In this free guitar lesson I demonstrate various ways of playing a fingerstyle chord melody guitar arrangement of the popular Christmas carol “Away in a Manger.” You have the option of fingerpicking or using a regular flat pick. I perform here on an acoustic guitar, but you can just as easily play the same thing on an electric guitar.
Guitar Tab
You can follow along with this lesson using my free Away in a Manger Guitar Tab.
Guitar Theory
The music centers on an open C major chord and uses notes and chords from the C major scale. I like to play it with a capo at the 5th fret in the key of F, but you can place a capo anywhere and play it in the key of your choice. To make it easier for you to follow along with the tab, I teach the song without the capo so that the notes and numbers match up exactly.
Guitar Gear
I use a PRS SE Angelus acoustic/electric guitar. I plug into an Alesis MultiMix 8 and add reverb and delay from the mixer’s onboard effects.
Christmas Guitar Songs
To see more holiday guitar lessons click Christmas Guitar Songs.
Feedback
Was this free guitar lesson helpful? If yes, then please click “Like” on the video and leave me some positive feedback. Thanks!
Is Jesus a myth? Is Jesus just a copy of the pagan gods of other ancient religions?
Thank you for this lesson. Quite simple the way you teach it. Sometimes I feel like I am going backwards with my playing. Is this normal? Thanks again.
That’s a nice new acoustic. What model is that? Just curious as I have my eye on one next year.
I enjoyed the lesson. Thanks. I have your book on theory and it’s a great book. Thanks for helping explain the theory.
PRS SE Angelus acoustic/electric guitar.
The more you know the more you realize how much you don’t know. Perhaps the better you get the more critical you become of your playing? What were you playing a year ago or more?
Thank you; this is, of course, a very timely demonstration. It’s a sweet melody but (it may interest you to know) not the tune used for this carol in most of the UK. On balance, I prefer your tune; maybe ours is becoming over-familiar.
The lesson shows very well how good music can be made from simple and familiar components.
Send me a link to a UK version. I’d like to hear it.
Can you give us the delAy and reverb settings you are using? The guitar sounds great!
I’m sorry but I don’t know the specifics. It was a preset on the Alesis MultiMix8. I think number 95.
Seasons Greetings from Northern Ireland UK. Great lesson on a stunning guitar, Thanks.