Turning Page is a beautiful song originally recorded by Celtic woman featuring violinist Máiréad Nesbitt. While it was originally written for violin, many guitarists have created their own renditions of the song for guitar. Learning to play Turning Page on guitar can be a rewarding process for any guitarist looking to expand their repertoire.
What you’ll need
To learn how to play Turning Page on guitar, you’ll need a few things:
- An acoustic or electric guitar
- A guitar tuner or tuning app to make sure your guitar is in standard tuning
- Guitar tabs or sheet music for Turning Page
- A metronome or drummer app can be helpful for practicing with a steady tempo
- Some basic guitar skills and knowledge of chords and fingerpicking
Get the guitar tabs or sheet music
The first step is to get guitar tabs or sheet music for Turning Page. Tabs are a form of musical notation that show guitarists where to place their fingers on the fretboard, using numbers for frets and lines for strings. Sheet music shows the notes, rhythm, and chords for a song. There are a few options for finding Turning Page guitar tabs/sheet music:
- Search online – There are many websites that offer free or paid guitar tabs. Be sure to double check their accuracy.
- Buy sheet music – Purchase the official sheet music book if available.
- Figure it out – Listen to recordings and figure out the notes and chords by ear if you can’t find accurate tabs.
- Apps – Some apps like Guitar Tabs have libraries of user submitted tabs.
Tune your guitar
Before learning any new song, it’s important to make sure your guitar is tuned properly. There are a few ways to tune a guitar:
- Use an electronic tuner – Either a stand-alone tuner or a tuner app like GuitarTuna.
- Tune to piano or keyboard – Match the open string notes to the same notes played on a piano.
- Tune by ear – Match open string tones to reference tones like from another instrument or online source.
Tune your guitar every time before you practice Turning Page to ensure you’re playing the right notes.
Look over the tabs/sheet music
Once you have the guitar tabs or sheet music handy, look it over briefly to get familiar with the overall structure and chords used in the song. This will help you get oriented before you start learning each part in detail. Notice:
- The key – Turning Page is in the key of A minor, which has 3 sharps.
- Chords used – The main chords are Am, F, C, G, Em, and E.
- Patterns – Look for any fingerpicking patterns or repetitive motifs.
- Sections – Verses, choruses, bridges, solos etc.
Seeing the full picture will help learning go more smoothly.
Start slowly with chords
Since Turning Page is primarily chordal, start by learning the chord shapes and working on clean changes between them. Take it step-by-step:
- Practice each chord shape individually until the fingers can form them easily.
- Work on changing smoothly between two chords.
- Add more chord changes as you progress.
- Strum through chord progressions slowly, then increase speed.
Be patient and spend time perfecting the chord changes before trying to play up to tempo. Having solid chord foundations will make the rest of the song much easier.
Work on the fingerpicking patterns
Once the chords progressions are comfortable, the next step is to add in the fingerpicking patterns. For Turning Page, there are beautiful cascading patterns that complement the chords. Here are some tips for learning the patterns:
- Isolate just the finger pattern first without chords.
- Start slowly with a metronome and increase speed gradually.
- Pay attention to which strings your thumb and fingers pick.
- Practice alternating between plucking and strumming.
- Combine the chords and fingerpicking together.
Be patient while your fingers build up muscle memory for the patterns. Slowly increase speed and precision.
Focus on technique
As you continue practicing Turning Page, keep these technique tips in mind:
- Posture – Sit up straight with shoulders relaxed. Proper posture improves technique and prevents injury.
- Left hand – Fingers should be curved, with thumb placed at the back of the neck. Minimize pressure for easier changes.
- Right hand – Keep wrist loose and relaxed. Use arm weight, not just fingers, for fuller tone.
- Skills – Work on hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, and vibrato to add expression.
Focusing on solid technique will allow you to play Turning Page to its full potential.
Get comfortable with the full song
After going through the individual sections – chord changes, fingerpicking patterns, solos etc. – start combining them to play through the entire Turning Page song. A few tips for putting it all together:
- Use a metronome and start slowly.
- Identify any tricky chord changes and spend extra time practicing just those transitions.
- Play through from beginning to end, don’t just repeat sections.
- Gradually work up to the original tempo.
- Record yourself playing and listen back to catch errors.
With regular practice, the whole song will start feeling natural to play from memory.
Add stylistic flourishes
Once Turning Page is comfortable to play, it’s time to make it your own by adding your personal stylistic touches. A few ideas:
- Use expressive techniques like slides, vibratos, bends etc.
- Accent certain melody notes with heavier picking or a slight rhythmic pause.
- Shift chord voicings up or down the neck for variations.
- Alter the fingerpicking pattern in places to create interest.
- Embellish/improvise over sections with scales that fit the key.
Add your unique touches carefully to complement the essence of the song while showcasing your personal playing style.
Perform Turning Page
Once you’ve learned and polished Turning Page on guitar, it’s time to perform it and share it with others! Here are some ideas for putting your hard work on display:
- Play it at an open mic night – Solo or with a singer.
- Record yourself playing and share on social media.
- Make an instructional YouTube video to teach others.
- Offer to play it at a friend’s wedding, party, etc.
- Join a band and suggest it as part of the setlist.
Whatever performance outlet you choose, be sure to play it with confidence and musicality. Remember to connect with the emotion and meaning behind the lyrics while you play. Enjoy sharing the beautiful Turning Page with listeners!
Conclusion
Learning to play Turning Page on guitar takes time, dedication, and practice – but the payoff is huge for your playing skills and repertoire. Follow the steps in this guide – get the tab or sheet music, hone your chord changes, perfect the fingerpicking patterns, focus on technique, learn the full song, add personal flair, and perform it live or recorded. Immerse yourself in Turning Page and make it shine with your personal guitar artistry. This beautiful song will be a highlight of your sets and a source of pride. Have fun on your guitar journey with Turning Page!