Tag Archives: tab

February 5, 2015 · 1:43 pm

Glen Campbell – Wichita Lineman Chords

Download the full version here: Glen Campbell – Wichita Lineman Chords

Download the simplified version here: Glen Campbell – Wichita Lineman (Simplified)

Wichita Lineman features some fantastic chords – it’s a great workout for more advanced guitarists, with rich major 7ths and interesting slash chords. If you’re in doubt about any of them, I’ve included a full list at the bottom of the page.

Simplified Version
Beginner to intermediates can try the simplified chord chart, which still features a tricky Bb barre chord (x13331, or you could try 688766). For an easy version of Gm just bar across the 3rd fret of the thinnest three strings (xx0333), or for a fuller sound try the bar chord (355333).

The Bb/C Chord
Bb/C is not as tricky as it sounds – you just lay your finger across the 3rd fret (x33333). The C after the slash (/) means to play a C note in the bass of the chord. Technically, in order to do this you need to mute the low E string, but don’t worry too much – it still sounds quite good if you do play that string. The chord is also known as C7sus4 or C11 – I’ve gone for the slash chord “Bb/C” way of naming, as (to my ear at least) Bb makes for a better substitute chord than C. So, ukulele players can just play a Bb.

Strumming

You could just play this with steady 8th note downstrums (8 per bar), or you could do something a bit like this:

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + D D D DUD D D DU

It’s best not to be too rigid with it – you can add small upstrums wherever feels right. Just be sure to keep the downs steady and consistent. Also, you can put a slight emphasis on beats 2 and 4.

Chord Reference

Looking at the live videos, Glenn Campbell tends to use the first set of chords where I’ve suggested two different options (i.e. around the 5th fret) – but he does have a full band and orchestra behind him! The second set of chords sound great for solo acoustic playing:

Fmaj7: x87555 or x33210
Bb/C: x33333
Bbmaj7: xx8765 or x13231
Fmaj7/A: xx7755 or x03210
Dm7: xx7565 or xx0211
Am7: xx5555 or x02010
G: 320003
D: x00232
Dsus4: x00233
Cadd9: x32030
G/B: x20033
Gm/B: x10033
A7sus4: x02030
Bb: x13331

All chords are listed from thickest string to thinnest.
X means mute a string (or at least try not to strum it!).

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Tagged as 1968, advanced, bar chords, barre chords, Bb/C, beginner, C11, chords, glen campbell, Gm, intermediate, jimmy webb, simplified, songs, strum, strum pattern, strumming, tab, teaching, wichita lineman

December 16, 2014 · 5:30 pm

John Newman – Cheating Chords

Download the capo free version here: John Newman – Cheating (Bm Version)

Download the bar-chord free version here: John Newman – Cheating (Easy Version)

This song was brought to me by two of my younger students, 8 year old Bodie and Louis. We looked at it with the capo on fret 2, using simplified partial chord shapes (e.g. G as xx0003, C as xx2010). Without the capo it makes a good bar chord workout for more advanced students. Ukulele players will need to play it in Bm to match the original recording key.

In a full band situation advanced players may want to try partial chord shapes up the neck, as you can see John Newman’s guitarist playing in this live band version. These are mainly chords played on the top four strings, based around the 7th fret (e.g. Bm: xx9777, A: xx7655, E: xx7775).

For the solo singer/guitarist you are better sticking to the full open chords, as in this live acoustic version. The more advanced of you can work out some of those licks too!

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Tagged as advanced, bar chords, beginner, Bm chord, cheating, guitar, guitar chords, intermediate, john newman, partial chords, songs, tab, ukulele

December 3, 2014 · 11:22 am

Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here Chords

Download here: Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here

Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here is a great song for working on mixing up picking individual notes with full chord strumming. The chords are fairly basic, the main challenge being the D/F# chord.

Slash Chords

With slash chords, the note after the slash (/) is played in the bass. So D/F# is a D chord with an F# bass note. On guitar this can be played like a regular D, with your thumb wrapped over the 2nd fret of the low E string. There are other ways to finger a D/F#, without the high E string, but the full 6 string version sounds great on this song if you can get it. If you’re struggling to get your thumb over or find another way to play the chord, a regular D chord will sound fine.

Strumming

Suggested strumming pattern for the verses:
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + D d DUd D d DUd

Suggested strumming pattern for the intro:
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + B DUDU U UD

Beat “4” and the “and” of the intro are taken up by the single notes of the riff (see the tab).

To get the intricacies and variations of the strum, you really need to listen to the record – I’ve just given you a starting point. Pay attention to the small down strums (lowercase d’s) – these are softer strums. Also, on the record there are two guitars strumming slightly differently, one panned to each side, so you can take your pick when playing along.

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Tagged as chords, D/F# chord, guitar, guitar chords, picking, pink floyd, strum, tab, wish you were here

November 27, 2014 · 3:30 pm

Fantastic Resource for Guitarists

DS Music have put up a very useful free resource page for guitar and reading music.

There are well laid out sheets on reading standard notation and tab, as well as a host of useful guitar fretboard chords and scales (useful for both students and teachers of guitar).

For beginners, you can find, amongst other tools:

Basic guitar chord diagrams
Fretboard note layout
Chord flash cards

For those going beyond basics:

A sheet to explain the CAGED system
A scale dictionary
A useful explanation and diagram of the Circle of Fifths

Master Each Concept

It is worth taking your time with these resources, making sure you have mastered one scale or concept, and explored and integrated it into your playing, before moving onto the next. It is much better to have one scale that you can actually make music with, than to know loads that you can’t use! Working with a good teacher can help you manage this process. Finding ways to test yourself without looking at the sheets is also a good idea, as you don’t want to become reliant on them.

Uke & Other Instruments

If you play ukulele or another instrument, the standard notation and tab sheets still have a lot of useful info that can apply to any instrument. This is one of the advantages of standard notation over other methods of notation.

Keep Exploring

Also handy are the pages of blank chord, practise and notation sheets for you to fill in yourself. These are great for checking you have retained things, or for keeping a record of other chords and scales that you discover along your guitar journey.

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Tagged as basic chords, blank sheets, CAGED, chords, circle of fifths, flash cards, guitar, guitar resources, guitar teaching, mastery, resources, scales, standard notation, tab, teaching, teaching resources, tools

September 30, 2014 · 6:15 pm

Simon & Garfunkel – I Am A Rock Chords

Download here: Simon & Garfunkel – I Am A Rock

I Am A Rock is a great tune for practicing your B minors (it’s a bar chord both on guitar and on ukulele). It’s a little tricky, as you only have two beats each on Am and Bm, so it’s worth drilling that chord change until it’s comfortable.

Recorded in 1965, the song was featured on Simon & Garfunkel’s legendary Sound of Silence album, and before that on Paul Simon’s solo album The Paul Simon Songbook. As usual from Paul Simon, it features some wonderful songwriting.

Suggested strumming pattern:
DUDUDUDU

The trick to the strum is to keep your strumming hand moving steadily up and down, without pausing. Once you’ve got the hang of that, you can focus on feel – listen to the recording for emphasised strums and variations to the pattern.

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Tagged as Bm chord, chords, guitar, I Am A Rock, Paul Simon, Simon & Garfunkel, songs, strum, tab, teaching