Tomorrow (November 17th) is the official release of LDS Fingerstyle Guitar Hymns for Beginners! To celebrate, here's another free arrangement from the book:
Angel's We Have Heard on High - http://bit.ly/2ghmOg4
Check out our products at www.ldsguitarbook.com!
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Free Song! Angels We Have Heard on High
Tomorrow (November 17th) is the official release of LDS Fingerstyle Guitar Hymns for Beginners! To celebrate, here's another free arrangement from the book:
Angel's We Have Heard on High - http://bit.ly/2ghmOg4
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Silent Night - FREE Download
The launch of "LDS Fingerstyle Guitar Hymns for Beginners" is just ONE WEEK AWAY! Here's another preview song from the book:
Silent Night - http://bit.ly/2eGeP6i
Enjoy!
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Away in a Manger - free download
During the month of November I'll be giving away one free Christmas guitar arrangement per week to celebrate the November 17th release of my new book (only two weeks away!), "LDS Fingerstyle Guitar Hymns for Beginners."
This week's song is "Away in a Manager."
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
Enjoy! :)
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
It's Official!
LDS Fingerstyle Guitar Hymns for Beginners will be released on November 17, 2016. To celebrate, I'll be giving all mailing list subscribers one free Christmas song arrangement from the book each week during the month of November.
Monday, August 15, 2016
Guitar Tab Basics
While chords are the basis of rhythm guitar and typically the first skill new guitarists work to acquire, learning guitar tab notation can open up the world of melodies and solos. Like the piano (and unlike the flute), the guitar is capable of playing melodies and harmonies simultaneously. Classical guitarists use standard notation, like pianists:
But many guitarists have discovered that it is much easier to learn to play using tablature:
The disadvantage to guitar tab is that it typically lacks rhythmic notation, whereas standard notation has rhythm values (half notes, quarter notes, etc.) This makes it impossible to site read an unfamiliar song. However, the tab system can work quite well for familiar pieces. It is much easier to learn than standard notation and always specifies exactly which fret and string should be played (an optional feature of standard notation). It's ideal for playing in alternate tunings, and it can be written using rudimentary tools. If you look for guitar tabs on the Internet, you might find something like this, which can easily be produced with a text editor like notepad:
e|------0-----------0-------5-5-2---3---3-----|
B|--3-----3-0---3-----3-0-----------------3---|
G|--------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------|
While standard notation only has 5 horizontal lines and is an abstract representation of the notes to be played, guitar tab is picture-based and consists of 6 lines--one for each string. In the example above, the guitar strings are named, but this isn't always the case. If the lines aren't named, standard tuning is assumed. The strings on a guitar tab stave are upside down, with the highest-pitched string ("e") at the top and the lowest-pitched string ("E") on the bottom. The best way to see how it works is to hold your guitar horizontally upside-down next to the guitar tab staves, like this:
The numbers in guitar tab represent frets, not fingers. 0 means "open string," so playing the following passage requires only using the right hand:
e|-----------------0--------------------|
B|--------------0-----0-----------------|
G|-----------0-----------0--------------|
D|--------0-----------------0-----------|
A|-----0-----------------------0--------|
E|--0-----------------------------0-----|
The passage below begins with the first (highest) string on the first fret:
e|--1-0-0-0-------------------0---------|
B|----------3-3-3----1-1-1-1------------|
G|--------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------|
You can also play multiple notes at the same time:
e|--0-0-0-0-------------------0---------|
B|--1-1-1-1-3-3-3----1-1-1-1--1---------|
G|----------0-0-0----2-2-2-2------------|
D|--------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------|
When I created the arrangements in Easy LDS Fingerstyle Guitar Hymns, I combined the best of both worlds and included notes and tab to provide musicians with a good balance of playing ease and rhythmic reference.
But many guitarists have discovered that it is much easier to learn to play using tablature:
The disadvantage to guitar tab is that it typically lacks rhythmic notation, whereas standard notation has rhythm values (half notes, quarter notes, etc.) This makes it impossible to site read an unfamiliar song. However, the tab system can work quite well for familiar pieces. It is much easier to learn than standard notation and always specifies exactly which fret and string should be played (an optional feature of standard notation). It's ideal for playing in alternate tunings, and it can be written using rudimentary tools. If you look for guitar tabs on the Internet, you might find something like this, which can easily be produced with a text editor like notepad:
e|------0-----------0-------5-5-2---3---3-----|
B|--3-----3-0---3-----3-0-----------------3---|
G|--------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------|
While standard notation only has 5 horizontal lines and is an abstract representation of the notes to be played, guitar tab is picture-based and consists of 6 lines--one for each string. In the example above, the guitar strings are named, but this isn't always the case. If the lines aren't named, standard tuning is assumed. The strings on a guitar tab stave are upside down, with the highest-pitched string ("e") at the top and the lowest-pitched string ("E") on the bottom. The best way to see how it works is to hold your guitar horizontally upside-down next to the guitar tab staves, like this:
The numbers in guitar tab represent frets, not fingers. 0 means "open string," so playing the following passage requires only using the right hand:
e|-----------------0--------------------|
B|--------------0-----0-----------------|
G|-----------0-----------0--------------|
D|--------0-----------------0-----------|
A|-----0-----------------------0--------|
E|--0-----------------------------0-----|
The passage below begins with the first (highest) string on the first fret:
e|--1-0-0-0-------------------0---------|
B|----------3-3-3----1-1-1-1------------|
G|--------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------|
You can also play multiple notes at the same time:
e|--0-0-0-0-------------------0---------|
B|--1-1-1-1-3-3-3----1-1-1-1--1---------|
G|----------0-0-0----2-2-2-2------------|
D|--------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------|
When I created the arrangements in Easy LDS Fingerstyle Guitar Hymns, I combined the best of both worlds and included notes and tab to provide musicians with a good balance of playing ease and rhythmic reference.
Friday, July 29, 2016
Cover Art for My New Book!
The cover art for my new book has arrived! My wife took the photo of the Saint George Temple. She's talented like that.
This book is going to feature simpler arrangements than my previous LDS fingerstyle book. The songs will be in easier keys and have fewer notes, but still sound great! I wanted to create something that was even more accessible than the arrangements I previously made. That way there is an option for those who are just starting to play in this style. Once the material in this book has been learned, it will be a lot easier to play the arrangements in Easy LDS Fingerstyle Guitar Hymns.
Did I mention that all of the Christmas songs from the LDS hymn book will be included? I'm planning to release it in time for the holidays.
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Why I Love Playing Guitar
I bought my first guitar when I was 29 years old. There was a Christmas sale at the music store, and on a whim I decided to give it a try. I spent six months trying to teach myself without much success, but as soon as I got a teacher the process of learning went much faster. I started strumming and singing my favorite songs, and I also started learning how to play simple tab arrangements. I even learned how to read notes.
One of the reasons I wanted to learn to play guitar was so I could play around the campfire. I've had the opportunity to play church and popular songs at several ward events and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. A capella singing is nice, but accompanied singing is nicer -- especially with songs that aren't 100% familiar to the audience.
The guitar is an incredibly versatile instrument. I can play soft or loud, reverently or with energy. I can vary tone and color and speed and I have a variety of instrument choices (electric, acoustic, classical, etc.) It's a very affordable instrument that doesn't take up much space, and thus can work in a dorm or apartment situation. Minimal maintenance is required, and it works well for a large variety of musical tastes and styles. It also doesn't require extensive knowledge of music notation to be able to start playing well, as tab and chords are both picture-based rather than abstract like standard notation.
When I first released "Easy LDS Fingerstyle Guitar Hymns," I noticed that some of my newer students struggled a little with the material. So I decided to create a book to help improve my students' tab skills one step at a time. The book is called "Fingerstyle Fun: 50 Progressive Guitar Solos for Beginners," and it is available -- along with my basic guitar course for beginners - at http://www.serenitymusicschool.com
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