Back to Flatpick Page Simple Gifts
Tab by Chifuru "Chief"' Noda
This is a Shaker hymn, supposedly written by Elder Joesph Brackett of Alfred, Maine. In the Shaker tradition, "Gifts" is the spiritual endowments, not a present we give.
This tune, originally known as "'Tis the Gift to Be Simple", is a Quick Song, a fast dance tune, quite different from what we know.
In the following, I wrote (a) straight melody, (b) harmony to melody and (c) bluegrassy variation. The melody may not sound too familiar but I went by the original Shaker melody with words.
** Words **
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 our-selves in the place just right
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight
When true simplicity is gained
To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed
To turn turn will be our delight
Till by turning turning we come 'round right
*************************************************************************
Key: G Major Time: 4/4
(a) Melody
Part A (repeat twice)
Pick-up measure
N/C
| | | |
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
|-------------0-0-|
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
G G/F# G/E G/D Am D/F#
1 | | | | 2 | | | | 3 | | | | 4 | | | |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|---------0---0-1-|-3---3-1-0-------|-----------------|---0-------------|
|*0---0-2---2-----|-------------2-0-|-2---2---2---2---|-2---2-----------|
|*----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------4-0---0---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G G/F# G/E G/D Am G/B D/F# G
5 | | | | 6 | | | | 7 | | | | 8 | | | |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|---------0-------|-0---1---3-----3-|-------0---------|-----------------|
|-0---0-2-----2-2-|-----------------|-2---2---2---0-0-|-2---0---0------*|
|---4-------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------4--------*|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Part B (repeat twice)
G G/F# Em G G/B D
17| | | | 18 | | | | 19 | | | | 20 | | | |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-3-------0-------|-0-1-0-----------|-0---0-1-3---0---|-------0---------|
|*--------------2-|-------2-0-----2-|-----------------|-2---2---2-------|
|*----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------------0-|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Em G/F# G G/B Am G/B C G
21| | | | 22 | | | | 23 | | | | 24 | | | |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-0---0-1-3---0-0-|---------0---0---|-----------------|
|-0-------0-----2-|-----------------|-2---2---------2-|-0---0---0------*|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------*|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
*************************************************************************
(b) Harmony
Part A (repeat twice)
Pick-up measure
N/C
| | | |
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
|-------------0-0-|
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
G G/F# G/E G/D Am D/F#
1 | | | | 2 | | | | 3 | | | | 4 | | | |
|---------------0-|-3---3-0---------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-0---0-1-3-1-3---|---------3---1-0-|-1---1---1---1---|-1-3-1-----------|
|*----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------2---------|
|*----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------4---4---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G G/F# G/E G/D Am G/B D/F# G
5 | | | | 6 | | | | 7 | | | | 8 | | | |
|-----------------|-----0---3-----3-|-----------------|-----------------|
|-0---0-1-3---3-3-|-3---------------|-1---1-3-1---0-0-|-1---0---0-------|
|---2-------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------2--------*|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------*|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Part B (repeat twice)
G G/F# Em G G/B D
17| | | | 18 | | | | 19 | | | | 20 | | | |
|-3---------------|-0-0-0-----------|-------0-3-------|-----------------|
|---------3-----1-|-------1-0-----1-|-3---3-------3---|-1---1-3-1-------|
|*----------------|---------------0-|-----------------|---------------0-|
|*----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Em G/F# G G/B Am G/B C G
21| | | | 22 | | | | 23 | | | | 24 | | | |
|-----------------|-------0-3-------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-0-------0-----1-|-3---3-------3-3-|-1---1---3---3-1-|-1---1---0-------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------*|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------*|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
*************************************************************************
(c) Single-line Solo **
Part A (repeat twice)
Pick-up measure
N/C
| | | |
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
|-------------0-0-|
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
G G/F# G/E G/D Am D/F#
1 | | | | 2 | | | | 3 | | | | 4 | | | |
|-----------------|---0-------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|---------0---0-1-|-3---3-1-0-------|---0-----------0-|---0-------------|
|*0-0-0-2---2-----|-----------0-2-0-|-2---2-0---0-2---|-2---2-----------|
|*----------------|-----------------|---------4-------|-------4-0-2-4-0-|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G G/F# G/E G/D Am G/B D/F# G
5 | | | | 6 | | | | 7 | | | | 8 | | | |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|---------0-------|-0---1-1-3-1-0-3-|-------0---0-----|-----------------|
|-0---0-2---0-2-2-|---0-------------|-2-0-2---2---2-0-|-2-0-0---0------*|
|---4-------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------4--------*|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Part B (repeat twice)
G G/F# Em G G/B D
17| | | | 18 | | | | 19 | | | | 20 | | | |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-3-1-0-3-0-------|-0-1-0-----------|-0-1-0-1-3-3-1-0-|-------0---------|
|*----------2-0-2-|-------2-0-----2-|-----------------|-2-0-2---2-0-----|
|*----------------|-----------4-2---|-----------------|-------------4-0-|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Em G/F# G G/B Am G/B C G
21| | | | 22 | | | | 23 | | | | 24 | | | |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-0---0-1-3-1-0-0-|---------0---0---|-----------------|
|-0-2-4-0-2-4-0-2-|---2-------------|-2-0-2-3---2---2-|-0-------0------*|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---0-2-4--------*|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
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