Ten Years Online

Guitar and Mountains

Today (July 30, 2021) marks the ten year anniversary of kenpulsmusic.com. In 2011 I launched a website with a small collection of sheet music featuring hymns and songs that I had written. Today the site features over 2000 resources including:

Take time to visit the site, explore, and share.

Brushing Up Your Guitar Playing

Guitar Tracks

If you enjoy classical guitar music and want to brush up on your playing this summer, check out this page:

Student Resources and Music for Classical Guitar

These are some of the exercises and pieces I give to my guitar students at FSW. The pieces are arranged from easiermore challenging, to even more challenging.

New this summer: STUTTGART: A Study in Counterpoint

This study uses the hymn tune STUTTGART and includes playing music in two-parts (bass and melody together), playing tremelo (with melody on top), and playing two-parts with added harmony.

You can download this study or all of the resources for free.

Explore the site for more Music for Classical Guitar.

Thanksgiving Music for Classical Guitar

Guitar and autumn trees

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night,
On an instrument of ten strings,
On the lute,
And on the harp,
With harmonious sound.”
(Psalm 92:1–3)

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord.” And it is good to share and celebrate thanksgiving with music. If you play classical guitar, here are a few hymns for you to enjoy:

For the Beauty of the Earth
We Gather Together
Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Now Thank We All Our God
Come, Ye Thankful People, Come

You can download free sheet music for these hymns (and more) here:

Thanksgiving Music for Classical Guitar

You are welcome to copy and share these hymns with friends and fellow guitarists. You can use them for accompanying congregational singing, playing prelude or offertory music, or simply playing for your own enjoyment.  Please copy the full page with the website address and the “Used by Permission” notice at the bottom (see Permissions).

For additional music for Classical Guitar, visit:

Christmas Music for Classical Guitar

Hymns for Classical Guitar

Music of Bach for Classical Guitar

Wedding Music for Classical Guitar

Student Pieces and Music for Classical Guitar 

Music for Flute and Classical Guitar

Music for Flute and Classical Guitar

Flute and Classical Guitar

One of my favorite combinations of musical instruments is flute and classical guitar. I especially enjoy music for flute and guitar since my daughter plays the flute. She and I often play music together. Many of the duets we play are pieces I have arranged or transcribed. 

I have added to my website a few of these transcriptions and arrangements. They include music from the Baroque (Telemann and Vivaldi), folk music, and a setting for Christmas of “Cantique de Noel” (O Holy Night).

You can download any or all of the sheet music for free:

Music for Flute and Classical Guitar

Also check out:

Student Resources and Music for Classical Guitar

Hymns for Classical Guitar

Christmas Music for Classical Guitar

Wedding Music for Classical

Music of Bach for Classical Guitar 

Anna’s Song—New Recording

A new recording of the song I wrote for my daughter Anna is now available on Bandcamp. I surprised her with the song and sang it at her wedding this past August (2019). My thanks to the students in the audio tech class at Florida Southwestern State College for recording and mixing the song for me during the 2019 Fall semester.

Listen and down the song here:

Anna’s Song

From little girl to radiant bride
From dolls and toys to dresses sewn
God’s hand has guided every step
With joy I’ve watched you as you’ve grown

In early days when you were small
To fountains, shops and malls we went
Your hand I held to keep you close
And treasured all the time we spent

For years you dreamed about this day
In patience waited, made your plans
You prayed and rested in God’s hands
You sought your prince, now here he stands

The day has come to say your vows
Now two are one for all of life
Your hand in marriage now I give 
To make a home as man and wife

Now in your home may Christ be known
In you His gospel on display
Your lives committed to His hands
His love your anchor day by day

For years you dreamed about this day
In patience waited, made your plans
You prayed and rested in God’s hands
You sought your prince, now here he stands

Words and Music ©2019 Kenneth Puls

Download Sheet Music and a Chord Chart for this song

Wedding music for Classical Guitar

More music for Classical Guitar

More Christmas Music for Classical Guitar

“…for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people, for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10–11).

Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. I especially enjoy sharing and celebrating through music the good news of Christ’s coming. If you are a guitarist looking for music to play during this season of Advent and Christmas, here are a few hymns and songs I recently added:

  • Once in Royal David’s City
  • Savior of the Nations Come
  • Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
  • We Three Kings of Orient Are
  • We Wish You a Merry Christmas

You can download these (and more) free here: 
Christmas Music for Classical Guitar

You are welcome to copy and share these hymns with friends and fellow guitarists. You can use them for accompanying congregational singing, playing prelude or offertory music, or simply playing for your own enjoyment.  Please copy the full page with the website address and the “Used by Permission” notice at the bottom (see Permissions).

For additional music, visit:

Hymns for Classical Guitar

Music of Bach for Classical Guitar

Wedding Music for Classical Guitar

Student Pieces and Music for Classical Guitar 

Anna’s Song

This is the song I wrote for my daughter and sang at her wedding.

Blue Rose and Guitar

Composed for the wedding of Anna Puls and Joey Johnson
August 10, 2019

Anna’s Song

From little girl to radiant bride
From dolls and toys to dresses sewn
God’s hand has guided every step
With joy I’ve watched you as you’ve grown

In early days when you were small
To fountains, shops and malls we went
Your hand I held to keep you close
And treasured all the time we spent

For years you dreamed about this day
In patience waited, made your plans
You prayed and rested in God’s hands
You sought your prince, now here he stands

The day has come to say your vows
Now two are one for all of life
Your hand in marriage now I give
To make a home as man and wife

Now in your home may Christ be known
In you His gospel on display
Your lives committed to His hands
His love your anchor day by day

For years you dreamed about this day
In patience waited, made your plans
You prayed and rested in God’s hands
You sought your prince, now here he stands

Words and Music ©2019 Kenneth A Puls

Listen to the recording of the song from the wedding on youtube

 

Download Sheet Music and a Chord Chart for this song

Wedding music for classical guitar

More music for classical guitar

 

The Love of God

Ocean Wave

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell.
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win.
His erring child He reconciled,
and pardoned from his sin.

Oh love of God, how rich and pure;
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure,
The saints’ and angels’ song.

When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall;
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call;
God’s love, so sure, will still endure,
All measureless and strong,
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race,
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Oh love of God, how rich and pure;
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure,
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And everyone a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

Oh love of God, how rich and pure;
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure,
The saints’ and angels’ song.

“The Love of God”
Words by Frederick M. Lehman, 1917
and Meir ben Isaac Nehoral, c. 1050
Tune: LOVE OF GOD (8.8.8.8.8.6.8.6. with refrain)
Music by Frederick M. Lehman, 1917
Words and Music ©Public Domain

Download an arrangement (PDF) of the hymn tune LOVE OF GOD for classical guitar.

Download sheet music for this hymn including a hymn score with guitar chords from Grace Music. “The Love of God” (#247 is included in the hymnal Sing the Wonders (2018) published by Grace Music.

More Hymns from History

More hymns arranged for Classical Guitar

Guitar Music for the 4th of July

Fireworks

If you are a guitarist and are looking for music to celebrate Independence Day this July 4th, here is a patriotic song that became popular during the American Revolutionary War.

The words and music were both composed by America’s first prolific composer, William Billings (1746–1800). Billings lived in Boston and made his living as a tanner. He was part of an effort in Protestant churches in America to help congregations learn to sing well. He composed over 100 songs and taught in a “singing school” in his church.

The first verse and tune of the hymn “Chester” were published by Billings in The New England Psalm Singer (1770). The remaining verses were added during the war and published in The Singing Master’s Assistant (1778).

CHESTER

Let tyrants shake their iron rod,
And Slav’ry clank her galling chains,
We fear them not, we trust in God,
New England’s God forever reigns.

Howe and Burgoyne and Clinton too,
With Prescot and Cornwallis join’d,
Together plot our Overthrow,
In one Infernal league combin’d.

When God inspir’d us for the fight,
Their ranks were broke, their lines were forc’d,
Their ships were Shatter’d in our sight,
Or swiftly driven from our Coast.

The Foe comes on with haughty Stride;
Our troops advance with martial noise,
Their Vet’rans flee before our Youth,
And Gen’rals yield to beardless Boys.

What grateful Off’ring shall we bring?
What shall we render to the Lord?
Loud Halleluiahs let us Sing,
And praise His name on ev’ry Chord.

Download a transcription of the tune CHESTER for classical guitar (PDF sheet music).

Download a transcription of the national anthem (The Star Spangled Banner) for classical guitar (PDF sheet music).

More music for classical guitar

Remembering J. S. Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach

“The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.”

— J. S. Bach (March 21, 1685 to July 28, 1750)

Johann Sebastian Bach represents the culmination and apex of music in the Baroque era (1600–1750). He composed in almost every form of music known to his day with the exception of opera. He was known for his abilities as a teacher and for his expertise in organ construction and repair. He was much less known for his ability as a composer. He was a family man, a devout believer in Christ, a renowned organist and keyboard player, and a dedicated church musician, who despite the ridicule of some employers and little recognition for his achievements during his lifetime, continued to serve and produce music for the enjoyment of mankind and the glory of God.

Click here to download free sheet music (PDF) of music by Bach arranged for classical guitar

Click here for more music for classical guitar, including hymns, Christmas music, Wedding music, and student pieces.