Songs – Page 3 – guitar + music blog

Silent Night: First Christmas Carol I Learned on Guitar

One of my best Christmas gifts was a guitar when I was age 13. My parents gave me a beginner nylon string classical guitar. When I was 14, I started taking guitar lessons at a local music store. Gratefully, I still continue to play guitar, as well as bass, harmonica, and more recently I started learning to play the ukulele.

Another favorite Christmas gift from my parents, two years later, was a songbook of Christmas Carols for beginner guitar. The first carol I learned to play on guitar was “Silent Night”. This carol is in 3/4 time (3-count) and is well-suited for beginner guitar players, as the tempo is slow to moderate. This song also uses only three chords (C, F, G). The G chord is sometimes played as G7.

Silent Night: Guitar melody, key of C

Silent Night, words and music by Franz Gruber

Silent Night: Ukulele melody, key of C

Silent Night, words and music by Franz Gruber

Happy Thanksgiving: We Gather Together

Hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving!

I learned a new song on prior Thanksgiving Day that I would like to share with you.

See related posts for guitar and ukulele.

While I have sung the hymn “We Gather Together” several times, I had not played the song on guitar before. About a half hour before Thanksgiving dinner, my brother asked me to say grace, or prayer before the meal. I had happened to have brought my ukulele with me (but not my guitar), and immediately thought of the hymn, “We Gather Together”.

So in addition to saying grace, I also played and sang this hymn, along with my niece who held my phone so that I could read the lyrics and chords.

Hymn: We Gather Together, key of D, melody, 1st pos.

Happy Thanksgiving!

When I searched online for the lyrics and chords for this song, it was in the key of D Major. This is a very singable key, as the melody range is an octave plus one note.

This transcription of the single note melody is in first position of guitar fretboard. This melody also uses open string notes on first 4 strings (D, G, B, E), so key of D also makes it easier for beginner guitar players.

Hymn: We Gather Together, key of A, melody, 1st pos.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This version of song melody is in key of A Major. This may not be a singable key for everyone, but it might work for women (sopranos) and young children.

This transcription of the single note melody is mainly in first position of guitar fretboard, but it does extend to 7th fret (B note) on the first string (high E).

This A Major melody uses open string notes on first 2 strings (B, E), so that may make it easier for beginner guitar players.

Hymn: We Gather Together, key of A, fingerstyle guitar

Happy Thanksgiving!

This fingerstyle guitar arrangement is in the key of A Major, and mostly in first position. There are some measures that are farther up the neck; 5th position in measure 11 (A chord as F chord shape), and 6th position in measure 7 (within 2-note harmonies on 4th and 1st strings).

For measure 7, it’s actually 5th position if you use your middle finger on 4th string and pinky on 1st string. I highly recommend getting used to using your pinky finger; it’s 25% of your 4 fingers that you use on the fretboard! Use of your pinky is essential when playing fingerstyle guitar.

Ode To Joy: Add some joy to your guitar repertoire

‘Ode To Joy’ is a well-known melody from the prelude to the fourth movement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Today this melody appears in the official anthem of the European Union.

Here are some links to articles if you would like to know more about Ludwig van Beethoven’s melody, the poem, ‘Ode To Joy’, by German poet, playwright, and historian Friedrich Schiller, and some history regarding this poem and melody.

In addition, this is a great melody for beginning guitar players to learn. I will explain four reasons why you should include this song in your music practice sessions, and later your guitar repertoire.

This is the introduction to a series of articles on how to play ‘Ode To Joy’ in various ways and keys, in order to learn several guitar playing techniques and skills and explore the guitar fretboard. Stay tuned for additional articles.

Simple melody: Only 5 notes

‘Ode To Joy’ uses only the first five notes of a Major Scale, also known as the “do re mi” scale. So that would be these notes: do, re, mi, fa, so. The 5th scale note (“so”) appears as both a high sounding “so” and low sounding “so”. So, technically speaking, there are six notes, but the “so” appears in two different places.

Ode To Joy: Play Melody in Key of C (1st pos.)

This familiar tune composed by Ludwig van Beethoven has a relatively simple melody (only 5 notes). It’s also a good tune for beginner guitarists to learn. Read this related introductory article about this tune for more background information.

In the key of C, that would be notes C, D, E, F and G. The “so” note in key of C is the G note. The play-by-number guitar tablature for ‘Ode To Joy’ in the key of C is below. This arrangement is in first position, which indicates your index finger is playing at fret 1.

I’ve included the chord grids and chord names above the measures. If you already know these chords, you can also learn the accompaniment. If you have a friend who plays guitar or piano, they can accompany you with just three chords (C, F and G).

To view smartphone-friendly chord grids and tablature, keep reading…

Ode To Joy: Play Melody in Key of G (1st pos.)

In the key of G, that would be notes G, A, B, C and D. The “so” note in key of G is the D note. The play-by-number guitar tablature for ‘Ode To Joy’ in the key of G is below. This arrangement is in first position, which indicates your index finger is playing at fret 1.

To view smartphone-friendly chord grids and tablature, keep reading…