| You can learn to play the popular Christmas song | | | | Which left hand fingers should you use? |
| Silent Night on your guitar even if you don't | | | | Of course you can use your index finger playing |
| master sheet music. You will use guitar tablature | | | | all notes. However, I recommend that you play |
| that will show you where to put your fingers! | | | | the melody in a way that will prepare your fingers |
| What is guitar tablature! | | | | for more difficult pieces of music in the near |
| It is a way of showing you how to play a melody | | | | future. |
| on your guitar without using sheet music notation. | | | | This fingering means that you play all notes on |
| Instead you will use digits indicating the strings to | | | | the first fret with your index finger, the notes on |
| play and frets to use. Ordinary guitar tab notation | | | | the second fret with your middle finger and the |
| uses a staff with six lines representing the six | | | | notes on the third fret with your ring finger. |
| strings. | | | | The advantage is that you can keep your hand in |
| In this guitar lesson you will only use digits. I have | | | | the same position as you play, it will be easier to |
| found that staff notation can be distorted on | | | | find your way around and when you have been |
| article sites so the following notation is safer. You | | | | used to this fingering you will also be able to play |
| will find ordinary guitar tablature notation on my | | | | melodies faster if that is required. |
| site capotastomusic. | | | | The drawback is that it initially feels awkward to |
| As mentioned the Christmas carol Silent Night is a | | | | play this way. Often your ring finger might have a |
| popular song and you will find Christmas sheet | | | | hard time obeying your commands. My advice is |
| music for this song and other carols all over the | | | | to hang in there and your fingers will get used to |
| internet. It's harder to find easy guitar tab | | | | their new tasks on the guitar fretboard. |
| notation for these type of songs. We will first | | | | Here's the next guitar tablature notes: |
| take a look at the modern English lyrics of the | | | | Round yon virgin Mother and Child |
| first verse. | | | | 2/3 2/3 1/2 0/2 2/3 0/3 2/3 0/3 2/4 |
| Silent night, Holy night | | | | The next line of lyrics will have an identical row of |
| All is calm, all is bright | | | | guitar tablature notes: |
| Round yon virgin Mother and Child | | | | Holy infant so tender and mild |
| Holy infant so tender and mild | | | | 2/3 2/3 1/2 0/2 2/3 0/3 2/3 0/3 2/4 |
| You will now learn the melody on your guitar one | | | | By the way, you can use your right hand thumb |
| line at a time with the help of guitar tablature. | | | | to pick the notes! Here's the next line: |
| Let's start: | | | | Sleep in heavenly peace |
| Silent night, Holy night | | | | 3/2 3/2 1/1 3/2 0/2 1/2 0/1 |
| 0/3 2/3 0/3 2/4 0/3 2/3 0/3 2/4 | | | | And here's the final guitar tablature: |
| 0/3 means that you play the third string without | | | | Sleep in heavenly peace |
| pressing down a fret. 2/3 tells you to press down | | | | 1/2 0/3 2/4 0/3 3/4 0/4 3/5 |
| the second fret on the third string. In other | | | | I recommend that you learn this melody by heart |
| words, the digit before the slash indicates the fret | | | | one line at a time. The tab notation is only a |
| to press down and the one to the right of the | | | | means to help you find the notes. Learning |
| slash tells you which string to play. | | | | melodies by heart will give you a growing |
| Let's continue with your guitar tablature melody: | | | | repertoire with songs to play when you see a |
| All is calm, all is bright | | | | guitar hanging around. |
| 3/2 3/2 0/2 1/2 1/2 0/3 | | | | |