Why do songs sheets look like they do?
BACKGROUND: I tried unsuccessfully to play guitar in college, put music aside for almost 50 years, and took ukulele lessons on a whim at the Belfast YMCA after retiring to Maine. I joined Midcoast Ukes in Belfast, volunteered to play a bass ukulele in the group, and at the age of 73 took up an instrument that I had no idea of how to play or what to play on it. The director of Midcoast Ukes worked with me to design a song sheet that would tell me and all the other Midcoast Ukesters what to play and when. I use that design for Searsport Shores Jam Music. -- John Elberfeld [email protected]
SONG SHEET SAMPLE ONE
The first two lines of Long Black Veil are typical of most song sheets. The arrangement is based on The Band's recording, The recording has 70 beats per minute - a slow pace. There are 16 beats in these two lines. Because of the slow pace, the rhythm guitars are expected to strum 16 chords and the bass play 16 notes as these two lines are sung. The 16 beats are divided up into 4 measures with 4 beats per measure. Each measure is indicated by a vertical line, and that vertical line is placed over the word in the lyric where the measure begins. The letter after the line indicates what chord a guitar player would strum 4 times during that measure. In this example, a guitarist would start strumming a G chord when the word "Ten" is sung and play it a total of 4 times in that measure. A bass player could play a G note four times and not be wrong, but a more typical bass line would be to alternate between the note G and the fifth note in the G scale - a D. The first measure might have been written as |G G G G because the G chord was strummed 4 times, but to keep the song sheet from being too cluttered, the symbols |G imply to play the chord 4 times.
The second measure starts on the word "cool" and also consists of 4 strums of the G chord, and 4 bass notes compatible with a G chord.
The third measure starts on the word "someone." Singers consider the words "There was" to be part of the lyrics on the second line, but musically, those words are sung on the last two beats of the G chord played in the second measure above. The third measure consists of 4 strums of a D chord and 4 bass notes compatible with a D chord, probably alternating D and A notes.
The first 12 beats are fairly straight forward, but the last measure of four beats introduces a new notation. The fourth measure starts on the word "town." with a C chord, but the C chord is played only 2 times at the start of the measure. The two strums of the C chord are followed by two strums of the G chord, using up all 4 beats in the measure, and completing the 16 beats required by these two lines.The fourth measure might have been written as |CCGG, but to focus attention on when the chords change, the notation is |C / G / , The slashes mean to play the previous chord for one more beat.
Rhythm guitar players and bass players who understand and follow a song sheet know what to play on every beat of the song, The Ultimate Guitar sheets linked to on the first page show how to finger all the guitar chords.
The second measure starts on the word "cool" and also consists of 4 strums of the G chord, and 4 bass notes compatible with a G chord.
The third measure starts on the word "someone." Singers consider the words "There was" to be part of the lyrics on the second line, but musically, those words are sung on the last two beats of the G chord played in the second measure above. The third measure consists of 4 strums of a D chord and 4 bass notes compatible with a D chord, probably alternating D and A notes.
The first 12 beats are fairly straight forward, but the last measure of four beats introduces a new notation. The fourth measure starts on the word "town." with a C chord, but the C chord is played only 2 times at the start of the measure. The two strums of the C chord are followed by two strums of the G chord, using up all 4 beats in the measure, and completing the 16 beats required by these two lines.The fourth measure might have been written as |CCGG, but to focus attention on when the chords change, the notation is |C / G / , The slashes mean to play the previous chord for one more beat.
Rhythm guitar players and bass players who understand and follow a song sheet know what to play on every beat of the song, The Ultimate Guitar sheets linked to on the first page show how to finger all the guitar chords.
SONG SHEET SAMPLE TWO
The first line of Roseville Fair introduces a new level of complication. Many instrumentalists who play old time style music, like violin and banjo players, find it easier to play in the keys of D or A. Guitar players find it easier to play in the keys of C and G. This song sheet tries to make both groups happy. Let's look at the first measure in detail, keeping this in mind.
The introductory measure has the chord symbol |D(C). The vertical line indicating the beginning of the measure is not over a specific word, but is over the space before the word "Oh." The singing starts after the chord is played. There is no indication of how many beats pass before the singing starts. The players have to be familiar with the song and its rhythms. The list of songs on the home page of this site provides links to suitable recordings that players can listen to in order to become familiar with the song's melody and structure. For some recordings, they can play along.
The song is played in the key of D. A guitarist would play a chord that sounds like a D 4 times for that first measure. There are two common ways to accomplish this. The most common way is to play a D chord on the guitar. A beginning player as well as an experienced player may prefer the easier fingering of a C chord and the larger number of strings they can easily play in that chord. If the guitar player attaches a capo behind the second fret, the tone is raised up on full note. A C chord fingering with the capo in place now sounds identical to a D chord. The notation |D(C) reminds guitarist they have to play in the key of D, as are all the other instruments, but they can use a capo and use the fingering for the chord inside the parentheses.
The second measure, which the actual start of the song after the introductory measure, starts on the word "clear." The two slashes mean to play the D chord to start the measure and then to play D only two more times. Every measure in the song has 4 beats to account for, and this notation only accounts for three so far. The G chord is played for one strum only on the fourth beat of this measure, completing it. A guitarist with a capo in place would play the fingering for an F chord and fit into the group perfectly. Notice there is usually an extra space before the word that starts a new measure. In some songs, a dashed line is used at the start of a measure to indicate that the singing does not start when the first chord of the measure is played.
The third measure has the notation ID(C) which implies the guitarist would play 4 strums of D. An accomplished guitarist might not play a strum exactly on every beat, but might play a more complicated rhythm the fills up all four beats of the measure. The fourth measure starts on the word "shining." Even though the words "And the moon came up" are on the that line, those words are sung to the final beats of the D chord played in the third measure above.
The fourth measure starts with G chord (or F chord if the guitarist is using a capo) on the word 'Up." The slash indicates it is played one more time before the A chord is played. The slash after the A chord means one more strum of A is played before the last measure of 4 beats of D is played. All four beats of the fourth measure are accounted for. Every beat in the song is accounted for on the song sheet.
The introductory measure has the chord symbol |D(C). The vertical line indicating the beginning of the measure is not over a specific word, but is over the space before the word "Oh." The singing starts after the chord is played. There is no indication of how many beats pass before the singing starts. The players have to be familiar with the song and its rhythms. The list of songs on the home page of this site provides links to suitable recordings that players can listen to in order to become familiar with the song's melody and structure. For some recordings, they can play along.
The song is played in the key of D. A guitarist would play a chord that sounds like a D 4 times for that first measure. There are two common ways to accomplish this. The most common way is to play a D chord on the guitar. A beginning player as well as an experienced player may prefer the easier fingering of a C chord and the larger number of strings they can easily play in that chord. If the guitar player attaches a capo behind the second fret, the tone is raised up on full note. A C chord fingering with the capo in place now sounds identical to a D chord. The notation |D(C) reminds guitarist they have to play in the key of D, as are all the other instruments, but they can use a capo and use the fingering for the chord inside the parentheses.
The second measure, which the actual start of the song after the introductory measure, starts on the word "clear." The two slashes mean to play the D chord to start the measure and then to play D only two more times. Every measure in the song has 4 beats to account for, and this notation only accounts for three so far. The G chord is played for one strum only on the fourth beat of this measure, completing it. A guitarist with a capo in place would play the fingering for an F chord and fit into the group perfectly. Notice there is usually an extra space before the word that starts a new measure. In some songs, a dashed line is used at the start of a measure to indicate that the singing does not start when the first chord of the measure is played.
The third measure has the notation ID(C) which implies the guitarist would play 4 strums of D. An accomplished guitarist might not play a strum exactly on every beat, but might play a more complicated rhythm the fills up all four beats of the measure. The fourth measure starts on the word "shining." Even though the words "And the moon came up" are on the that line, those words are sung to the final beats of the D chord played in the third measure above.
The fourth measure starts with G chord (or F chord if the guitarist is using a capo) on the word 'Up." The slash indicates it is played one more time before the A chord is played. The slash after the A chord means one more strum of A is played before the last measure of 4 beats of D is played. All four beats of the fourth measure are accounted for. Every beat in the song is accounted for on the song sheet.
TYPICAL SONG STRUCTURE
Many country, folk, bluegrass, early rock, and old-time songs have a verse of eight measures for 32 beats, and a chorus of 8 measures for an additional 32 beats. Songs diverse as Old Home Place, Abilene, Louisiana Saturday Night, Sitting on Top of the World, and You Ain't Going Nowhere follow this pattern. Other songs, like Tupelo Honey, Wayfaring Stranger, and Your Cheatin' Heart have verses and choruses of 16 measures. To play a song successfully, you have to know what chord (or bass note) to play on every beat of the song.
Many country, folk, bluegrass, early rock, and old-time songs have a verse of eight measures for 32 beats, and a chorus of 8 measures for an additional 32 beats. Songs diverse as Old Home Place, Abilene, Louisiana Saturday Night, Sitting on Top of the World, and You Ain't Going Nowhere follow this pattern. Other songs, like Tupelo Honey, Wayfaring Stranger, and Your Cheatin' Heart have verses and choruses of 16 measures. To play a song successfully, you have to know what chord (or bass note) to play on every beat of the song.
EXCEPTIONS:
Not every song fits into this nice, clean pattern. Waltz songs have only 3 beats in a measure, not 4. Some singers add an extra beat or two to a measure, or even an extra measure, as they sing in order to catch their breath or add drama to the song. To have a song sheet match their performance timing, special notes appear when needed. Life is Beautiful is an example of a song with extra beats and measures that don't follow the standard pattern.
Many songs move so quickly that bass players and beginning guitarists play on every other beat, even though technically speaking, there are still 4 beats in the measure.
Not every song fits into this nice, clean pattern. Waltz songs have only 3 beats in a measure, not 4. Some singers add an extra beat or two to a measure, or even an extra measure, as they sing in order to catch their breath or add drama to the song. To have a song sheet match their performance timing, special notes appear when needed. Life is Beautiful is an example of a song with extra beats and measures that don't follow the standard pattern.
Many songs move so quickly that bass players and beginning guitarists play on every other beat, even though technically speaking, there are still 4 beats in the measure.