To my English-speaking friends-- The English version of this song, and of this post, are called "The Joy and the Song", and can be found a little further down in the blog.
A Dios ofrecemos gozosa canción es a partir de un libro de canciones llamado Zion’s Praises (1ª edición, 1903), donde esta numerado como Himno # 227. Este libro, y presumiblemente las canciones en el, son propiedad de The Re-Organized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, conocido hoy como La Comunidad de Cristo. Esta iglesia fue formada por los Santos de los Últimos Días que permanecieron en Nauvoo, y no tomaron parte en el éxodo hacia el oeste. Emma Smith, esposa del profeta José Smith, Jr., fue miembro fundador de la iglesia, y José Smith III, hijo de Emma y José, fue su primer presidente. Zion’s Praises era la himnario de la iglesia 1903-1933.
Fue increíblemente difícil de encontrar el himno original por internet. En himnarios SUD, está disponible en la himario Himnos, pero no en la versión Inglés. El himno original, con palabras en inglés, fue escrito en la tonalidad de Si bemol, lo cual es casi imposible tocar por la guitarra sin el utilizar de una cejilla. La versión española, como se encuentra en Himnos, ha sido un tanto reorganizado y adaptado a la tonalidad de sol mayor, lo cual es perfecto para la guitarra. Si le gustaría escuchar la canción, necesita abrirlo en su tableta o teléfono, como la versión para la computadora no tiene una función de reproductor. La versión de la tableta / teléfono lo hace. ¡Imagínate! Porque la versión iglesa fue la primera, hé incluyado la letra y el título en inglés.
También hay una versión de este himno, de idioma inglés, en este blog,bajo el título originál. Aparte del idioma preferido, la única diferencia entre los dos es que el inglés sigue el formato de deletraficación de la nomenclatura acorde: C, D, E, F, G, A, y B, en lugar de do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, y si (o ti). Una discusión de este formato, con tablas de equivalencia, se puede encontrar al hagar clic en la entrada "Chord Theory" en la sección “The Tabs” de este blog.
En realidad jugando esta canción es fácil. No hay acordes duros o transiciones dificiles. Hay ligados ascendentes y descendentes, que se muestran por guiones entre las notas, y glissandos, que se muestran por barras entre las notas: barras diagonales indican un tono ascendente, barras invertidas indican una caída de tono. Cuando sea necesario o útil, para cambiar la posición de la mano izquierda a la segunda posición, o hacia atrás hasta la primera posición, he colocado los números romanos por encima de la tablatura. Primera posición significa que se atrasa de las notas en el primer espacio con el indicio, los que están en el segundo espacio con el medio, y aquellos en el tercer espacio con el anulario. Segunda posición significa que desliza la mano izquierda hacia "arriba" del mástil de la guitarra (hacia el puente) un traste, por lo que las notas en el segundo espacio se atrastan con el indicio, los que están en el tercer espacio con el medio, y los del cuarto espacio con el anulario.
Hay dos tipos de acordes mandados en esa tablatura. Acordes pinzados se reproducen por tocarse la nota bajo con el pulgar derecho, y las otras notas con los dedos apropiados. En esta canción, todos acordes que no son marcados de otro modo, se nececsitan tocarse pinzados. Acordes rasgueados están marcados con una linea ondulada a la derecha de las notas. Para aquellos que no conocen bién la canción, he incluido números de conteo debajo de las letras.
Esta es una canción bién amada. La letra es la traducción cla más perfecta que he encontrado. No sé porqué no está en la edición inglesa de la himnario, pero estoy múy felíz de que tenemos en español.
The Joy and the Song-- English version of a Spanish translation
“The Joy and the Song” is available in the Spanish language hymnal Himnos, but not in the English language hymnal. The original hymn, with English words, is from a songbook called Zion’s Praises (1st Edition, 1903), copyrighted by The Re-Organized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which is known today as The Community of Christ. This church was formed by Latter-Day Saints who stayed in Nauvoo, and did not take part in the exodus to the west. Emma Smith, wife of the prophet Joseph Smith, Jr., was a founding member of the church, and Joseph Smith III, son of Emma and Joseph, was its first president. Zion’s Praises was their hymnal from 1903 to 1933.
It was amazingly hard to find the original hymn online. The original hymn, with English words, was written in the key of Bb,which is nearly impossible to play on the guitar without using a capo. The Spanish version, as found in Himnos, has been somewhat re-arranged and transposed into the key of G, which is perfect for the guitar. If you are unfamiliar with it, and would like to hear the song, you’ll need to open it on your tablet or phone, as the laptop/desktop version doesn’t have a player function. The tablet/phone version does. Go figure! Because it’s only the Spanish version that’s readily available, I’m including the Spanish lyrics and title, as well as the original English lyrics and title.
I’m also including a Spanish language version of this tab & post, under the Spanish title “A Dios ofrecemos gozosa canción”. Apart from the preferred language of the lyrics, the only difference between the two is that the Spanish one follows the “sol-fa” format of chord naming: do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, and ti (or si in some countries), instead of C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. In English, this system is sometimes called solmization. A discussion of this format, with equivalency charts, can be found in the entry “Chord Theory” in The Tabs section of this blog.
Actually playing this song is easy. There are no hard chords or transitions. There are hammer-ons, and pull-offs, shown by underscores between the notes, and slides, shown by slashes between the notes: forward slashes indicate a rising tone, backslashes indicate a falling tone. Where it is necessary, or even helpful, to change the left hand position to Second Position, or back to First Position, I have placed Roman numerals above the staff. First Position means you fret the 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. Second Position means you slide the left hand “up” the neck of the guitar (toward the bridge) one fret, so the notes in the second space are fretted with the index finger, those in the third space with the middle finger, and those in the fourth space with the ring finger.
There are two kinds of chords called out in the tab. Pinched chords are played by plucking the bass note of the chord with the right thumb, and the other notes with the appropriate fingers. In this song, all chords not otherwise marked are to be pinched. Chords that are to be strummed are marked with a wiggly, vertical line to the right of the notes to be strummed. For those not familiar with the song, I’ve included counting numbers below the lyrics.
It’s a pretty song, well-beloved by our Latin brothers and sisters. The lyrics are as close to a perfect translation of the original English lyrics as it’s possible to get. I don’t know why it’s not in the English language edition of the hymnal.
It was amazingly hard to find the original hymn online. The original hymn, with English words, was written in the key of Bb,which is nearly impossible to play on the guitar without using a capo. The Spanish version, as found in Himnos, has been somewhat re-arranged and transposed into the key of G, which is perfect for the guitar. If you are unfamiliar with it, and would like to hear the song, you’ll need to open it on your tablet or phone, as the laptop/desktop version doesn’t have a player function. The tablet/phone version does. Go figure! Because it’s only the Spanish version that’s readily available, I’m including the Spanish lyrics and title, as well as the original English lyrics and title.
I’m also including a Spanish language version of this tab & post, under the Spanish title “A Dios ofrecemos gozosa canción”. Apart from the preferred language of the lyrics, the only difference between the two is that the Spanish one follows the “sol-fa” format of chord naming: do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, and ti (or si in some countries), instead of C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. In English, this system is sometimes called solmization. A discussion of this format, with equivalency charts, can be found in the entry “Chord Theory” in The Tabs section of this blog.
Actually playing this song is easy. There are no hard chords or transitions. There are hammer-ons, and pull-offs, shown by underscores between the notes, and slides, shown by slashes between the notes: forward slashes indicate a rising tone, backslashes indicate a falling tone. Where it is necessary, or even helpful, to change the left hand position to Second Position, or back to First Position, I have placed Roman numerals above the staff. First Position means you fret the 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. Second Position means you slide the left hand “up” the neck of the guitar (toward the bridge) one fret, so the notes in the second space are fretted with the index finger, those in the third space with the middle finger, and those in the fourth space with the ring finger.
There are two kinds of chords called out in the tab. Pinched chords are played by plucking the bass note of the chord with the right thumb, and the other notes with the appropriate fingers. In this song, all chords not otherwise marked are to be pinched. Chords that are to be strummed are marked with a wiggly, vertical line to the right of the notes to be strummed. For those not familiar with the song, I’ve included counting numbers below the lyrics.
It’s a pretty song, well-beloved by our Latin brothers and sisters. The lyrics are as close to a perfect translation of the original English lyrics as it’s possible to get. I don’t know why it’s not in the English language edition of the hymnal.
What Was Witnessed in the Heavens?
For my darling wife, Barbara, just because she loves it-- and because it’s her birthday.
Happy Birthday, dear!
The Song:
This song is harder than it looks, but a lot easier than it might be, so I’m calling it Intermediate level. It does contain eight chords, and five are barre chords, but two are just barrred A-shapes, which can be played as a two-finger chord, using the middle finger to barre the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th strings in the second space, bending the second knuckle backwards a bit to clear the 1st string. This is a jazz technique pioneered by the great Django Rinehart, father of modern jazz guitar, who only had the use of two fingers on his left hand. (Really!)
Two more barre chords are a barred E-shape, probably the most common barre chord, and a barred Em7-shape, another two-finger chord, and one of the easiest. The other barre chord, EIV, is a truncated version of a barred C-shape. The full version of this chord is generally conceded to be a difficult one, but since none of the notes used in the tab fall on the 5th string, I have left it out, making the chord MUCH easier to play. The other three chords are just A, E, and D.
I’ve left out several chords, in the interest of easier chord changes, substituting melody notes to carry the tune. So the chords alone make this an Intermediate level piece. But there’s more. Nearly every measure ends with a triplet-- three notes played in the time of a single beat. This constant slowing down and speeding up adds a lot to the appeal of the song. It also adds a bit to the difficulty level, since most of these triplets are achieved by using a double-ligado-- either a slide/pull-off, or a hammer-on/slide. One is even a mordant, achieved by sliding an entire chord down a fret and back up again, in the space of a single beat! In fact, this piece is just full of such combinations of techniques. Definitely not Beginner level. Sorry, all you beginners who would like to learn this song!
History
This is one of the few times where we know more about the composer of the song than we do about the writer of the words. The music was composed by Evan Stephens, an early Tabernacle Choir director and prolific composer. Nineteen of the songs in the current English language version of the hymnal were written or composed by him. Stephens was the first person to be employed as a full-time Tabernacle Choir Director, and it was he who first took the Choir on touring concerts. He also more than doubled the size of the choir, from 125 members to over 300.
We know nothing of the circumstances surrounding the composition of this particular song, and even less about the writer of the lyrics, John S. Davis. The name is just too common, and without corroborating details, there is no way for me to sort out which one he is. If anyone knows, please contact me.
The Song:
This song is harder than it looks, but a lot easier than it might be, so I’m calling it Intermediate level. It does contain eight chords, and five are barre chords, but two are just barrred A-shapes, which can be played as a two-finger chord, using the middle finger to barre the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th strings in the second space, bending the second knuckle backwards a bit to clear the 1st string. This is a jazz technique pioneered by the great Django Rinehart, father of modern jazz guitar, who only had the use of two fingers on his left hand. (Really!)
Two more barre chords are a barred E-shape, probably the most common barre chord, and a barred Em7-shape, another two-finger chord, and one of the easiest. The other barre chord, EIV, is a truncated version of a barred C-shape. The full version of this chord is generally conceded to be a difficult one, but since none of the notes used in the tab fall on the 5th string, I have left it out, making the chord MUCH easier to play. The other three chords are just A, E, and D.
I’ve left out several chords, in the interest of easier chord changes, substituting melody notes to carry the tune. So the chords alone make this an Intermediate level piece. But there’s more. Nearly every measure ends with a triplet-- three notes played in the time of a single beat. This constant slowing down and speeding up adds a lot to the appeal of the song. It also adds a bit to the difficulty level, since most of these triplets are achieved by using a double-ligado-- either a slide/pull-off, or a hammer-on/slide. One is even a mordant, achieved by sliding an entire chord down a fret and back up again, in the space of a single beat! In fact, this piece is just full of such combinations of techniques. Definitely not Beginner level. Sorry, all you beginners who would like to learn this song!
History
This is one of the few times where we know more about the composer of the song than we do about the writer of the words. The music was composed by Evan Stephens, an early Tabernacle Choir director and prolific composer. Nineteen of the songs in the current English language version of the hymnal were written or composed by him. Stephens was the first person to be employed as a full-time Tabernacle Choir Director, and it was he who first took the Choir on touring concerts. He also more than doubled the size of the choir, from 125 members to over 300.
We know nothing of the circumstances surrounding the composition of this particular song, and even less about the writer of the lyrics, John S. Davis. The name is just too common, and without corroborating details, there is no way for me to sort out which one he is. If anyone knows, please contact me.
Important Notice:
Google has removed your ability to follow Blogger sites, like this one, if you don’t have a Google account. Here’s a better way to contact me. Click on the “Contact Information” field just below my picture, in the column at right. If you have a Google account, “Click My Pic” will still work, and you can still follow this blog. In fact, you probably won’t notice the difference at all.
Hey, Matthew! or, what those underscores mean.
I don't usually comment back on comments, because if it's important enough to publish, I want everyone to see it, not just those who are interested in one particular entry out of 183. So here it is in public: The underscores in my tabs indicate ligados. They may be a hammer-on or a pull-off, depending on whether the notes are going up or down. Slashes between notes are slides. Hope this enlightens a few folks.
If you have specific questions, you can easily contact me. Just join the blog, then click on my pic and send me an email. I have to be one of the easiest people on the planet to contact. I'll be happy to answer reasonable questions. I don't use your personal information for ANYTHING. Wouldn't know how, even if I wanted to. This is a completely non-commercial blog.
If you have specific questions, you can easily contact me. Just join the blog, then click on my pic and send me an email. I have to be one of the easiest people on the planet to contact. I'll be happy to answer reasonable questions. I don't use your personal information for ANYTHING. Wouldn't know how, even if I wanted to. This is a completely non-commercial blog.
Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee
This one is slow, easy to play, lovely, and has an interesting history. There’s not a hard chord, technique, or transition in it, and the words were written by a canonized saint-- in the twelfth century. What’s not to love?
Technique
If you can play C, G7 and G, you can play this song. The G chord I use is actually a GaddD chord, but it’s fretted exactly like a normal G, except the ring finger frets the third space on the 2nd string instead of the 1st string, which is not played. This makes it even easier to play than a normal G.
All the chord changes in the first two lines (except one) follow a note played on an open string, giving you plenty of time to make the change. The exception is the change from C to GaddD at the end of the seventh measure. I usually fret the D note on the #2 string with my ring finger, making the change to GaddD super easy.
Similarly, the pull-off in the first measure of the third line eases the transition to GaddD. Then, after playing the chord and holding it as long as needed, release it, shifting the hand to a normal G7 position. Since you are not playing the #1 string, this chord is actually a G, but it’s easier to hit the notes called out in the tab from the G7 hand position, and it makes no difference to the music what you call it.
For the whole third line, you’re actually holding the middle and ring fingers in place, using the index finger to fret the melody notes. In the third measure of the line, I usually just flatten my middle finger across the #3 string briefly to hit the A note, instead of fretting it with the index finger. Do it the way it is easiest for you.
There’s an optional pull-off in the third line. Play the C note with the index finger, then pull that finger off the string, plucking the string with the left hand. It makes the two notes sonnd more connected, and is therefore called a ligado, the Spanish word for “tied”.
The last line is all played from a C hand position. On the final chord, if you wish, you can fret the #6 string in the 3rd space with your pinkie, turning the chord into a C/G, which just means a C chord with a G bass note. I like the sound of it better with a deeper bass, but it’s not necessary. If you prefer, just play a normal C here, omitting the #1 string. This omission is necessary, as the melody note is the C on the 2nd string. If you play the E on the open #1 string, the melody won’t sound right.
History
Edward Caswall, who translated the lyrics, was a clergyman in the Church of England who later converted to Catholicism and became a Catholic priest. Over his long lifetime as a clergyman, he wrote and translated hundreds of hymns.
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux was without doubt, Western Europe's “man of the twelfth century.” Adviser of popes, preacher of the Second Crusade, defender of the faith, healer of a schism, reformer of a monastic Order, Scripture scholar, theologian and eloquent preacher, he was the son of a French nobleman, who gave up all his advantages to become a priest. He was the first member of the Cistercian order to be placed on the Calendar of Saints, and was canonized, or officially recognized as a saint, on January 18, 1174. This was exactly 842 years ago today, January 25, 2016, due to confusion between the Julian Calendar in use at the time, and the Gregorian Calendar in use worldwide today. If you think that’s confusing, you don’t know the half of it!
If Saint Bernard did in fact write this hymn, it was probably written in Latin, but I have been unable to find any original lyrics. The music is a different story. It was composed by John B. Dykes, in the mid-nineteenth century, approximately seven centuries later. We don’t have an exact composition date for this tune, as Dykes was a prodigy who was Assistant Organist at his church by the age of ten, and who composed over three hundred hymn tunes in his short lifetime. He is better known as the composer of the tune used for Lead Kindly Light (Hymns #97).
Technique
If you can play C, G7 and G, you can play this song. The G chord I use is actually a GaddD chord, but it’s fretted exactly like a normal G, except the ring finger frets the third space on the 2nd string instead of the 1st string, which is not played. This makes it even easier to play than a normal G.
All the chord changes in the first two lines (except one) follow a note played on an open string, giving you plenty of time to make the change. The exception is the change from C to GaddD at the end of the seventh measure. I usually fret the D note on the #2 string with my ring finger, making the change to GaddD super easy.
Similarly, the pull-off in the first measure of the third line eases the transition to GaddD. Then, after playing the chord and holding it as long as needed, release it, shifting the hand to a normal G7 position. Since you are not playing the #1 string, this chord is actually a G, but it’s easier to hit the notes called out in the tab from the G7 hand position, and it makes no difference to the music what you call it.
For the whole third line, you’re actually holding the middle and ring fingers in place, using the index finger to fret the melody notes. In the third measure of the line, I usually just flatten my middle finger across the #3 string briefly to hit the A note, instead of fretting it with the index finger. Do it the way it is easiest for you.
There’s an optional pull-off in the third line. Play the C note with the index finger, then pull that finger off the string, plucking the string with the left hand. It makes the two notes sonnd more connected, and is therefore called a ligado, the Spanish word for “tied”.
The last line is all played from a C hand position. On the final chord, if you wish, you can fret the #6 string in the 3rd space with your pinkie, turning the chord into a C/G, which just means a C chord with a G bass note. I like the sound of it better with a deeper bass, but it’s not necessary. If you prefer, just play a normal C here, omitting the #1 string. This omission is necessary, as the melody note is the C on the 2nd string. If you play the E on the open #1 string, the melody won’t sound right.
History
Edward Caswall, who translated the lyrics, was a clergyman in the Church of England who later converted to Catholicism and became a Catholic priest. Over his long lifetime as a clergyman, he wrote and translated hundreds of hymns.
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux was without doubt, Western Europe's “man of the twelfth century.” Adviser of popes, preacher of the Second Crusade, defender of the faith, healer of a schism, reformer of a monastic Order, Scripture scholar, theologian and eloquent preacher, he was the son of a French nobleman, who gave up all his advantages to become a priest. He was the first member of the Cistercian order to be placed on the Calendar of Saints, and was canonized, or officially recognized as a saint, on January 18, 1174. This was exactly 842 years ago today, January 25, 2016, due to confusion between the Julian Calendar in use at the time, and the Gregorian Calendar in use worldwide today. If you think that’s confusing, you don’t know the half of it!
If Saint Bernard did in fact write this hymn, it was probably written in Latin, but I have been unable to find any original lyrics. The music is a different story. It was composed by John B. Dykes, in the mid-nineteenth century, approximately seven centuries later. We don’t have an exact composition date for this tune, as Dykes was a prodigy who was Assistant Organist at his church by the age of ten, and who composed over three hundred hymn tunes in his short lifetime. He is better known as the composer of the tune used for Lead Kindly Light (Hymns #97).
With Wondering Awe
This lovely Christmas carol plays really well in C, but sounds better capoed up a couple of frets to D. Unfortunately, the original music is in G, so it’s a bit of a stretch to go that high with a capo. Best bet if you want to play a duet with another instrument is to use the interactive transposer on lds.org’s website. It’s currently located on each hymn’s page at the top of the page, though the church has moved it around a bit in the last few years.
There’s a lot of “expression” in this version: slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs, etc. I’m sorry if it makes this song a bit hard to play, but not everything that’s lovely can also be easy. Practice helps. I’ve worked hard to get this out in time to give you a month to practice. The chords are easy, at least! There are three barre chords listed, but they are all the same chord, really. Just a barre-E chord shape, played at different frets. The others are just variations of C, G, or Dm, and should be easy enough.
There’s a trick to make the slide/pull-off in the first measure easier. Fret the first string in the 1st space with the index finger, and in the 3rd space with the ring finger at the same time. When you slide up to the 5th space (with the ring finger), the index finger is then automatically positioned in the 3rd space for the pull-off. Another way to do this is to position your hand for the CaddG chord as shown and play it from there, sliding the whole chord up and down the neck. This may make it easier to pinch the C chord in the next measure.
Sometimes, instead of the pull-off, I just do a slide back down to the third space, making a mordant, instead of a complex slide/pull-off. They sound equally good to me, and I can’t decide which to put in here. Try it both ways, and use the one that’s best for you. Actually, this riff occurs in three other places in the song, so you can have it both ways!
Don’t let the name of the GaddD chord in measure [3] throw you. It’s fretted just like a normal G, only with the ring finger on the #2 string instead of the #1 string, so it’s actually easier to play. From this point on, until measure [15], all the chords are quite standard for any intermediate guitarist. Even the G7addD chord in [15] isn’t all that hard. It’s just a normal G7 with the D note added on the #2 string. You can play it like a normal G7 and add the D note with your pinkie, if you want to, but you aren’t going to be playing the #5 and #6 strings, so it’s just as easy to play it as a two-finger chord, hitting the D note with your ring finger. This sets you up for a super easy transition to the GaddD at the end of the measure.
In measure [16], you don’t have to actually fret the G7 chord, as you’re only playing the open strings. I just lift my hand off the fretboard briefly, without changing the finger positions. That sets up the C/G in the next measure really nicely. I only included the name of the G7 in the tab so you would know not to change your hand position to a normal G shape.
Verse 2 is nearly all eighth-notes, alternating between treble melody notes and bass fill notes, with very few chords, until you reach measure [25]. You do this with a rocking motion of the right wrist, interspersed with the occasional arpeggio or pattern-pick. I won’t go into the details; they should be obvious from the tab. From [25] to the end of the verse is basically a repeat of the Intro.
Verse 3 is very much like Verse 2, only with pinched chords instead of single melody notes. The real differences come at the end of the verse, starting in [37]. Hold the CaddG chord for two extra beats, as shown in the counting line: 1 2 3 (45) 6 &. You may find it a bit of a challenge to go from GIII to CVIII and stay on the beat, without over-running the 8th space. If practice doesn’t help you to nail this fast and accurately, try substituting just the C note on the #1 string for the CVIII chord. It won’t sound as good as the whole chord, but it’s way better than flubbing the climax of the song.
History:
This song was first published in Laudis Corona, a Catholic hymnal published in Boston in 1885. The composer and lyricist are both anonymous. Anybody know anything more?
There’s a lot of “expression” in this version: slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs, etc. I’m sorry if it makes this song a bit hard to play, but not everything that’s lovely can also be easy. Practice helps. I’ve worked hard to get this out in time to give you a month to practice. The chords are easy, at least! There are three barre chords listed, but they are all the same chord, really. Just a barre-E chord shape, played at different frets. The others are just variations of C, G, or Dm, and should be easy enough.
There’s a trick to make the slide/pull-off in the first measure easier. Fret the first string in the 1st space with the index finger, and in the 3rd space with the ring finger at the same time. When you slide up to the 5th space (with the ring finger), the index finger is then automatically positioned in the 3rd space for the pull-off. Another way to do this is to position your hand for the CaddG chord as shown and play it from there, sliding the whole chord up and down the neck. This may make it easier to pinch the C chord in the next measure.
Sometimes, instead of the pull-off, I just do a slide back down to the third space, making a mordant, instead of a complex slide/pull-off. They sound equally good to me, and I can’t decide which to put in here. Try it both ways, and use the one that’s best for you. Actually, this riff occurs in three other places in the song, so you can have it both ways!
Don’t let the name of the GaddD chord in measure [3] throw you. It’s fretted just like a normal G, only with the ring finger on the #2 string instead of the #1 string, so it’s actually easier to play. From this point on, until measure [15], all the chords are quite standard for any intermediate guitarist. Even the G7addD chord in [15] isn’t all that hard. It’s just a normal G7 with the D note added on the #2 string. You can play it like a normal G7 and add the D note with your pinkie, if you want to, but you aren’t going to be playing the #5 and #6 strings, so it’s just as easy to play it as a two-finger chord, hitting the D note with your ring finger. This sets you up for a super easy transition to the GaddD at the end of the measure.
In measure [16], you don’t have to actually fret the G7 chord, as you’re only playing the open strings. I just lift my hand off the fretboard briefly, without changing the finger positions. That sets up the C/G in the next measure really nicely. I only included the name of the G7 in the tab so you would know not to change your hand position to a normal G shape.
Verse 2 is nearly all eighth-notes, alternating between treble melody notes and bass fill notes, with very few chords, until you reach measure [25]. You do this with a rocking motion of the right wrist, interspersed with the occasional arpeggio or pattern-pick. I won’t go into the details; they should be obvious from the tab. From [25] to the end of the verse is basically a repeat of the Intro.
Verse 3 is very much like Verse 2, only with pinched chords instead of single melody notes. The real differences come at the end of the verse, starting in [37]. Hold the CaddG chord for two extra beats, as shown in the counting line: 1 2 3 (45) 6 &. You may find it a bit of a challenge to go from GIII to CVIII and stay on the beat, without over-running the 8th space. If practice doesn’t help you to nail this fast and accurately, try substituting just the C note on the #1 string for the CVIII chord. It won’t sound as good as the whole chord, but it’s way better than flubbing the climax of the song.
History:
This song was first published in Laudis Corona, a Catholic hymnal published in Boston in 1885. The composer and lyricist are both anonymous. Anybody know anything more?
Ye Elders of Israel
This song is lots of fun to sing. The challenge was making it fun to play, without either oversimplifying or making it too complicated. I hope you’ll think I’ve succeeded.
The song begins in the key of A, because that’s the one key that is easy to play this melody in on the guitar. There’s lots of repetition. Each verse consists of a melody phrase of two lines, repeated exactly in the next two lines. Then, the same phrase is repeated once again in the chorus. The first and second verses are identical. To add a little variety to all this repetition, I have used a pattern pick in the chorus, and used mostly chords in the verses. There are only four chords used in the first two verses, and all four are dead easy to play.
At the end of the second chorus, there’s a key change to C. It’s not technically difficult to make the change, but you may find it mentally difficult to go from one key to another in the middle of a pattern pick. It’ll also blow the minds of your audience, so practice the key change until you can do it without any change in tempo. The trick is to not think of it as a key change, but as just another chord change, which, in fact, it is.
The verse part of the third verse continues the pattern pick, right on into the chorus, still in the key of C. But the third verse chorus is repeated as a bass line, leading up to the final four measures of chords. These are still easy chords. In fact, there’s not a barre chord or a difficult chord in the song anywhere. That doesn’t mean the song is easy, though. The 88 beats per minute tempo is pretty fast, considering that the pattern picks are all eighth-notes. If you’re not used to playing pattern picks, be careful! The pattern changes a lot to bring out the melody, and may not be apparent at first. You’re going to be doing a lot of left hand movements to hit the right notes, including lots of ligados (hammer-ons and pull-offs and slides), right from the beginning.
Yeah, there are twelve of them, but that’s not as bad as you may think, as you probably already know almost all of them, by one name or another. Specifically, the first two verses just use A, E, E7, and D. If you want, you can just play the whole song in this key by repeating the verse and chorus a third time. Duck soup easy, but not terribly impressive.
For those who are a bit more adventurous, play the third verse as tabbed, in the key of C. Here’s where the majority of the chords come in. There’s C, F, and G7, of course, plus a couple of “added fifth” chords for flavor, and a couple of alternate ways of playing C, F and G. Those last two are actually easier to play than the normal way.
In playing CaddG, you are just adding the fifth note of the C scale to a normal C chord. In playing G7addD you are adding the fifth note of the G scale to a normal G7. That’s why they are called “added fifth” chords. These extra notes are actually part of the normal chord structure, but are added in again to emphasize that note. For example, a C chord contains the notes C, E, and G. That’s the definition of a “C Major” chord. But, as normally played on the guitar, it comes out: x32010, or [blank] C E G C E. If you want to emphasize the G note, or if the G on the open 3rd string is too low for the melody, you can add in a higher G by fretting the 1st string in the 3rd space: x32013, or [blank] C E G C G. Chords like this are usually called “added fifth” chords, and are usually written Cadd5 or Gadd5. Frankly, I find this more confusing than helpful, but I don’t want to just call them C or G, (which would technically be correct) as they are played differently. So I specify the added notes in the chord name: CaddG and GaddD. Please don’t just play an ordinary C or G. In this song, the added notes are needed to carry the melody or an important harmony.
Alternate bass chords are similar-- you’re just using a different note of the chord than usual for the bass note. Such chords are written like this: C/G. Technically, this chord would be called “C with a G bass,” or something similar, but most guitarists just call it “C over G”. Pianists and other guitarists know what they mean, and who else cares? C/G is played by adding a bass G on the #6 string, 3rd space with the pinkie. If you have a very small hand and a very wide guitar neck, this might be hard for you. You can substitute a normal C chord, if you wish. G/C is even easier. You just play it like the first three strings of an F, only in the the third space (Third Position). Easiest of the lot is F/C. That’s another three-string chord, played exactly like an ordinary D chord, only in the Fifth Position (5th fret), as shown in the tab and the chord charts.
That’s IT. There are NO BARRE CHORDS and NO HARD CHORDS in this song. NONE!
In measure [2], starting from a normal A-Shape position, move the left hand DOWN the neck of the guitar (toward the nut) to fret the Ab on the 3rd string, 1st space, then slide right back to the 2nd space. You’ll have to lift the fingers off the strings going down to avoid scraping the string, but don’t change the hand shape, as you’re going to need it again immediately. Next, the ring finger gets a workout, fretting and releasing the 2nd string, still without changing the chord shape. Fret the 2nd string in the 3rd space with the pinkie, still maintaining the chord for the three-string pinch in the 4th measure. Move up to Second Position (shown by Roman numeral II) for the pull-off, going back to the A chord for the next two measures.
Continue to play as shown throughout the second line, with one exception: in measure [8], you don’t actually have to change chord shapes with your left hand. From the E7, you can just flatten the fingers across the strings to hit the A chord, then go right back to the E. In the last measure of the line, it’s best to actually change to the A-shape, as you’re going to let the notes ring. Measures [10] through [17] are played exactly like [2] through [9], except that the last three chords are strummed instead of being pinched. All the notes are identical.
The chorus is a modified pattern-pick. Calling the right hand fingers Thumb, Index, Middle, and Ring, with an asterisk indicating a left hand ligado, and separating measures with slashes, the chorus pick looks like this:
/ MTIM *TRM / RTIR *TRM / RTIM RMRI / RTIM RMRM /
/ RTIM RIRI / RTIM ITIT / RTIM RTRT / MTIR MTIM /
The pattern doesn’t repeat exactly, but it’s not completely random, either. Play this chorus, exactly the same, after each of the first two verses. Then, change chords to the C chord that begins the third verse. Since you’re now playing in a different key, the pattern pick must change also. The pattern for measures [26] - [33] is:
/ MTIM *TMI / RTIM RIRM / RTIM (III) RM (I) RM / RTIM RMRM /
/ RTIM RMRM / RTIR MTMT / RTIR *T RT / MTIR M T I T /
IMPORTANT: These patterns do not indicate which strings to play with the right hand, only which fingers to use! They have been worked out to avoid situations where you might have to play the same string with the same finger in twice succession, which would cause you to mess up the rhythm. However, this is a personal preference. If a further modification suits you better, by all means use it.
Measures [34] - [37] are played exactly like [26] - [29], but the next line is NOT an exact duplicate of the second line, as you might expect. Measures [38] and [39] are:
/ RTIR RT*T / RTIR MTMT / but next is a measure of pinches, followed by a strum.
The chorus of the third verse (measures [42] - [49] inclusive) is exactly like [26] - [33], except for the last note, which is a bass G on the 6th string, 3rd space, to lead into the chorus reprise. This reprise, comprising measures [50] - [57], is basically just the melody line of the chorus, played on the bass strings, up until the C chord in measure [53]. The two notes on the open G string in [55] give you plenty of time to move your hand to the Fifth Position (5th fret) for the F/C chord. Slow down a bit as you change positions for the other two chords of the measure, just enough for emphasis, but not so slow that it looks like you are having trouble reaching them. I like to end on a C/G chord for a fuller sound, but if this shape is too hard to reach quickly, just play a regular C. No one but you will notice the difference.
A wonderful family history entry about Cyrus H. Wheelock, who wrote the words, can be found at this link: https://familysearch.org/photos/stories/2965374. The tune, called “Babylon”, was adapted from the song, “Long, Long Ago”, written in England by Thomas H. Bayly in 1833. It was a nostalgic tune that immediately became quite popular in England, and was also popular in the United States by 1844. Brother Wheelock could scarcely have helped hearing the song, as he served three missions to England, and was writing hymns in Utah during the period of its greatest popularity in the US, but we have no information about the date the poem was written, or who adapted the tune to it.
General
The song begins in the key of A, because that’s the one key that is easy to play this melody in on the guitar. There’s lots of repetition. Each verse consists of a melody phrase of two lines, repeated exactly in the next two lines. Then, the same phrase is repeated once again in the chorus. The first and second verses are identical. To add a little variety to all this repetition, I have used a pattern pick in the chorus, and used mostly chords in the verses. There are only four chords used in the first two verses, and all four are dead easy to play.
At the end of the second chorus, there’s a key change to C. It’s not technically difficult to make the change, but you may find it mentally difficult to go from one key to another in the middle of a pattern pick. It’ll also blow the minds of your audience, so practice the key change until you can do it without any change in tempo. The trick is to not think of it as a key change, but as just another chord change, which, in fact, it is.
The verse part of the third verse continues the pattern pick, right on into the chorus, still in the key of C. But the third verse chorus is repeated as a bass line, leading up to the final four measures of chords. These are still easy chords. In fact, there’s not a barre chord or a difficult chord in the song anywhere. That doesn’t mean the song is easy, though. The 88 beats per minute tempo is pretty fast, considering that the pattern picks are all eighth-notes. If you’re not used to playing pattern picks, be careful! The pattern changes a lot to bring out the melody, and may not be apparent at first. You’re going to be doing a lot of left hand movements to hit the right notes, including lots of ligados (hammer-ons and pull-offs and slides), right from the beginning.
The Chords
Yeah, there are twelve of them, but that’s not as bad as you may think, as you probably already know almost all of them, by one name or another. Specifically, the first two verses just use A, E, E7, and D. If you want, you can just play the whole song in this key by repeating the verse and chorus a third time. Duck soup easy, but not terribly impressive.
For those who are a bit more adventurous, play the third verse as tabbed, in the key of C. Here’s where the majority of the chords come in. There’s C, F, and G7, of course, plus a couple of “added fifth” chords for flavor, and a couple of alternate ways of playing C, F and G. Those last two are actually easier to play than the normal way.
Added fifth chords (a bit of chord theory)
In playing CaddG, you are just adding the fifth note of the C scale to a normal C chord. In playing G7addD you are adding the fifth note of the G scale to a normal G7. That’s why they are called “added fifth” chords. These extra notes are actually part of the normal chord structure, but are added in again to emphasize that note. For example, a C chord contains the notes C, E, and G. That’s the definition of a “C Major” chord. But, as normally played on the guitar, it comes out: x32010, or [blank] C E G C E. If you want to emphasize the G note, or if the G on the open 3rd string is too low for the melody, you can add in a higher G by fretting the 1st string in the 3rd space: x32013, or [blank] C E G C G. Chords like this are usually called “added fifth” chords, and are usually written Cadd5 or Gadd5. Frankly, I find this more confusing than helpful, but I don’t want to just call them C or G, (which would technically be correct) as they are played differently. So I specify the added notes in the chord name: CaddG and GaddD. Please don’t just play an ordinary C or G. In this song, the added notes are needed to carry the melody or an important harmony.
Alternate bass chords are similar-- you’re just using a different note of the chord than usual for the bass note. Such chords are written like this: C/G. Technically, this chord would be called “C with a G bass,” or something similar, but most guitarists just call it “C over G”. Pianists and other guitarists know what they mean, and who else cares? C/G is played by adding a bass G on the #6 string, 3rd space with the pinkie. If you have a very small hand and a very wide guitar neck, this might be hard for you. You can substitute a normal C chord, if you wish. G/C is even easier. You just play it like the first three strings of an F, only in the the third space (Third Position). Easiest of the lot is F/C. That’s another three-string chord, played exactly like an ordinary D chord, only in the Fifth Position (5th fret), as shown in the tab and the chord charts.
That’s IT. There are NO BARRE CHORDS and NO HARD CHORDS in this song. NONE!
Specifics:
In measure [2], starting from a normal A-Shape position, move the left hand DOWN the neck of the guitar (toward the nut) to fret the Ab on the 3rd string, 1st space, then slide right back to the 2nd space. You’ll have to lift the fingers off the strings going down to avoid scraping the string, but don’t change the hand shape, as you’re going to need it again immediately. Next, the ring finger gets a workout, fretting and releasing the 2nd string, still without changing the chord shape. Fret the 2nd string in the 3rd space with the pinkie, still maintaining the chord for the three-string pinch in the 4th measure. Move up to Second Position (shown by Roman numeral II) for the pull-off, going back to the A chord for the next two measures.
Continue to play as shown throughout the second line, with one exception: in measure [8], you don’t actually have to change chord shapes with your left hand. From the E7, you can just flatten the fingers across the strings to hit the A chord, then go right back to the E. In the last measure of the line, it’s best to actually change to the A-shape, as you’re going to let the notes ring. Measures [10] through [17] are played exactly like [2] through [9], except that the last three chords are strummed instead of being pinched. All the notes are identical.
Pattern picks
/ MTIM *TRM / RTIR *TRM / RTIM RMRI / RTIM RMRM /
/ RTIM RIRI / RTIM ITIT / RTIM RTRT / MTIR MTIM /
The pattern doesn’t repeat exactly, but it’s not completely random, either. Play this chorus, exactly the same, after each of the first two verses. Then, change chords to the C chord that begins the third verse. Since you’re now playing in a different key, the pattern pick must change also. The pattern for measures [26] - [33] is:
/ MTIM *TMI / RTIM RIRM / RTIM (III) RM (I) RM / RTIM RMRM /
/ RTIM RMRM / RTIR MTMT / RTIR *T RT / MTIR M T I T /
IMPORTANT: These patterns do not indicate which strings to play with the right hand, only which fingers to use! They have been worked out to avoid situations where you might have to play the same string with the same finger in twice succession, which would cause you to mess up the rhythm. However, this is a personal preference. If a further modification suits you better, by all means use it.
Measures [34] - [37] are played exactly like [26] - [29], but the next line is NOT an exact duplicate of the second line, as you might expect. Measures [38] and [39] are:
/ RTIR RT*T / RTIR MTMT / but next is a measure of pinches, followed by a strum.
The chorus of the third verse (measures [42] - [49] inclusive) is exactly like [26] - [33], except for the last note, which is a bass G on the 6th string, 3rd space, to lead into the chorus reprise. This reprise, comprising measures [50] - [57], is basically just the melody line of the chorus, played on the bass strings, up until the C chord in measure [53]. The two notes on the open G string in [55] give you plenty of time to move your hand to the Fifth Position (5th fret) for the F/C chord. Slow down a bit as you change positions for the other two chords of the measure, just enough for emphasis, but not so slow that it looks like you are having trouble reaching them. I like to end on a C/G chord for a fuller sound, but if this shape is too hard to reach quickly, just play a regular C. No one but you will notice the difference.
History:
A wonderful family history entry about Cyrus H. Wheelock, who wrote the words, can be found at this link: https://familysearch.org/photos/stories/2965374. The tune, called “Babylon”, was adapted from the song, “Long, Long Ago”, written in England by Thomas H. Bayly in 1833. It was a nostalgic tune that immediately became quite popular in England, and was also popular in the United States by 1844. Brother Wheelock could scarcely have helped hearing the song, as he served three missions to England, and was writing hymns in Utah during the period of its greatest popularity in the US, but we have no information about the date the poem was written, or who adapted the tune to it.
Praise to the Lord new version
I finally got it right, after two previous versions and months of pondering. This version is not as easy as the easy version, nor as hard as the hard one, but it’s better than either, especially the finale, which is completely new.
You won’t need many instructions for this one.
Play the first four measures from a C chord hand position. This positions your hand perfectly for the following GaddD chord, but you may substitute a full-barre GIII if it’s easier for you. I often do.
The next line is nearly identical to the first, except for the C chord in the second measure and the GIII chord in the last measure of the line. Again, if it’s easier for you, you can substitute GaddD. I like to use one of these chords in the first line, and the other in the second line, for a slight difference in the harmonies.
The CaddG chord in the next measure is necessary to carry the melody. Do not substitute a normal C chord! If the CaddG chord is too hard for you, just play the G note of the chord. Do the tremolo in the next measure with the little finger. Make the tremolo strong.
In the next-to-last measure of the third line, over the word “organ”, there’s a Roman numeral III. This indicates a change of the left hand to “Third Position” (also called “third fret”). Use your index finger to fret the G note in the third space, then slide it back to the first space and do the pull-off, leaving your hand once again positioned for the following GaddD chord. This makes an otherwise difficult transition into an easy one. Similarly, in the last line, the Roman numeral II means you play the G note on the bass string with your middle finger, and the hammer-on in the same measure with your index finger.
Play the last four measures normally. Play as many verses as you like. Then, last time around, substitute the last line for these four measures. The last line is intended to be played through as a single, long phrase, up until the final three chords. Note that the fifth and sixth measures of the line are exactly the same as the first and second measures.
This long riff ends with a double hammer-on. If you use the ring finger to hammer-on the D note on the 2nd string, it puts you in a perfect position to play the following GaddD chord. You won't need to move your fingers for the final note of the riff, as it's an open E. The riff does not need to be especially fast to be effective. It does need to be played at a steady, unvarying rhythm. Then, slow down a bit for the last three chords. Play them as cleanly as possible, without buzzing or slurring. Your audience will love it.
You won’t need many instructions for this one.
Play the first four measures from a C chord hand position. This positions your hand perfectly for the following GaddD chord, but you may substitute a full-barre GIII if it’s easier for you. I often do.
The next line is nearly identical to the first, except for the C chord in the second measure and the GIII chord in the last measure of the line. Again, if it’s easier for you, you can substitute GaddD. I like to use one of these chords in the first line, and the other in the second line, for a slight difference in the harmonies.
The CaddG chord in the next measure is necessary to carry the melody. Do not substitute a normal C chord! If the CaddG chord is too hard for you, just play the G note of the chord. Do the tremolo in the next measure with the little finger. Make the tremolo strong.
In the next-to-last measure of the third line, over the word “organ”, there’s a Roman numeral III. This indicates a change of the left hand to “Third Position” (also called “third fret”). Use your index finger to fret the G note in the third space, then slide it back to the first space and do the pull-off, leaving your hand once again positioned for the following GaddD chord. This makes an otherwise difficult transition into an easy one. Similarly, in the last line, the Roman numeral II means you play the G note on the bass string with your middle finger, and the hammer-on in the same measure with your index finger.
Play the last four measures normally. Play as many verses as you like. Then, last time around, substitute the last line for these four measures. The last line is intended to be played through as a single, long phrase, up until the final three chords. Note that the fifth and sixth measures of the line are exactly the same as the first and second measures.
This long riff ends with a double hammer-on. If you use the ring finger to hammer-on the D note on the 2nd string, it puts you in a perfect position to play the following GaddD chord. You won't need to move your fingers for the final note of the riff, as it's an open E. The riff does not need to be especially fast to be effective. It does need to be played at a steady, unvarying rhythm. Then, slow down a bit for the last three chords. Play them as cleanly as possible, without buzzing or slurring. Your audience will love it.
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