SAT. JAN. 23, 2016 OWEN TEMPLE WITH CHARLIE HARRISON OPENING

Accompanying vocalists or playing solo guitar at big events like weddings is a great way to share your talents (and even earn some extra cash!). Get a head start on your side business by mastering these five easy guitar songs, as compiled by Greeley, CO teacher ..   At some point in your guitar playing life, it’s likely that you’ll get the chance of playing at a family member or friend’s wedding. When that happens, do you accept the challenge or run away thinking that you can’t do it? Well, I bet that you can do it! This article lists several songs and some suggestions that will guarantee a memorable performance. If you’re a beginner who is starting to learn these songs, I would suggest playing the melody by itself first. Then, play the chords without the melody. For the performance, you can have a singer or an instrumentalist play the melody as you accompany them. Or once you get the melody and chords down, you can eventually combine the two, to play fuller sounding chord/melodyarrangements with just solo guitar. Now, here are the five easy guitar songs to play at weddings: 1. Here Comes the Bride If you’re playing at a wedding, there are good chances that you’ll be asked to play “Here Comes the Bride.” The video below shows how to play a beautiful and easy chord/melody version of it. Also, towards the end of the clip, it goes over how to play “The Wedding March.” This is another traditional wedding song that is great to know. 2. Here Comes the Sun You can always count on The Beatles to please an audience, especially the song “Here Comes the Sun.” Here’s a great demonstration of how to play this classic as a chord/melody arrangement. The video below does a great job of breaking down the song in a very easy-to-understand way. 3. Ave Maria This is an instantly recognizable classic that has been made famous by many artists and was originally written by Franz Schubert. The video below first shows how to play the melody and then shows how to play the chords. Onceyou have learned the two parts separately, try playing both at the same time to make your own chord/melody arrangement. This is challenging and takes time, but it’s well worth the effort! 4. Make You Feel My Love This is a favorite wedding song from the last decade or so. Adele, Billy Joel, and Garth Brooks are some of the many artists to have made commercially successful recordings of this, but it was actually written by Bob Dylan in 1997. The clip below shows how to play an easy finger-style version of the chords. After you get the chords down, learn the melody by ear or by using tabs. Then, try playing the chords and melody at the same time to make your own chord/melody arrangement. 5. My Cherie Amour This has been a wedding favorite since it was recorded by Stevie Wonder in 1969. It’s a soul classic that is sure to receive a warm reception. The video below shows how to play only the chords. Once you learn the chords, learn the melody separately. Then, try combining the chords andmelody to play your own chord/melody arrangement. I hope that this list has given you some confidence to say “yes” to playing at weddings. These five easy guitar songs can be played easily and are sure to win over an audience! Andy W. teaches guitar, singing, piano, and more in Greeley, CO. He specializes in jazz, and has played guitar for 12 years.       Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Photo by