets per measure. All would have been more confusing than the 12/8 tempo as originally written. Just remember that each measure contains four groups of three notes each, with the stress on the first note of each group, and you’ll do fine. The lyrics naturally stress the lines properly.
I have replaced the introduction in the book with my own. If you don’t like it, you are free to replace my introduction with whatever you feel works better. My intro is just arpeggios in C. It’s brief, to give the audience just enough time to get used to the rhythm, without overwhelming the rather simple melody line. The only difficult part of the introduction comes right at the end, when you have to switch from leading with your right thumb to leading with your right middle finger, ring finger, etc. (bass lead to treble lead).
The tab is straightforward and needs no explanation, for the most part. An exception is at the end of the third line. I have specified the GIII chord, rather than the normal G, because it makes for a very fast chord change to the CVIII chord that starts the next phrase. Both chords are just barred E-shapes, so all you have to do is move your hand from the III position to the VIII position. This would be a much harder chord change if you also had to change fingering at the same time.
In the first measure of the fourth line, you’‘ll have to stretch your left pinkie two frets up the neck to hit the high B at the 12th fret. Don’t worry, the frets are really close together in this part of the neck, and the stretch isn’t difficult.
The FVIII in the next measure is just a barred A-shape, one of the most standard barre chords around. Fret it the same way you would fret an A-shape in the III space, because you’ll be going there soon. The FVIII to CIII transition is accomplished by maintaining the finger shape and moving the entire hand along the neck, similar to the E-shape transition in the third line.
There’s another pinkie stretch in the first measure of the finale. This time, it’s only one fret, so even though the frets are farther apart near the nut, it’s not as great a stretch as the one at the 12th fret. You will have to switch back to thumb lead in the next measure. The arpeggios which make up the last 1-1/2 measures of the verse are all exactly the same. Then go right to the beginning of the first measure in the next verse, skipping the Introduction.
The finale of the last verse is NOT the same. The first measure is identical to the corresponding measures of Verses 1 and 2, but the arpeggios are different, as is the ending. Slow down for the final three notes and chord. You may substitute a C/G chord final C, if you wish, by fretting the #6 string with your pinkie in the 3rd space while playing the C chord. This gives it a fuller sound.
This song is not in the public domain. The copyright is held by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The guitar arrangement and tablature are mine.
My all-time favorites
A baker’s dozen of the songs you are most likely to hear me play around the house, just because they are so much FUN to play, or because they sound so great. As if there’s a difference... .
A-Soulin’
Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
Choukoun
Dream A Little Dream Of Me
Greensleeves
He Is Risen
How Great Thou Art
Meditation (Meditaçao)
Misty
Old Rugged Cross
Summer Time
Til There Was You
Window to His Love
A-Soulin’
Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
Choukoun
Dream A Little Dream Of Me
Greensleeves
He Is Risen
How Great Thou Art
Meditation (Meditaçao)
Misty
Old Rugged Cross
Summer Time
Til There Was You
Window to His Love
Choukoun (also called Choucoune)
Complete instructions, chords, complete lyrics, pronouncing guide & translation, plus poetic analysis by me are included with the tab. There's also instructions on how to do the Calypso strum, and a discussion of the political and literary significance of this masterpiece, little known outside of Haiti.
The lyrics alone are nearly impossible to find on the Internet, let alone a reasonable tab. I'm hoping to soon put up a video; until then, this will have to do. It's one of my two or three favorite songs. But it's so well-known in Haiti that no one performs it in it's "pure" version any more. All that can be found on the Internet are "jazzed-up" versions that don't show what the original song was like.
The closest to the original version I have found was performed by Nancy Ames in the 1960s, and released on her album This Is the Girl That Is, under the title "Choucoune". Musically, it's perfect, and her kreyòl isn't bad, but the lyrics aren't right-- she leaves out some of the verses, as do all modern Haitian recordings. That's not surprising. How often do you hear all the verses of The Star-Spangled Banner? Out of respect for a work of true genius, I have included ALL the words.
The lyrics were originally written as a poem by Haitian poet Durand Oswald* in 1883, inspired by actual events in his life. "Choukoun" was a real woman, though we do not know her true name. The word, "choukoun" means "like a cukoo," a bird which lays its eggs in the nests of other bird species, and therefore symbolizes both infidelity and interracial sex. Ten years later, in 1893, the poem was set to music by Haitian pianist/composer Mauleart Monton Michel*, and became an instant hit. In the 1930s, with the popularity of folk music in the United States, it became the basis for several popular tunes, including "Yellow Bird" and "Don't Ever Love Me."
linguistic notes:
1. NAMES: Traditionally, Haitians give their family name first, and given name last. Thus, the poet would be called Oswald Duran in most Western cultures, and the composer, Michel Mauleart-Monton. Knowing this, educated Haitians habitually give their given name first when speaking to foreigners. Unfortunately, many Haitian family names sound like given names to English-speakers, and vice-versa. If the foreigners are sophisticated and know about Haitian name order, this can cause even more confusion. To avoid such confusion, I give Haitian names in Haitian order, and add an asterix (*) after the name to show it is family-name-first.
2. CAPITALIZATION: You will notice that I fail to capitalize many words in kreyòl, such as the names of countries, languages, etc. These are not errors. In kreyòl, only the names of people are capitalized, and sometimes, the first word of a sentence. Many kreyòl-speakers, even highly educated ones who speak, read, and write English, French, and Spanish, never capitalize anything in kreyòl. To make life easier for the majority of my readers, I have capitalized the beginning of sentences and the first word in each line of the lyrics, as well as the kreyòl word for French-- "Franse"-- even though they would not normally be capitalized in kreyòl. For my kreyòl-speaking friends, I beg your forgiveness. My purpose is not to teach the language, which I am not qualified to do, but just to give my English-speaking readers a "taste" of the masterpiece that this song is.
The lyrics alone are nearly impossible to find on the Internet, let alone a reasonable tab. I'm hoping to soon put up a video; until then, this will have to do. It's one of my two or three favorite songs. But it's so well-known in Haiti that no one performs it in it's "pure" version any more. All that can be found on the Internet are "jazzed-up" versions that don't show what the original song was like.
The closest to the original version I have found was performed by Nancy Ames in the 1960s, and released on her album This Is the Girl That Is, under the title "Choucoune". Musically, it's perfect, and her kreyòl isn't bad, but the lyrics aren't right-- she leaves out some of the verses, as do all modern Haitian recordings. That's not surprising. How often do you hear all the verses of The Star-Spangled Banner? Out of respect for a work of true genius, I have included ALL the words.
The lyrics were originally written as a poem by Haitian poet Durand Oswald* in 1883, inspired by actual events in his life. "Choukoun" was a real woman, though we do not know her true name. The word, "choukoun" means "like a cukoo," a bird which lays its eggs in the nests of other bird species, and therefore symbolizes both infidelity and interracial sex. Ten years later, in 1893, the poem was set to music by Haitian pianist/composer Mauleart Monton Michel*, and became an instant hit. In the 1930s, with the popularity of folk music in the United States, it became the basis for several popular tunes, including "Yellow Bird" and "Don't Ever Love Me."
linguistic notes:
1. NAMES: Traditionally, Haitians give their family name first, and given name last. Thus, the poet would be called Oswald Duran in most Western cultures, and the composer, Michel Mauleart-Monton. Knowing this, educated Haitians habitually give their given name first when speaking to foreigners. Unfortunately, many Haitian family names sound like given names to English-speakers, and vice-versa. If the foreigners are sophisticated and know about Haitian name order, this can cause even more confusion. To avoid such confusion, I give Haitian names in Haitian order, and add an asterix (*) after the name to show it is family-name-first.
2. CAPITALIZATION: You will notice that I fail to capitalize many words in kreyòl, such as the names of countries, languages, etc. These are not errors. In kreyòl, only the names of people are capitalized, and sometimes, the first word of a sentence. Many kreyòl-speakers, even highly educated ones who speak, read, and write English, French, and Spanish, never capitalize anything in kreyòl. To make life easier for the majority of my readers, I have capitalized the beginning of sentences and the first word in each line of the lyrics, as well as the kreyòl word for French-- "Franse"-- even though they would not normally be capitalized in kreyòl. For my kreyòl-speaking friends, I beg your forgiveness. My purpose is not to teach the language, which I am not qualified to do, but just to give my English-speaking readers a "taste" of the masterpiece that this song is.
INDEX
By popular demand, and with the help of Johan Rune, who actually did all the work, here is an index of all the songs published on this blog (as of May 16, 2014), arranged by level of difficulty. It includes comments by him and by me, concerning the songs. It also includes an index of songs with special themes, such as holidays and love songs. Thank you, Johan!
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