The Spirituals-Their Story, Their Song is both a collection of guitar solos and a songbook devoted to African-American spirituals. The music is placed in historical context to help the reader appreciate, respect, and better interpret this wonderful musical legacy. Sheet music is given in standard notation and tablature for 52 spirituals, miscellaneous songs of the Civil War, and related works of John Newton ("Amazing Grace") and Czech composer Anton Dvorák (New World Symphony). The book provides an analysis of the multiple meanings and messages of the spirituals, and traces the musical forms that grew out of the spirituals: blues, jazz, gospel, country, calypso, rhythm and blues, soul, and rock. A companion CD contains recordings of all of the guitar solos in the book performed by the author.

Long before the blues, gospel and jazz, there were spirituals. They are genuine folk music, the composers of which are unknown. Because the songs came from the oral tradition of North American slaves, the lyrics varied from region to region when song leaders found it necessary to ad-lib lines they had forgotten. Spirituals are songs of faith, freedom, hope and the human spirit. As the slaves embraced the white man's religion with its promise of an afterlife, they found hope for a better life than one of servitude on earth.

We all know the story of Noah and the ark. It rained 40 days and 40 nights! Didn't It Rain is an upbeat spiritual that conveys the biblical message of an all-powerful God who expects us to behave ourselves. The slaves, of course, did not see holding people in servitude as good human behavior. The slave poets also knew that the Bible says that God will not destroy the earth with a flood again, but the next time He will completely destroy it with fire. They believed they would be spared and, in fact, sit at a heavenly welcoming table as true believers-as reflected in the spiritual, "God's Gonna Set This World on Fire", also included in this book.

I arranged Didn't It Rain in dropped D, since it provides ample open-string bass opportunities. The alternating bass line is somewhat in the style of Merle Travis. The first four measures are fairly straight forward, although played at the fifth position. Beginning with the fifth measure, the third position notes require a bar in which the low bass note is played with the 3rd finger on the fifth fret, 6th string. This may all sound complicated at first, but in time it will seem pretty natural.

I tell my students to begin a new tune by playing the melody alone while singing the lyrics-or simply by humming the tune. Next, play the bass notes without the melody while singing or humming along. This approach allows the guitarist to get the feel of the music while becoming familiar with the thumb patterns in the bass. Once you have command of the bass line, combine it with the melody.

I hope you enjoy playing "Didn't it Rain".

Dave Marshall

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