TAB: Simple Gifts ('Tis the Gift to Be Simple)
Key: G Major
Time: 4/4
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.
As always, use a mono-spaced font to align TAB
** 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
(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--------*| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|