How To Play Folk Guitar

200 Pages·2016·16.99 MB·English

by  Silverman Jerry.

HOWTO FLAY
FOLK GUITAR
BY JERRY SILVERMAN
LEARN NOTES • CHORDS • STRUMS • BASS RUNS • ARPEGGIOS
TRANSPOSING • CONTAINS OVER 80 FAVORITE FOLK SONGS
BALLADS • BLUES • BLUEGRASS • GOSPEL
HOW TO PLAY FOLK GUITAR
JERRY SILVERMAN
©Copyright 1983 by Saw Mill Music Corp., 160 High Street, Hastings On Hudson, New York 10706
International Copyright Secured Made in U.S.A. All Rights Reserved
Photographs on pages i and 1 by C.F. Martin
Organization, Nazareth, Pennsylvania
Copyright © 1974 by Jerry Silverman
Revised Edition Copyright © 1983 by Saw Mill Music Corp,
All rights reserved.
ISBN 0-940682-05-2
Printed in the United States of America
С О Ж Т Е К Г Т
L CHORDS AND NOTES 1 Note Reading 27
Gee, but I Wanna Go Home 28
The Anatomy of the Guitar 1 Note Reading 29
The Anatomy of the Guitarist 1 / Ride an Old Paint 30
The Capo 2 Note Reading 31
The Open Strings and the Chord Diagram 2 The Gypsy Rover 32
The Basic Right-Hand Strum 3 Note Reading 33
The Key of A Major 34
Hey Ho, Nobody Home 4 Bring a Little Water, Sylvie 34
Note Reading 4 Note Reading 35
What Shall We Do with the Brennan on the Moor 36
Drunken Sailor? 6 Note Reading 37
Note Reading 8 The Four Marys 38
The Key of D Major 9 Note Reading 39
Skip to My Lou 10 Revolutionary Tea 40
Note Reading 11 Note Reading 41
Pay Me My Money Down 12 The Key of H Major 42
Note Reading 13 Good News 42
The Butcher Boy 14 Note Reading 43
Alternate Bass 16 Crawdad 44
Note Reading 16 Note Reading 45
When the Saints Co Marching In 18 / Was Born About Ten Thousand
Note Reading 19 Years Ago 46
Blow, Ye Winds, in the Morning 20 Note Reading 47
Note Reading 21 I Never Will Marry 48
Three-Quarter (J) Time 22 Note Reading 49
Pretty Saro 22 The Key of С Major 50
Note Reading 23 Oh, Susanna 50
The Streets of Laredo 24 Note Reading 51
Note Reading 25 The Banks of the Ohio 52
The Key of G Major 26 Note Reading 53
Greenland Fisheries 26 Lincoln and Liberty 54
Note Reading 55 John Riley 112
Deep Blue Sea 56 The Cruel War 114
Note Reading 57 Down by the Sally Gardens 116
Transposing 58 Arpeggios in I Time 118
Bow and Balance 118
2. BASS RUNS 59 Rio Grande 122
At the Fool of Yonder Mountain 124
Bass Runs in С—J Time 59
Bill McCandless’ Ride 126
Joe Turner 60
Overtures from Richmond 129
Oleana 62
Barre Chords 131
Bass Runs in С—J Time 64
Back to Arpeggios, Everybody! 132
On Top of Old Smoky 64
The Great Silkie 132
The Storms Are on the Ocean 66
Scarborough Fair 134
Bass Runs inG—J Time 68
Six-Eight Time ( | ) 136
Mama Don't 'low 68
Rig a Jig. Jig 136
Can't You Dance the Polka? 70
The Lincolnshire Poacher 138
Bass Runs inG—« Time 72
Arpeggios in J Time 140
NighbHerding Song 72
Hullabaloo Belay 140
The Bowery 74
Fillimeeoriay 142
Bass Runs in D—J Time 76
The Darby Ram 144
Poor Howard 76
Johnny Is My Darling 146
Streets of Glory 78
Gently, Johnny, My Jingalo 148
Bass Runs in D—J Time 80
Green Grow the Lilacs 80
4. COUNTRY AND BLUEGRASS
The Jug of Punch 82
GUITAR 150
Bass Runs in A—J Time 86
А Ц Night Long 86 Hammering-On 150
Boatman Dance 88 Going Down the Road Feeling Bad 152 /
Bass Runs in A—J Time 90 Wildwood Flower 154
Who’s Gonna Shoe Your Pretty The Church Lick 156
Little Foot? 90 Roll on the Ground 156
Abdullah Bulbul Amir 92 Nine-Pound Hammer 158
Bass Runs in E—\ Time 94 The Extended Church Lick 160
This Train 94 Mule Skinner Blues 160
No Hiding Place 96 The Blues Wrinkle 162
Bass Runs in E—J Time 98 A Snappy Ending 164
Hard Is the Fortune of All Womankind 98 Hang Down Your Head, Tom Dooley 164
Billy Barlow 100 Bowling Green 166
Pick a Number 167
3. ARPEGGIOS 103
Buddy, Won't You Roll Down
Arpeggios in J and J Time 103 the Line? 168
My Home's Across the Smoky Bury Me Beneath the Willow 171
Mountains 104
The Desperado 106
5. GOSPEL GUITAR 172
Rock About, My Saro Jane 108
The Water Is Wide 110 Rocking Rhythm 172
Walk in Jerusalem 174 6. REVIEWING MUSICAL MATTERS 190
Twelve Gates to the City 176
Note-Reading Review 190
This Little Light of Mine 178
Note Value and Timing Review 191
The Subdominant Switcheroo 180
Key Signature and Scalc Review 191
Let Me Fly 180
Transposing Review 193
The Three-Quarter Church Lick 182
Tuning the Guitar 193
Little Moses ] 82
Tuning to a Piano 193
Farther Along 184
Tuning to a Pitchpipe 194
The Shuffle 186
Tuning Relative to Itself 194
Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and
Burning 186
The Rocking Arpeggio 188
Wade in the Water 188 CHORD CHART 196
_____________________________________________ 1 ______________________________________________
C S O I i D S а а Д W O ’JL'Jk S
We are going to approach the guitar from must be taken to obtain the best instrument
two directions simultaneously. Chords will be possible to assure ease of fingering, accuracy
illustrated by the simple diagram method and of pitch and beauty of tone.
notes will be taught based upon the songs be­
ing sung. By this chord-note integrated method The Anatomy of the Guitarist
you will very quickly be able to read melodies
of unfamiliar songs as well as enlarge your The fingernails of your left hand must be as
chord vocabulary and right hand technique. short as possible. This cannot be stressed too
vigorously—especially for the beginner. The
fingernails of your right hand should be left a
The Anatomy of the Guitar little longer, with some white showing. They
should be rounded off, never pointed.
There are two types of guitars which are The left hand supports the neck of the gui­
well-suited for vocal accompaniment. They are tar. The left thumb presses against the back
the nylon-string (classical) guitar and the steel- of the neck for support. The remaining fingers
string (acoustic) guitar. The difference between of the left hand press down the strings to play
these two instruments, apart from some physi­ individual notes or groups of notes (chords).
cal considerations, is the tone or timbre they The right hand strums or plucks the strings
produce when played. Many beginners favor in various ways. Right-hand technique will be a
the .nylon-string guitar. In either case, care major area of discussion throughout this book.
6 TUNING PEGS
-6 SLOTTED TUNING PEGS
----------- NUT -------------------
19 FRETS 20 FRRTS
NECK
-------FINGERBOARD
(TOP SURFACE OF NECK*
SOUND KOLF.
pick
SADDLE
BRIDGE
I
You may either stand or sit while playing The Capo
the guitar during a performance. For your
studies, the seated position is recommended. You need one additional picce of equip­
ment: a capo. This is a small elastic clamp
that fits over all the strings at particular posi­
tions on the neck of the guitar. It will be abso­
lutely indispensable to you as you begin to sing
your way through this book. Its use will be
explained shortly.
The Open Strings and
the Chord Diagram
The guitar has six strings tuned to six differ­
ent notes. The thinnest string is the first string.
It has the highest pitch. As the diameter of
each neighboring string increases, the. pitch
gets lower. The sixth string is the thickest. It
has the lowest pitch.
Let’s take a closer look at the strings near
the nut.
6 5 4 3 2 1
E Л D G В E
-■I ■ I ■■ i |^—Nut
1st fret
2nd fret
3rd fret
By means of this diagram we can now clearly
identify the strings by note and number. But
even more important, w'c can now use this
diagram to indicate where the fingers of your
left hand should be placed to play chords. As
stated before, the left thumb is placed behind
the neck as a counterpressure to the fingers.
The index finger is the first finger. The fingers
after it are numbered 2, 3, and 4, respectively.
In playing the following E minor chord,
press with your fingertips as close to the sccond
2
fret as possible without actually touching it.
The strings should be brought into firm contact
with that fret. Any loosening of pressure will
result in an unclear, muffled sound. Also, be
careful not to touch any other string with your
palm or fingers.
Strum down across all six strings with your
right thumb.
6 4 3 2 1
E D G В E
О О О О.
Nut
1st fret
с
H
2nd fret
E minor
• A circle (о ) over an
Thumb on 6th string
open (unfingered) string
1st fingertip on underside of 3rd string
tells you to play that
2nd fingertip on underside of 2nd string
string also.
3rd fingertip on underside of 1st string
The thumb strikes the sixth string. Don't
If any string does not give you a clear note bend the thumb! Keep it relatively stiff and
see if you can find out why not. Don't grip the move it in a circular orbit away from the sixth
neck of the guitar too tightly. There should be string and then back again to it for the next
“daylight” between your palm and the neck. beat.
Your fingertips will soon begin to develop The three fingers, which are resting lightly
slight callouses. This will help to give you bet­ on the underside of their respective strings
ter sounding notes. move inward toward the palm in a gentle
plucking action. Don't move the wrist or (he
arm! Just pluck the strings lightly.
The Basic Right-Hand Strum Alternate between a thumb beat and a finger
beat. Move slowly and evenly at a comfortable
“walking pace/*
Let your right arm rest at about the elbow ‘Thumb-fingcrs, thumb-fingcrs . . . one-two,
on the side of the guitar with your hand hang­ one-two . . . bass chord, bass chord . .
ing down limply. Your hand should be over To play your first song (and all other songs)
the sound hole. Notice how the fingers curve start playing the chord slowly before you start
slightly inward. Move only the hand toward singing. When you sing follow the “guitar
the strings so that the fingers and thumb make rhythm*' above the music: T = thumb, F =
contact with the strings as follows: fingers.
3
Hey Ho, Nobody Home
Em
Guitar T F T F T
rhythm J J J- J J J J J J J
Ш
i
i
Hey ho, no - bod - у home, Meat nor drink nor
will I be mer ry—
Note Reading
Music is written on a five-line staff. The notes The symbol called the G clef is written at the
may be written cither on the lines or in the beginning of each staff of guitar music. It
spaces between the lines. Each line and space serves to fix specific note names to the lines
represents a particular note and has a letter of and spaces of the staff. (There are other clefs
the alphabet from A to G assigned to it. After used for other instruments which give the lines
G we start all over again from A. and spaces other note names.)
I г -75P
\ W
G clef
The notes on the staff are all playable on the ercise, however, there arc a few other items
guitar. Before we go on to playing our first ex­ that must be mentioned.
4