Month 5, Lesson 2: Oh Susanna Lead
Source: Guitar Lessons
Oh Susanna Lead
Oh! Susanna” is a song written by Stephen Foster. It was first published on February 25, 1848. Popularly associated with the California Gold Rush, the song is occasionally (incorrectly) called “Banjo on My Knee”. It is well suited for the guitar and we have come up with a wonderful arrangement of it here for you.
About This Lesson:
This song is played in the key of D Major, and most of the notes are played while being in the 2nd position, even though it is possible to play it in the open first position it becomes much easier to play in the 2nd position – once you get used to it though.
Also, a couple of other comments on this arrangement. This is the first song were we are using alternated endings for the song. This allows us to be just a bit more creative with the song and give it a bit more flair. Also I have slipped a few slides in this song. So good luck with all of this as it may present you with a big challenge for this week. Master it and you are well on your way into intermediate guitarist.
Learning Points:
Play The Song In The Key of D Major:
This song is again in the key of D Major. Remember that D Major has a key signature of 2 sharpes. The sharps are F# and C#, so if you see C’s and F’s in the notation, they are automatically make sharp per the key signature unless the music tells you otherwise.
Our First Alternate Ending Song:
We have talked about them, but now we have our first alternate ending song. The alternate endings are played almost like standard repeats with the exception you play the first ending the first time through and the second ending the second time through.
You will do this for the second half of the song too and when you play to the end of the second ending you are finished with the song.
Watch Your Slides:
There are a couple of left hand slides in this song, just to keep things interesting. They have a SL symbol above them and the 2 notes are connected by a slanted line. Remember to pay attention to you timing with a slide and only play the first note and let the second note sound by the slide – no picking.
Fill-In Notes:
This isn’t a straight arrangement of Oh Susanna. There are several measures where fill-in notes have been added to give some extra interest and flair to the arrangement of this song. You can find these in the 13th, 17th 18th and 19th measures. See if you can pick them out.
About the Tab Notes:
The Tab Notes will show you how to play the alternate endings for this song. Also we will show you the slides and the fill-in so you can compare them to a straight version of the song.
Can you play the straight version of this song? If so you are doing pretty good. All you do is cross out the extra notes and play the melody only (that is what you would sing as a vocal).
Articles You Should Read:
Playing Down-Up Pick Strokes: Using down ups is the only way to play them fast enough.
Chords in the Key of D Major:
Alternate Endings: Know what they are and how they work.
Slurs: Also known as slides. Read this article againg to master them as they are used with the guitar all the time.
Music Theory You Should Know:
Time Signature
Rest
TAB
D Scale
TAB Staff
Alternate Endings
Dotted Notes
Goals:
Goal #1:
Watch your fingering on this song. It is not standard open 1st position fingering. Just keep and eye on the fingering next to the notation and the Tab fret numbers and you will see what I mean.
Goal #2:
By the end of this lesson you should know how to play alternate endings. You will see these in music quite a bit. They are used to conserve space and to make notation simpler to read.
Goal #3:
Play the slides and play them well. Pick the first note and firmly slide the finger to sound the second note very clearly . Practice on these by themselves about 6-10 times more than anything else in this song.
Goal #4:
Play the fill-ins smoothly and with confidence. Use the down-up picking on all of the eighth notes. Get the timing right and follow along with the Guitar Pro file song slowly until you have it mastered. Only then should you work on your speed.
What You Should Practice This Week:
If you learn this ‘break’ of Oh Susanna, we are going to have another verstion in the next lesson. So be able to play this version very smoothly so you can transistion into the next version with ease.
See our How To Practice article:
If you are having trouble with your practice techniques, or can’t seem to get “in the groove”, review the article on How to Practice and this will help you develop a consistent practice method.
Help Us Out:
Lastly and most importantly, give us feedback, either good or bad. We want to improve this site and we want kids to learn how to play the guitar. If you have suggestions for us, leave a comment. If you appreciate these lessons, leave a comment on that too.
Songs in Downloadable Format:
If you have difficulty reading this score information, we have this score information available free of charge for you with an instant electronic download. Just click on the song title below and you will be taken to our secure server site. You will get a PDF file of the above score complete with the Tab Notes. Be sure to download Adobe Acrobat Reader v6.0 or above. This version will allow you to turn the Tab Layer on or off.
Also you will get the Guitar Pro file. You can download Guitar Pro and get a free trial so you can play along with this song in real time on your computer. If you upgrade to the full version of the song you will have a lot more features available to you, such as the RSE modules which give you realistic guitar files – they sound just like an Acoustic Guitar.
Guitar Pro File – Oh Susanna Lead
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PDF File – Oh Susanna Lead
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Go to Oh Susanna, Lesson 5.2 Score
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