Alright everyone, thought I’d share a bit about my recent musical endeavor. I’ve had this old hymn, “I Believe in a Hill Called Mount Calvary,” stuck in my head for a while now, and I finally decided it was time to get it under my fingers on the guitar. So, here’s how my little journey went.
Getting the Itch to Play
It started, as these things often do, with just humming the tune. Then I caught myself thinking, “You know, that would be a nice one to play.” I’m not a fancy player, mind you, just like to strum and sing a bit for myself. This song, it’s got that simple, heartfelt feel that I really appreciate. So, the decision was made: I was going to learn the chords.
The Hunt for Chords
First stop, the internet, of course. I typed in the song title followed by “chords.” You know the drill. A whole slew of websites popped up. Some looked a bit dodgy, others overly complicated. I’m always a bit wary of those sites that just throw a million chords at you for a simple hymn. My fingers aren’t getting any younger, you know!
I clicked around for a bit, opened a few tabs. I was looking for something that looked relatively straightforward, something that felt like it matched the spirit of the song. After a bit of sifting, I found a version that seemed to fit the bill. It used mostly common chords – G, C, D, a little Em. Nothing too wild. That’s always a good sign for me.
Getting Down to Practice
Once I had a version I liked, I jotted it down on a piece of paper. Yeah, old school, I know. But I find it easier to have it right there in front of me, no screens involved. Then, it was time to actually sit down with the guitar.
I started slow, as you should. Took the first verse. Looked at the chord changes. G to C. C to G. G to D. Standard stuff, but you still gotta make the transitions smooth. I played each change over and over. Repetition is your friend here, folks.
- I’d play the G chord, then slowly switch to C. Then back to G.
- Then I’d practice the move from G to D.
- I focused on making sure each chord rang out clear, no buzzing strings.
There were a couple of spots where the timing felt a bit tricky, or a change was a little quicker than I liked. I just isolated those bits and worked on them specifically. No point rushing through the whole thing if one part keeps tripping you up.
I spent a few evenings like this, maybe 20-30 minutes at a time. Little by little, it started to come together. My fingers began to remember the patterns. That muscle memory started to kick in, which is always a good feeling.
Putting It All Together
After a while, I could play through the verse and chorus without too many stumbles. Then I started trying to sing along. Now, that’s always another level of challenge, coordinating the playing and the singing. My first few attempts were… well, let’s just say a bit rough. But I kept at it.
Slowly, even that started to smooth out. I wasn’t trying to be perfect, just trying to capture the feel of the song. And you know what? It felt pretty darn good. There’s a real satisfaction in taking a piece of music you like and being able to make it your own, even in a simple way.
So yeah, that was my process for learning “I Believe in a Hill Called Mount Calvary.” No magic tricks, just a bit of patience and some dedicated practice. It’s a lovely song, and I’m glad I took the time to learn it. Maybe this will encourage someone else to pick up their instrument and learn a tune they’ve been wanting to play. Just take it one step at a time!