Over the past week, I have posted two instructional videos for the song, "Enna En Aanandham". The first one is similar to previous videos discussing the chords arrangement for the song.
For convenience, I am also including chord diagrams of the relatively uncommon chords used in the videos here.
The second video is more about the variations that can be introduced using electric guitars/keyboards for such songs. Songs like Enna en aanandham do not have a separate chorus (just the stanzas). While playing such songs as a team involving multiple instrumentalists during worship sessions (say a team involving an acoustic guitarist, an electric guitarist and a keyboard player), it may be good to introduce variations in sounds/rhythm patterns for the various stanzas of the song. In the video illustration, I have attempted to start the song with a reasonably mild sound patch and build the momentum as we proceed through the stanzas of the song. I start the first stanza with a simple piano patch with a mild strings background (using a guitar synthesizer) and progressively increase the momentum of the sound and rhythm pattern utilizing increasing intensity of distortion and strumming.
If there are no piano/keyboard players, one can substitute the initial piano part using an acoustic guitar with the electric/bass guitarists joining later and raising the momentum in the following stanzas. Alternatively, this video also illustrates some possible tonal (utilizing available gadgets/amplifiers) and strumming variations that can be used in any simple song even if you are the only instrumentalist in a small praise/worship session. The simplest tonal variation can be achieved by simply changing the position of the pick-up switches or the tone knobs in an electric guitar. Typically, increasing the gain/drive on any common guitar amplifiers will facilitate crunchy distorted tones. Additional effects such as delay, chorus, phaser and reverbs can be added based on available options on guitar amplifiers or through effects/multi-effects foot pedals. Nowadays even complex layering of various tones can be achieved utilizing more recently available compact amp modelling systems and guitar synthesizers.
Instrumental gadgets used:
For this song, I am using a regular Fender Stratocaster guitar fitted with a GK-3 hex pick-up connected to Roland GR-30 guitar synthesizer (which provides the piano tone). The GR-30 synthesizer is in-turn connected through MIDI out to a Roland SH-201 synthesizer (which provides the mild strings tone). The guitar out from the GR-30 is connected to Fender Mustang IV guitar amplifier which provides the amp modelling options and guitar effects such as delay, reverb, chorus and distortion. With this set-up, simultaneous layering of up to four instruments can be achieved while playing a single guitar. Such a set-up though complex can be useful to generate rich variety of tones when we don't have many instrumentalists.
