Guitar TAB Songs

Monday, June 8, 2015

This Land is Your Land

This is a popular 60's folk song by Woody Guthrie. The song was originally played in the key of D. This Guitar TAB version is in the Key of G. It is available with single note melody, and also with double-stops.

Version 1-- Single Note Melody

Version 2-- Double-Stops

Version 3-- Alternate Bass

We also played with a third version of this song, which incorporates fingerstyle (or fingerpicking) combined with alternate bass notes. I will be posting this version at some point. Please also refer to the section on the website about Fingerstyle Guitar and Alterate Bass Notes.

Monday, May 18, 2015

Sunshine on My Shoulders

This is a popular song by John Denver, which first appeared on his 'Poems, Prayers, and Promises' album in 1971. Its simple message about enjoying the wonders of sunshine has brought smiles to many people over the years.

This is my arrangement and adaptation of this song in Guitar chords and TAB. I will be adding additional notes, along with guitar diagrams, to supplement these TAB pages.

Hope you enjoy playing this beautiful song. Take it step-by-step. Don't try to rush it. Over time, you will enjoy playing it as much as I do.

NOTES-- The double-stops (two note chords) that are featured here involve plucking the strings, instead of strumming or picking. In this version (labeled "low"), the melody line is found in the BOTTOM notes. The TOP notes are the harmony. You can also play the melody lines alone-- with no harmony note.

You may not be familiar with ALL of the chords shown in this song. Most of them are ones that you have already learned. If you look up unfamiliar chords, such as Bm7, it will most likely show it as a Barre chord (requiring you to use a finger to hold down all of the strings). There is an alternate way to play this chord which involves only two notes. You will see this posted here soon.

Spend some time learning the chords, strum patterns, and the TAB notes, and then use the video links (see below) to play along with, and compare our version with the recording or video. If you find any mistakes or discrepancies, please let me know. While my version is close, it may not be perfect.

The videos are the original recording by John Denver in key of Bb-- (capo guitar to 3rd fret); and another video in the key of G (no capo necessary).

JOHN DENVER- Sunshine on My Shoulders (Key of Bb)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diwuu_r6GJE

KAPPA & PAUL- Sunshine on My Shoulders (Key of G)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkwhkS6vE38

Monday, April 20, 2015

Love Me Tender

(adapted from the folk tune Aura Lee)

Here is a guitar arrangement for the popular tune Love Me Tender, made famous by the 1956 recording (and movie) by Elvis Presley. The melody was adapted from an almost century-old original Civil War era folk tune called "Aura Lee."

This particular arrangement is in the key of C. The melody and double-stops, in particular, work and flow better in this key.

Accompaniment can be with a bass & strum combination, where the player will first play the BASS note of each chord, and follow with three slow down strums. Walk-ups and walk-downs of bass notes can be implemented to provide more of a rhythmic flow to the song.

NOTE : For those of you beginning players who are still having trouble with "barre" chords, don't give up. Keep working on chords like F, etc. until you get the hang and master them. However, in this tune, the chord Fmaj7 will work fine as a substitute for F; in fact, the major 7th gives the transition at the end of the third line an even deeper sound. For those who have mastered playing the "barre" chords, you can also add an Fminor after the F or Fmaj7, before returning to the C chord. (see chord charts below)

CHORD CHARTS

x = do not play o = open string / note

The Fmaj7 chord is played with the first three fingers (1-2-3).

Fminor is played as a one-finger barre chord with the first finger.

(See above NOTE about Chord Substitution and Barre Chords).

Star Spangled Banner

Here is an arrangement of our National Anthem, the Star Spangled Banner, for guitar.

It is in the key of G. The notes are arranged in double-stop format, with the high notes being the Melody, while the lower notes are Harmony notes.

It should be noted that this song brings our note playing into the higher registers of first the fifth and seventh frets, and then later on, into the 8th, 9th, 10th and 12th frets.

While this may be --NEW-- to you, it should not be looked at as something foreign or unattainable. We will explore the proper fingerings for these notes, and some additional notes or graphics may be added here for assistance.

The accompaniment should be either with a light strum, or by fingerpicking the basic chordal rhythm. Strumming pattern can be two down strums, followed by a double (down-up) strum. Rhythm should be in a slow, methodical march-like cadence.