Can't Help Falling in Love was popularized by Elvis Presley in the mid-twentieth century and recorded on his album Blue Hawaii (1961). The lyrics Elvis sang were set to a song entitled Plaisir d'amour (Pleasures of love), a French song composed by Jean-Paul-Égide Martini (1741–1816) over 200 years ago.
Red Hawaii | Plaisir d'amour was featured as Can't Help Falling in Love in Elvis Presley's blocker buster movie, Blue Hawaii (1961).
Plaisir d'amour, AKA, Can't Help Falling in Love, is among the most challenging ensemble selections in this chapter.
Plaisir d'amour Musings
The longevity of Plaisir d'amour is nothing short of amazing. Martini composed this song in 1784 to some acclaim, but instead of fading into the mists, it lived on for centuries, reworked time and again by musicians great and small. Romantic composer Hector Berlioz recast it for symphony orchestra (H134) in 1859. It even turned up as a Christian hymn, My God Loves Me, and graced movie soundtracks from Blue Hawaii (1961) to Batman (1966).
Here's a translation of Plaisir d'amour's lyrics:
Plaisir d'amour
The pleasure of love lasts only a moment,
The grief of love lasts a lifetime.
I gave up everything for ungrateful Sylvia,
She is leaving me for another lover.
The pleasure of love lasts only a moment,
The grief of love lasts a lifetime.
"As long as this water will run gently
Towards this brook which borders the meadow,
I will love you," Sylvia told me repeatedly.
The water still runs, but she has changed.
The pleasure of love lasts only a moment,
The grief of love lasts a lifetime.
Sylvia was a real heart breaker! Of course, love lost is a universal human woe we can all related to.
Plaisir d'amour is arranged for three guitars: guitar 1 (melody), guitar 2 (chords) and guitar 3 (bass). The individual parts in notes and TAB may be downloaded at the bottom of this page.
Study Tips
Quarter Note Triplet
Plaisir d'amour features a new rhythm, the quarter note triplet, indicated with a bracket across three quarter notes:
Three Against Two | The quarter note triplet requires playing three quarter notes evenly across two beats. In other words, three notes against two toe taps.
Playing three quarter notes across two beats may seem tricky, but most students play it correctly because they've heard the song. Indeed, the best way to learn this rhythm is to imitate the sound of the audio recording.
New Notes
Fifth Position
The guitar 1 part of Plaisir d'amour requires use of notes in the fifth position of the guitar. What is the fifth position? Place your first finger on the fifth fret of the first string. You are now in the fifth position!
Here are your new notes in the fifth position:
Fifth Position | Notes on the first string
As before, reinforce your new knowledge by playing the new notes and speaking their names aloud.
You may elect to play E, F and G on the second string's fifth position to avoid constant shifting up and down the guitar's neck:
Fifth Position | Notes on the second string
These are duplicates of the E, F and G you've been playing on the first string since the beginning of the semester. Now you have a choice of where to play them.
If you're reading tablature, you don't have to worry about most of the above. Well, you'll need to get used to seeing 5, 7 and 8 TAB numbers!
Shifting Position
A position shift is a movement of the hand and forearm to a different fret. Keep the shifting finger—usually the first finger (1)—in light contact with the string as you shift. For example, in the shift from F (first fret) to A (fifth fret), you quickly and lightly slide your finger along the string, stopping on the A (fifth fret).
Your guitar may have 5th and 7th fret markers on the fingerboard and/or side of the neck to guide shifts. It is helpful to look at the target, the fret you're shifting to, rather than looking at your hand as it moves.
Position Markers | Fret markers on a RC Baritone 6 neck. Most guitars also have markers on the side of the neck.
Guitars 2 and 3
Guitar 3 doesn't have any new notes or rhythms but enjoys a straightforward bass line in the first position. Finally, guitar 2 is on chord duty. I use simple thumb strums on the audio track but you're welcome to do as you please so long as you keep a beat and don't cover up the melody.
Listen to the Track
Begin your studies by listening to the audio track:
Plaisir d'amour Musings
Study Tips
New Notes
Shifting Position
Listen to the Track
