Gonna Play Guitar

We're going into new territory (for us) with this piece. It seems that Teresa has decided she's going to learn to play some guitar this year. Armed with method books and videos, she figures if she starts at the very beginning, she can write some simple tunes this year that your beginning guitar students might also be able to play.

This first song, "Gonna Play Guitar," is very easy for both guitarists and singers. Ideally, your guitarists will be the singers, but it doesn't have to be that way. You can split up your class as needed. You could even mix and match. There is also a body percussion part, which if used as written, will have to be done by students other than the guitarists. If it's simplified to just the foot taps, the guitarists might be able to sing, play, and tap. You can do variations with two taps to a bar or four taps to a bar, even alternating feet if you want.

The only thing the guitarists need to know for this one is the four-string G chord. A chord diagram is located prominently at the top of both the piano/vocal/guitar score and the separate guitar part. (The lyrics are also located on this guitar part.)

As you can see, the only left hand finger that's used is the third finger (ring finger for guitarists as opposed to pianists - see picture). This presses on the third fret of the first string (the high E string). Four of the strings are played as indicated on the diagram yielding the notes (low to high) D, G, B, and G. This simplicity also allows you the opportunity to discuss the rhythms, which are kept basic for this tune. They are all the same except for the last one, which is a quarter note rhythm. The instruction to "dampen strings" just means players should lay their right hands across the strings to stop them from vibrating/sounding.

If your players are more advanced, let them go ahead and use a six-string G chord. The diagram for that one is pictured here. You could also divide the class and let some players do variations. For example, some could just play a single low G (sixth string, third fret) using the same rhythms as the regular guitar part. Or they could combine the single low G with the four or six-string chords so that the first half note in a measure is just the low G, while the second half note is a chord. This pattern could continue throughout.

While our recording is pleasant (we do include a two measure count-off for the percussionists who start at the top, by the way), this piece could be done live as well. You don't even have to use a piano if you don't want to. Just the guitars, voices, and percussion would be fine.