Bridge Over Trouble Water

Few days ago I took a lesson to play some hormonics in playing guitar from my neighbour. He is good with guitar and serious in playing the string eventhough he not try to be artist or at least composer. By profession he is doctorate lecturer and teaches biodiversity in UKM.

The first lesson he taught me is how to tune the guitar right even with the aid of electronic chord frequency detector. I found the tools very helpful and I plan to get one......... One day la because the tools is quite expensive. Apparently the knot of the string isn't right and he said I could not do anything much and he suggested to me to change the string. He proposed some name but the cost is to expensive so I decided to get Martin String instead. It goes with my guitar, RM 30 string with RM320 Yamaha Guitar.

He used Gordin (baca Gordan since it was hand crafted from Canada) jumbo box guitar which cost him RM 1700......... after discount it merely RM1500 (baca cuma RM1500 aje). And the string cost him another RM 60. Its expensive knowing that it is just his hobby of playing the guitar. Well If people could buy golf club for RM 3000 a set and that RM 1500 guitar propobly justifies his hobby....... well, I reckon la kan.

So on Saturday I went to Yamaha Alamanda and get those string so that he could tune the guitar right and the string tension would not change easiliy because of poor string knot. Saturday night after he tuned the guitar we played some songs. We played Bryan Adams to Poison, From Search to Ramli Sarip and the most interesting part is, well it just only he, played most of P. Ramlees' song.

I don't really get why the heck he wanted to show me why playing P. Ramlee songs is so important. Why most of the P. Ramlee songs sound still good to our ears even after 45 years. I came to know that Azizah was P. Ramlee 1st song and he composed that song when he was just 18 yrs old. That is what the book says. I am pretty amazed.

Most of P. Ramlee songs was so harmonic that the chord fill every emotion of the composer or the singer. That is why most of his song has became master piece. The sound of the string is so mellowed that touch every soul. The flat chord and the seventh chord goes with emotion that P. Ramlee wanted to share with the people. Before this I could not manage to care the harmonic and now I am starting to appreciate it even more.

I told the Dr. that I am not really used to play flat and seventh chord and I found it hard to change between chord fast for most of P. Ramlee song. He said not to worry because the chord normally goes with the sound of the singer and how they can transpose the melody of the music to the emotion that can touch the soul of the people.

So he recommended to me to listen to (Paul) Simon and (Art) Garfunkel. He played the The Sound of Silence and Mrs. Robinson. He is true that S&G used a simple chord that synergized the low pitch and high pithch very sweetly that made their song a master piece. He gave me one "ASSIGNMENT" to look for Bridge Over Trouble Water.

So I did, yesterday I asked Arc to download the song and I listened the song from Youtube(Lagu dalam Youtube). I turn to chordie and get the chord of the song. He is true again as I read the comment from other listener that this is master class song write by simon and compose by garfunkel. Further more what made the song so emotionally attached to me is that its remind me to Joe Perantau @ Bangla. If ever we could help him when in needs.

So friends, here goes the lyrics:


Bridge Over Troubled Water
Paul Simon
When you're weary, feeling small,
When tears are in your eyes, I'll dry them all.
I'm on your side, oh, when times get rough,
And friends just can't be found,

Like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down,
Like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down.

When you're down and out, when you're on the street,
When evening falls so hard, I will comfort you.
I'll take your part, oh, when darkness comes,
And pain is all around,

Like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down,
Like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down.

Sail on silver girl, sail on by,
Your time has come to shine, all your dreams are on their way.
See how they shine, oh, if you need a friend,
I'm sailing right behind,
Like a bridge over troubled water, I will ease your mind,
Like a bridge over troubled water, I will ease your mind.

Amacam Bobby, lets play this song.