I have compliled a Guitar Music Tab for Away in a Manger. It is played with the low e string tuned down 2 frets to be a d note. It is played with a drone, or bagpipe sound on the low e and a strings only, picking the tune, and alternately picking the drone string. I offer this as someone asked about guitar music on this forum.

I cannot cut and paste it, but I do have the .xls (excell) file I can send. If anyone wants it, I will ask Melissa to accept it at hotmail for me and then to relay it to you (if need be)

I have sheet music and chords for many christmas songs, but I have know way to scan them. If somebody really wants a particular song I can type it the old fashioned way (in Microsoft word format )

-- Rick (Dew@Drop.com), November 30, 2001

Answers

Well for anyone who plays guitar here is a note by note detail of how to play Away in a Manger on two srtrings, the low E and A strings. Tune the Low E down 2 frets to a D. The left number is the fret on the "E" string to finger. An x means don't finger at all for that note/word. the right number is the fret on the "A" string to finger.

Give it a try.

A WAY IN A MAN GER

x 12 12 12 x 10 x 9 0 9 x 7

NO CRIB FOR A BED THE x 5 5 5 x 4 x 2 0 0 x 0

LIT TLE LORD JE SUS LAY 2 0 x 2 x 0 2 0 7 7 x 4

DOWN HIS SWEET HEAD THE STARS

0 2 x 0 x 5 0 9 x 12 12 12

IN THE SKY YYY LOOK DOWN

x 10 x 9 0 9 x 7 x 5 5 5

WHERE HE LAY THE LIT TLE

x 4 x 2 0 0 x 0 9 10 x 9

LORD JE SUS A SLEEP IN THE HAY

x 7 0 9 x 7 x 5 7 7 x 2 x 4 0 5

-- Rick (Rick_122@hotmail.com), November 30, 2001.

My apologies the software changed the spacing that I had.

-- Rick (Dew@drop.com), November 30, 2001.

HeyRick, thanks-my husband plays guitar and I would love for him to play this at Christmas.

-- Kelly (ksaderholm@yahoo.com), December 01, 2001.

Rick, I ran across a good "buy" last Christmas and got my son and I matching guitars. They have set or been played with because I do not know how to play. I was wondering if you could recommend a book or a video that shows how and is easy to follow. The only catch is I am left handed and my son is right. The guitar is strung for right so I guess I am stuck tring to play right handed. I don't know enough about any thing and they are just sitting. If you could help I would appreciate it!!God Bless

-- Micheale from SE Kansas (mbfrye@totelcsi.net), December 01, 2001.

Kelly you are welcome. If you cut and paste it you can re-align the numbers and words.

Micheale, I'll help all I can. As far as a book, I used Alfreds, and I think it is still available.

With all due respect this is lengthy. I would e-mail it, but under current circumstances did not. Micheale, E mail me and put a reference to your interest in the subject.

I can show you a couple of chords. Of major importance is tuning. Do you have a pitch pipe, tuning fork, harmonica or musical keyboard of some kind to get a note from?

The big fat low sounding string (#6 of 6) is named low "E". 5th is "A", 4th is "D", 3rd is G", 2nd is "B" and 1st is high "E".

Every string has a relationship to the string before and after, so if you can get one note (say from a tuning fork or telephone key) you can tune the rest.

When the Low E string is tuned to an E, the note heard while holding down the 5th fret is that of the next string, the A string.

5th string 5th fret = 4th string Which is D string

4th string 5th fret = 3rd string - G string

3rd string 4th fret = 2nd string - B string

2nd string 5th fret = 1st string - E string

To tune the 2nd string from the tuned high E string, finger the 7th fret of the E string

For G string note : 8th fret of B string

For D string note : 7th fret of G string

For A string note : 7th fret of D string

For low E string note : 7th fret of A string

From what I have observed, everyone has some type of musical "nature" or ability.

1)Able to play or sing in groups.

2) Able to learn the theory (notes on a staff, time signature, and "navigation commands", and then play from the written music.

3)Music running through your veins ( I hear songs start in my head frequently, and they are often conjured up by random daily pitches that I hear such as fans and appliance motors).

I learned how to play when I was 13, and devoted a lot of time to pouring my heart and emotion into playing 30 to 90 minutes each day for six years. When I turned 20, and went out to make the bacon, my playing time dried up, and I let it go. Young Rick got a gutar at age 12, in 1992, and we played for 2 weeks straight!! Now I play Christmas Eve Service at church, and whenever I have 20 minutes to relax.

And I wouldn't be to worried about the right handed guitar body. I believe it could be retro-fitted, but it would take time, and you would lose any cut out in the body for picking way up the frets.

-- Rick (Rick_122@hotmail.com), December 01, 2001.