Chords for Life's Railway To Heaven: Mandolin Lesson

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [F] _ _ _ _ _ [C] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [G] _ _ [D] _ _
_ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _ [C] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[F] _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ [C] _
_ _ _ _ [F] _ _ _ _
[C] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _ [C] _
_ _ _ _ [F] _ _ _ [C] _
_ _ [G] _ _ [C] _ _ _ _
G'day, it's Heath here from PickingLessons.com.
In this mandolin lesson, we're going to take a look at an old gospel song, Life's
Railway to Heaven.
Now, the break that we're about to learn is in a closed position, there are no open
[A] strings so that means that we can transpose [G] it into different keys.
And later [E] on in this lesson, we're going to take a look at how we can do that.
The arrangement is quite long so we're also going to break it down into three parts.
So first of all, let's have a look at the first half of the verse, the first 16 bars.
First 16 bars of the verse.
_ _ _ _ 1, 2, _ [D] 3, _ 4. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Gm] _ _ [Cm] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [A] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [G] _
_ [Cm] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [Gm] _ _ _ [D] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _ [Bm] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Gm] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [D] _ _ [Gm] _ _ _ _
_ _ Alright, so there was the first half of the verse.
If you head on over to PickingLessons.com, you're going to find the tab for the arrangement,
you're going to find parts 2 and 3 of this video lesson [F] where we cover the verse, second
half of the verse and the chorus.
Now, we've also got some extras.
We're going to take a look at some [C] double stops that we find in the arrangement.
We're also going to take [Gb] a look at the major blues scale because that's really prevalent
in [Ab] the melody.
So, there's a couple of extras and there's a tech worksheet that covers that as well
on the website.
Now, an extra there too is some play along tracks and backing tracks at three different tempos.
As you're learning the arrangement, you can practice along as you're getting to know it.
Alright, PickingLessons.com.
So, right now, what we're going to do is take a look at four of the double stop shapes
that we find our melody being played out of.
Again, this break is in the key of C.
It is movable, but we're going to take a look at
the double stops that apply for this key.
So, being in the key of C, we're going to find a C chord.
So, the very first one [Em] we'll look at at the beginning of the break is this C position
of the double stop where we have a [D] G and an E note.
_ _ Using finger 1 and finger 3, _ _ our melody there at _ _ [C] the very beginning of the arrangement uses
that double stop.
There's our first C shape.
The second C shape that comes in, we've got first and second fingers there on the third
and the fifth frets.
_ _ _ _ _ Now, they're both C double stops, but they both contain different notes.
The first C double stop has a G and an E.
The second double stop has a C and a G. _
So, they do [F] sound slightly different, but they're both from withinside the C major chord.
Now, there's a G double stop that we [G] find here as well, _ _ _ and that's a similar shape to
that second C double stop.
So, we have our first finger, our second finger, this time on strings 1 and 2.
So, there's a G double stop.
Now, there is an F double stop as [Am] well, _ and this F double stop, again, we're using our
first and our third finger.
_ _ [D] _ [G] First finger, third fret.
Third finger, seventh fret.
Strings 2 and string 3. _
_ _ _ And towards the end of the first half of the verse, you're looking at a D double stop.
So, we've got the II chord in there, the II major chord, and that's a D in this case.
And this D double stop we're going to find here with our first finger on the F sharp
and our third finger on the D. _ _ _ _ _
[A] So, get familiar with those double stop shapes.
So, we had two versions of [C] the C, _ _ _ we had [G] the G, _ we have an F, _ [D] and we have the D. _
_ So, our melody falls inside those double stops throughout the arrangement.
[A] So, being familiar with them and being able to play them comfortably is going to be a
[Ab] bonus when you're trying to learn this tune.
And use double stops in your playing.
_ [C] Alright, so those double stop shapes.
There is the worksheet at the website if you want to check that out.
So, the double stops, really important.
So, if you head on over to the website, the next lesson's actually got the major blues
scale as part of it.
_ [Cm] _ _ _ _ _
Once you learn the [Bb] scale, you're going to see how that fits inside [A] all the melody notes.
So, that's a really good one as well, the [Ab] C major blues scale.
Now, the double stops will fit inside that scale as well, so you'll start to see the
whole package and how the melody of the song fits inside both the double stops and that blues scale.
Alright, so spend some time on that first half of the verse with those double stop shapes.
Head on over to www.picknlessons.pi.com and you'll find the rest of this lesson. I'll see you there. _ _ _ _