Chords for What A Friend We Have In Jesus - free bluegrass lesson

[C] _ _ _ [F] _ _ _ _ _
[G] _ [Bb] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[F] _ _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _
_ _ _ [F] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [Bb] _ _ _ _ _ _
[F] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _
_ _ [F] _ _ _ _ _ _
[Cm] _ [D] _ _ _ [F] _ _ [C] _ _
_ _ _ [Eb] _ [Dbm] _ [F] _ _ _
_ _ _ [Bb] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [F] _ _ _ [Gm] _ _ [F] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [Bb] _ _ _ _ _ _
[F] _ _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _
_ _ [F] _ _ _ _ _ _
[Bb] _ _ _ _ _ _ [F] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [Bb] _ _ _
[C] _ _ _ _ _ _ [F] _ _
_ _ [Gm] _ _ _ _ [F] _ _
_ [C] _ _ _ [E] _ _ [F] _ _
_ _ _ [Bb] _ _ _ _ _
_ [F] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[N] _ _ _ _ Hi everyone.
Quite a few people have shown an interest in my version of What a Friend We Have in
Jesus _ _ and several people have asked me if I can do a teaching video _ based on that version
of the song. _
_ That's what this video is all about.
The techniques that I use in playing What a Friend We Have in Jesus. _ _ _ _
Now, perhaps the first thing to notice is that I've got the capo _ on the guitar here.
I've put it on the, or just behind the third fret.
_ _ Now [Ab] I've chosen to play the [N] song in the key, _ or using the chords in the key of D major. _
So these are the chords of [F] D, _ _ _ [Bb] G _ _ and [C] _ _
A or A7.
_ [F] _ Now, _ _ I'm playing then [N] using the chords in the key of D, but because I've got the capo
on three, that puts the song into the key of F major.
And that's the key that it's most usually sung in. _ _
In my hymn book, it's written in the key of F major. _ _ _
Now the speed of the song is quite fast.
It's going at this [Gm] sort of speed. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [C] _ _
And so I start with a three beat introduction.
I use all [Gb] downstrokes.
More about that in a moment.
And it starts like [C] this.
_ [D] _ [E] _
_ _ _ [C] _ _ [D] _ [E] _ _
And then I move to the _ open D string for the first [F] beat.
_ _ _ _ [D] _
[E] _ [F] _ _ _ _ _ _ [G] _
[Bb] _ _ _ _ _ Now [N] there's a slight trick here and it's that I put the melody note slightly after the beat. _ _
_ [C] _ _ [E] _ [F] _ _ _ _
There's the melody note.
It's that note A there. _
_ [C] _ [E] _ _ [F] _ _ _ _
_ _ [G] _ _ If I count the beats as I [Bb] play it.
[C] [E] Two, three, [F] four, one.
_ _ _ [G] _ [Bb] _ _
_ [C] And again.
[E] Two, three, [F] four, one.
_ _ _ _ [G] _ [Bb] _ _ _
_ _ And [G] although it's not really noticeable, _ I'm not actually playing the first note of the
tune on the first beat of the bar.
I'm [F] playing the bass note, which is this note D.
That string there, D, _ on the first note of the bar.
_ But the melody note just slightly afterwards.
_ _ So here it is [C] again.
[E] _ _
[F] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Bb] _ _ _ [Gm] _ _ _ [F] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
Now, _ let's slow it right down.
[C] _ _ _ [D] _ _ [E] _ _ [F] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Dm] _ _ [F] _ _ _ _ [G] _ _
[F] _ _ _ [Bb] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [C] _ _ [F] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [C] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [D] _ _ [E] _ _
[F] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Dm] _
_ [Am] _ _ _ [G] _ _ [Bb] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _
[F] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ [F] _ _ I _ don't think that's quite what I played before. _ _
_ _ [G] _ _ [F] _ I [Am] think I _ [G] _ [F] did_
That.
I [Gm]
slid up to [C] that F sharp there. _
The note F sharp.
_ _ _ [G] _ [F] _
_ _ _ Back [Am] down again.
[Gm] _ _
[F] _ _ _ _ _ Just add some [Am] interest to the song.
[G] _ _ [F] _
Don't feel that you always have to be playing chords.
[G] You can sometimes play single notes to make it more interesting.
_ _ [F] _ _ _ _ _ [E] _
_ [F] _ [D] _ [C] _ _ _ [Em] Now, this next bit.
_ [F] _ [Dm] _ _ [C] _
I have [N] a lovely clash there between the note F sharp that I'm playing and the D [F] string.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Dm] _ _ [C] _ _ _ _ _
Slide down to the chord of A7 for the second half [Gm] of the song.
_ [F] _ _ _ _ _
[Bb] _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _
Very slowly.
[Dm] _ _ _ _ [C] _
I'll try and [Em] make it easy to see by using a different [E] finger. _
[F] _ _ [Dm] _ _ [C] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [Bb] _ _ [C] _
_ _ _ _ _ All [Eb] I'm doing there is sliding my fingers down one [C] fret. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [F] The chord of D.
_ [E] _ [F] _ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _
_ I'll put plenty of vibrato on that one.
_ _ I'm just playing two notes.
_ The note _ [Bm] _ B _
[Gm] _ there on the G string.
And the note D on the second string, the B string.
[Dm] _
_ _ _ _ [F] _ _ _ _
[C] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [D] _
[Eb] _ _ [E] _ _ And this run is [Bm] slightly different.
I'm [C] going _ _ [D] A, B, [Eb] _ C natural [E] and then C sharp.
_ And then back [F] to what we had at the start. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [G] _ [F] _ [Bb] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [F] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ [F] _
_ _ _ I'll do that second half again.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [G] _ [F] _ [Bb] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [F] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _
[F] _ _ _ _ _ _ [Bb] _ _
[F] _ _ [C] _ Now, the rule I tend to stick to when I'm playing bluegrass music is that I play a downstroke on the main beats.
[E] _ _ [F] _ _ _ _ _
And I play an upstroke when it's on the offbeat. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ Very slowly. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ Down, up, down, up.
_ _ _ [C] _ [D] _
[E] _ [F] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [D] Down, [E] down, [F] down, down, down, up, down, up.
_ _ _ _ [D] _ [E] _
[F] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [G] _
[Bb] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[F] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [C] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ I'll play that very slowly.
_ [D] _ _ [E] _ _ [F] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _
[F] _ _ _ [G] _ _ [Bb] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Gm] _
_ _ _ [C] _ _ [F] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [C] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [D] _ [E] _ _ [F] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Gm] _ _
[Bb] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [F] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _
[F] _ _ _ _ _ _ Now, _ _ _ _ _ _ it seems very odd [Dm] for some of you to be using so [F] many downstrokes when it is easier to play down, up, down, up, down, up more often.
It's easier on the hand.
But you find that you get used to it.
Your hand moves very _ fluidly if you stick to just the downs on the main beats and ups just on the offbeats.
_ If you don't play that many offbeats, don't worry.
Just use the _ downstrokes.
_ _ _ _ _ If you want to play more runs [Gm] in your piece of [Cm] music, _ [Ab] _
_ _ then you [Cm] do need to use [Eb] _
[D] _ _ [Ab] _ _ _ down, up, [Bb] down, up.
[C] _ [Dm] _ _ [Bb] _ _ _ _
[C] _ _ [Bb] _ _ _ _ _
If you're playing that sort of thing, [Gm] then the downs and ups are really important.
And you must stick to them fairly rigidly if you want to develop a fluid