| SONGS: GUITAR: ABSOLUTE BEGINNER FOLK |
These easy to learn Folk songs are American classics that are ideal for getting you started on the guitar. In this course, you can learn to play 'Skip to My Lou,' 'Gates to the City,' 'Yellow Rose of Texas' and others.
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| COURSE |
LESSON |
TEACHER |
DESCRIPTION |
| Songs: One and Two-Finger Chords |
Skip to My Lou with Greg Horne |
Greg Horne |
Welcome to one of your first songs as a guitar player. This is a very popular folk song most of you have heard before. With naught but two fingers of your left hand and a strum of your right, you too can thrill both the young and the young at heart with "Skip to My Lou". Is the song about an actual person named Lou? Or does it refer back to the old Scottish word for love, loo. Or the English phrase for bathroom? It's all up to you my darlin'. |
| Songs: One and Two-Finger Chords |
Keep Your Hand on the Plow (Hold On) with Greg Horne |
Greg Horne |
Keep Your Hands on the Plow, also called Hold On, is an African American spiritual. During the Civil Rights and Freedom movement of the 1950s and 60s, a brave South Carolina woman named Alice Wine changed the words to Keep Your Eyes on the Prize. The prize meant freedom, equality, and an end to racial segregation. This song is about patience, persistence, and never giving up. Just what you need to be a musician! We'll be using two fingers to play A minor, E, and E minor. |
| Songs: Two-Chord Songs with Basic Strums |
Rock-a-My-Soul with Greg Horne |
Greg Horne |
You can actually get a lot of guitar playing done with one fretting finger if you're creative. But imagine what you can do with two, three, or more! In this lesson we're going to rock the great old African American spiritual 'Rock My Soul' with some two-finger chords. This song is from at least the 1800s and it's about trying to get to Heaven, which is represented as 'the bosom of Abraham.' It'll be easy and fun, so let's get on it! |
| Songs: One and Two-Finger Chords |
Gates to the City with Greg Horne |
Greg Horne |
Here's an old black gospel song that has been recorded by Pete Seeger, Ralph Stanley and the fabulous blind guitarist and singer, Reverend Gary Davis. Even Carly Simon took a stab at it. We're going to have some fun with this one using simple C, G, and G7 chords, and quarter-note strum. Come on in and check out this rare gem of a song. |
| Songs: One and Two-Finger Chords |
Yellow Rose of Texas with Greg Horne |
Greg Horne |
Here's a song that has kept a lot of feet tapping (or marching) through several periods in American history. It first appeared in 1853 as a song used in minstrel shows, which were a form of popular entertainment that unfortunately relied on racism as a source of humor. The song then became a popular marching song for Confederate troops in the Civil War, and survived to this day in various new forms. We're also going to learn some chords that use three fingers: D and G, and a two-fingered A7. So bring along your salves and ointments in case your fingers get sore. |
| Songs: Three-Finger A, D and E7 |
I Shall Not Be Moved with Greg Horne |
Greg Horne |
I Shall Not Be Moved represents a type of song in American history that has more than just good words with a catchy beat. This is the kind of song that is also a powerful tool to help bring people together and give them the strength to do amazing things. I Shall Not Be Moved has roots as a spiritual song in the 19th century, then a union song in the 1930s, then a civil rights song in the 1950s and 60s. We're going to play it using the A, D, E, and E7 chords. |
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