Lesson 9 – You’re Now Ready to Play A Couple More Songs!
DOWN IN THE VALLEY
The original version of “Down in the Valley” was written over a hundred years ago, and used only two chords. We’re going to substitute A Major7 (Amaj7) for A Dominant 7 (A7) to make it a little easier. Dominant 7 chord shapes will be taught in Lesson 14.
The D-Chord is played on the 2nd fret by pression down in the C, E, & G strings.
The A Major7 Chord is played on the 4th fret by pressing down on the F, A, C, and E strings.
Strum the first chord 5 times, pausing slightly between the fourth and fifth strum. Strum the second chord 4 times … repeat the process throughout the entire song.
DOWN IN THE VALLEY
Ready to try another song?
The original lyrics to this song were written in 1862. It’s a classic. Let’s give it a try using the chords C, D, Em, G, and A7. In this lesson we’ll substitute A-Major7 (Amaj7) for A-Dominant 7 (A7) to make things easier. We’ll learn Dominant chords in Lesson 14. Try simply strumming to the sound of the words! Chord changes are listed above the words. Have FUN!
DECK THE HALLS
Play the song a few times using the following chords!
Then, change things up. Play the G-Major chord on the F, A, C strings … the E-Minor chord on the A, C, E strings … and if you like … jump ahead to Lesson 14 and try out the A-Dominate 7 (A7) chord. Notice the difference in the sound compared to the Amaj7 chord.
DECK THE HALLS
Now, that you know how to play Major chords, Minor chords, Major 7 chords, even songs … it’s time to take a BREAK from the learning process. It’s time to just sit back and have some FUN with your guitar, before moving on to Lesson 10. You deserve it.