With a few alterations, even a novice with the guitar can take a love ballad, even a complex one, and simplify it enough to impress even the most discerning date. While these songs are normally difficult, the author has simplified them to facilitate easy play for the beginner.
There are many different web sites to find guitar tab. As such, the author has chosen not to rewrite tablature here, instead focusing on the alterations and playing tips to improve performance.
Sexual Healing, Performed by Marvin Gaye
It is amazing how good classic Soul music sounds on an acoustic guitar. With the use of muting techniques, even a beginner can recreate the sounds of soul.
The key to performing “Sexual Healing” is to use palm muting. Rest your strumming hand right where the strings meet the bridge. Strum. The notes should be very subdued, almost like a heart beat.
The chord progression is G-Am-F-C, each chord getting the same amount of time. The rhythm has a slight swing to it, but most players alter the rhythm to their own taste in order to sing along.
A good example of how this sounds on acoustic guitar is a performance by Ben Harper. Notice that he does not use palm muting. His version is much more difficult to play that the arrangement here. He uses fingerpicked runs to create tension rather than palm muting.
Can’t Help Falling in Love, Performed by Elvis Presley
One of the most romantic songs ever written, sung by the voice that defined Rock and Roll. “Can’t Help Falling in Love” has been used to swoon the opposite sex for decades.
There are multiple ways to play this song, from an easy strum, to complex finger picking with a moving baseline. The manner discussed here omits several extra chord changes in the verse. Simply change from C-F(after “fools“)-G (after “in“). More complex is a second part of the verse:
F -G -----Am -Dm ---------C ----G ---C
I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You
Each chord gets one strum, except for the Dm, which gets three. Keep the tempo slow in this song, even slower than the way Elvis sings it, if the chord changes are too difficult. Remember to practice his sneer and hip wiggle.
You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling, Performed by The Righteous Brothers
Top Gun made this song immortal with its famous bar scene, but “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” was a great love song before Tom Cruise and will be when no one remembers Top Gun, except for a questionable beach volleyball game.
The bad news about “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” is that it has a Bb chord in it. The good news is that it is the easiest of barre chords, and is a good introduction to them.
This is another Soul song that benefits from palm muting to build emotional tension. Again, rest your strumming hand on the strings right next to the bridge to create the “heart beat.”
The first two verses, “you never close your eyes . . .” and “now there’s no welcome . . .” can be sung with very little guitar accompaniment, making the Bb even less significant. The Dm - Em part in each verse can be picked with the muting taken off.
At the chorus, completely remove all muting and strum hard and loud. The change in volume dynamics--famously used in almost every Led Zeppelin song--creates a musical resolution to the tension of palm muting.
Valentine’s Day, by Steve Earle
Ornery Alt-Country God Steve Earle is probably best known for his fire-breathing protest songs such as “The Revolution Starts Now” and “F the CC.” However, Earle is also a master when it comes to love songs, guaranteed to melt the coldest of cold, cold hearts.
Most sites transcribe “Valentine’s Day” in the key of A (a progression of A- C#- D-A . . .) with a descending bassline. This can be very difficult for a beginner. An easier way is to play in the key of G, and to simplify a few chords. In this manner, the progression would be:
G -------------B7--------------- C ------------G
I come . . .empty hands/ guess . . . Forgot again/
The bridge is basically a C G D7 G progression, although in the second line of each bridge there is a B7 added before the D7. The bridge is usually played with partial chords, but that is up to the player.
As mentioned above, these songs are much more difficult than what a beginner is used to, yet the simplified versions here will impress and romance your date on Valentine’s Day. Just make sure the songs come from the heart, and no matter the player’s skill, he will come out smelling like roses.
C ----------G--------------- D7----------------- G
Only . . . Love to send/ On Valentine’s Day
These love songs, simplified for the novice, will help you to express what you feel inside. While words may fail you, songs are always there. As Jim Croce once sang: "Everytime I try to tell you. the words just come out wrong. So I'll have to say I love you, in a song."
Craig Sanders - Craig Sanders is happy to be the Suite101 Feature Writer for Folk Music, as writing and music have been his twin loves his whole ...
