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Download free guitar sheet music The Water is Wide in the key of G This is one of those pieces of folk sheet music that it seems everyone I know sang in high school! One arrangement we sang employed an echo effect, like this: "The water is wide (the water is wide), I cannot get o'er (I cannot get o'er)..." This is very pretty and not too hard.
The Dsus (D suspended) and Asus (A suspended) chords are interesting and beautiful -- quite unlike other beginner chords -- and it is usually in this song that my guitar students are first exposed to them.
I tell my students that the basic root of the chord is still there, plus one finger added that will lift off when the chord "resolves" into the root chord. That's why you see one string with two fingers on it: just build a regular D or A chord, then add your pinky (finger 4 for guitarists) to add the sound of "suspense." The longer this chord is held, the longer the listener is waiting with expectation for the beauty of the resolution into the regular chord.
Both books,Folk Songs by William Cole The book by William Cole is especially handy, because it has simple piano accompaniments, and chord symbols for guitarists, giving you lots of easy guitar songs! The book edited by Cecil Sharp has some wonderful songs in it, but no chord symbols, and the piano accompaniments tend toward being a bit heavy, even difficult, and maybe somewhat "Romantic" in flavor. Not so suitable for playing along with a fiddle, for example. The following video is a nice fingerpicking rendition of The Water is Wide.
If you have never sung or played this English folk song before, get ready for a treat for yourself and your students. A little secret: GIRLS LOVE THIS SONG!
Do You Have Questions or Comments About This Page?Do you have a funny story about this music, or does it remind you of something you'd like to share with other readers? Do you have a question? We'd love to hear it! Back from Easy Guitar Songs Water is Wide to Beginner Guitar for more free guitar tabs Back Home for more free sheet music |
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