Simple Gifts

This finger-style variation is from the RCM Gr2 curric for classical guitar.

A pretty version with drop D tuning. Satisfying to play, but can break your heart with its deceptive simplicity. To extend the piece, it works to just go back to the top and run thru again. Or you can asterisk the chorus, and just go back there. It seems to work to start slow top to bottom, then do a more lilting rhythm for the chorus repeat.

I wanted to post this in time for Easter, because of course this is also known as 'Lord of the Dance.'

The recording is a bit fuzzy, but hey, i'm lucky to get a minute in the studio without dog waterbowl slurping noises in the background.

I noodled around with a strumming line. It works to do D, D, G, A, D, D, G, A, D-A-D for both the verse and chorus.

Since you're in drop D, you need a different fingering for G chord. Since you will have dropped your lowest note E string a couple of semi-tones to G, that means low G note will be at the 5th fret. That can be a bit rough to form. For these tracks, i went with bass note E at 2nd fret, 6th string. So for G chord (without changing the drop D tuning), do index and  tall boy fingers on 2nd fret on strings 6 &5 with pinky finger on 3rd fret, string 1. Or standard G formation avoiding playing the lowest string 6.

So there are 4 tracks in total: 1. picked only, 2. strummed only and 3. pick with strum so you can see how the tracks sound together. Picked and strummed are synched, 4. is an extended pick + strum version with strum added in as a 2nd variation type of thing. The miracle of Garage Band, I tell ya!

Happy Easter friends! Keep the faith. We will get thru this - and maybe even become slightly better guitar players by the end :)


LINK

Guitar, fingerpicked only

Guitar, pick + strum

Guitar strum only 

Guitar pick + strum extended