S.O.D. "Armed Forces Medley" by Jim Deeming

7/18/2016     The description for this song is written by musician/arranger Jim Deeming who does this particular version on guitar.  Pretty cool. Enjoy!!!! 

     A few years ago when my cousin shipped off for Marine Corp boot camp, I came up with a simple idea for playing the Marine Corp Hymn at his graduation party. It sat on the shelf since then. That changed recently when my oldest son announced he was following suit. As the weeks to his departure grew short, I started noodling around with the song again. I began to have the idea for a medley of all of the military branches.

     While researching the idea, I couldn't help notice that - at least up until now - there doesn't appear to be anyone else on YouTube who has attempted the whole suite on fingerstyle guitar. Choirs and marching bands? Yes. But not on the guitar.

     So I got to work, first incorporating just the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. After only two public performances it was quickly apparent that leaving out the Coast Guard was unacceptable, so I overhauled the intro to the medley and put that one right up front. I like the sound of it and it has turned into quite an improvement.

     Other than the intro and ending, this arrangement makes extensive use of the Atkins/Travis alternating thumb style as the basis for a "march" feel to the songs. I chose the key of A because it gives the broadest range of the guitar tones and most accessible melody notes over several octaves.

     These songs are frequently played at the end of military ceremonies and are well known to the members and veterans of each represented branch. When you perform these, be aware that it is protocol for members of these branches to stand at attention when they hear their song.

     I have been told that it is a matter of Army regulations that, when more than one service song is played together, they are to be played in the following order: Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and then Coast Guard. That is not how my arrangement has turned out but, until such time as I am required to play it on an Army facility I hope I will be in no more trouble than the several choir and marching band arrangements I have heard that have it wrong as well.

     This arrangement is still very new and will probably continue to morph a little bit over time but the version as presented in this lesson is complete enough to stand alone - and so far it's been a real crowd pleaser! I hope you enjoy working on it as much as I have.