I've been working on Ken Middleton's ukulele version of "Simple Gifts," the Shaker song that's also known as "The Lord of the Dance." This song is often called a "Shaker hymn" but it isn't really a traditional hymn. It has only one verse and it's meant to be a dance song. The Shakers incorporated dance in their services and this song gives dance instructions. I think it should be somewhat lively: 'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free 'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be, And when we find ourselves in the place just right, 'Twill be in the valley of love and delight. When true simplicity is gain'd, To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd, To turn, turn will be our delight, Till by turning, turning we come 'round right. You can hear Ken Middleton play the song in the video below. He does a fancy variation the third time through but the tab I'm working on seems a bit easier and more straightforward. I'm enjoying this version and it's not too difficult. I would advise learning it by playing the notes straight first without pull offs, hammer ons, and slides. The tab is available online as a single arrangement (for only a few dollars) on his website. Comments are closed.
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Playing fingerstyle ukulele, with information about the songs and where to find the ukulele tablature so that you can play these songs yourself.
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