lesson summary
Lesson 1 of 10 in our Series: One Chord Song
Steve Eulberg launches this lesson series by teaching a one chord song. Starting with easy songs allows you to isolate your voice and guitar playing.
Chapter 1: (00:26) Lesson Introduction
Welcome to the Singing and Guitar series! Steve plays through two verses of "Frere Jacque" ("Are You Sleeping?") to demonstrate how a single chord can be applied to an entire vocal melody.
The key to singing while playing guitar is linking both activities together in the brain. Developing this task is easiest if you start with a very simple guitar part (1-3 chords) and a simple melody (not a wide range, few large intervallic leaps).
Chapter 2: (12:03) One Chord Song
Nursery rhymes are an ideal starting point for anyone trying to play and sing at the same time. These songs are already internalized and memorized. Also, the harmony and melody of these songs are always very simple.
One Chord Song
Harmonizing a song with one chord eliminates all fret hand movement. This cuts out 50% of what you normally have to think about when playing guitar. This allows you to focus all of your attention on strumming and singing.
Follow these steps to learn this song:
1. Find the best key for your voice. This requires some basic knowledge of your vocal range. Are you a bass, baritone, or tenor? Mezzo-Soprano or Soprano? Steve has a low bass range with some nice, thick low tones. As a result, he has chosen to sing the song in the key of C. Males and females with higher voices might want to sing this song in the key of E or F.
2. Learn the Melody. This includes identifying key features of the melody. Where are the phrases? What are the lyrics for each phrase? What is the range of the melody? Is it less than or more than a full octave? These are just a few of the questions you should ask yourself when learning any melody.
Note: A transcription of the melody can be found under the "Supplemental Content" tab.
3. Apply the capo to aid in transposition. This will allow you to use the same chord shape that Steve is using anywhere on the fretboard.
Practicing the Song
1. First, learn the lyrics and melody by singing along with Steve.
French Lyrics
Frère Jacques,
Frère Jacques,
Dormez vous?
Dormez vous?
Sonnez les matines,
Sonnez les matines,
Din, din, don!
Din, din, don!
Most Common English Lyrics
Are you sleeping, Are you sleeping,
Brother John? Brother John?
Morning bells are ringing, Morning bells are ringing.
Ding, ding, dong. Ding, ding, dong.
2. Next, strum along with Steve without singing. Finally, begin to combine the voice with the guitar. If it is too difficult for you to strum on all four beats while singing, just strum the first beat in the measure and hold the chord for a whole note. This limits the number of activities that your brain must juggle. As you get more comfortable, add the quarter note rhythm back in. Then, play the appropriate chord with boom-chuck rhythm. Finally, add an alternating bass line.
Note: Check out Steve's Phase 1 lessons as well as his Phase 2 Bluegrass series for more information about the boom-chuck rhythm and alternating bass lines.
Transposition
"Transposition" is the process of changing the key of a piece to another key. A capo is commonly used to transpose keys on the guitar. For example, Steve demonstrates this song using the G chord shape with the capo at the third fret. This changes the key of the song to Bb. This chord shape can be used anywhere on the fretboard when a capo is attached. Essentially, the capo changes the location of the nut.
Chapter 3: (01:34) Arpeggiating Chords
Arpeggiating a chord progression is one way to add extra interest to a rhythm guitar part. Instead of strumming through each chord, pick each string in the chord individually. This will change the overall flavor of the song. The arpeggio pattern that Steve has chosen makes the song sound almost like a lullaby.
Note: Open the "Supplemental Content" tab for a transcription of the arpeggio pattern that Steve demonstrates.
about Steve Eulberg
Steve Eulberg: Award-Winning Songwriter & Instrumentalist
An Award-winning multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter, Steve Eulberg weaves mountain and hammered dulcimers with a variety of unusual instruments to create thought-provoking, smile-inducing, toe-tapping acoustic experiences.
He has sung and composed for religious communities, union halls, picket lines, inter-faith retreats, mountain-top youth camps, as well as the more familiar venues: clubs, coffeehouses, bookstores, festivals, charity benefits and showcase concerts.
Born and raised in the German-heritage town of Pemberville, Ohio, Steve was exposed to a variety of music in his home. Early piano lessons were followed by trumpet in school band, and he became self-taught on ukelele and guitar and harmonica. Mandolin was added at Capital University where, while majoring in History, he studied Ear Training, Voice and took Arranging lessons from the Conservatory of Music.
While at college, he first heard hammered and mountain dulcimers, building his first mountain dulcimer just before his final year. Seminary training took him the west side of Denver where he built his first hammered dulcimer. With these instruments, he was able to give voice to the Scottish, English and Irish traditions to which he is also heir.
Following marriage in 1985 to Connie Winter-Eulberg he settled in Kansas City, Missouri. There he worked cross-culturally in a church of African-Americans, Latinos and European Americans, with music being a primary organizing tool. He moved with his family in 1997 to be nestled beside the Rocky Mountains in Fort Coillins, Colorado.
Founder of Owl Mountain Music, Inc. he teaches and performs extensively in Colorado and Wyoming with tours across the US and the UK. He delights in introducing the “sweet music†of dulcimers to people in diverse settings and in addition to his own recordings, has included dulcimers in a variety of session work for other musicians.
In 2000 he was commissioned to create a choral composition featuring dulcimers for the Rainbow Chorus in Fort Collins. It was recorded in the same year (BEGINNINGS). He is currently at work on a commissioned symphony that will feature hammered dulcimer and Australian didjeridu.
Eulberg passionately believes that music crosses cultural and language barriers because music builds community. Influenced by a variety of ethnic styles, his music weaves vital lyric with rap, rock, folk, gospel and blues. Audiences of all ages respond well to his presentation and to his warm sense of humor.
Steve is a member of Local 1000 (AFM), The Folk Alliance, BMI and BWAAG (Better World Artists and Activist's Guild).
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