Using Holiday Carols to Teach Fingering, Double Stops, Chords, etc.

[Randy Stein]

Boris Matueswitch arranged about a dozen or so Christmas carols. I have one of his handwritten manuscripts which have notated using Musescore to make it a little more readable.

Students find it easier to learn when playing a piece of music they are familiar with. Being able to sing a piece helps learn. For example, almost everyone knows Silent Night. In the Key of C, the chording isn't too difficult to learn. 

Attached are two versions of the carol. One simpler version is the melody line with some double stops and a simple C chord. The other is the Matueswitch arrangement. Other of his carol arrangements offer lessons in use of drones and playing in octaves.

Enjoy! And Happy Holidays. 

SILENT NIGHT 2 versions.pdf

[Ken_Coles]

And playable (just about) on 30-key C/G anglo. The only part I have to finesse is the inverted F chord (middle C-F-A), either by dropping the C or un-inverting the chord to F-A-C. Maybe Bill Geiger and I should play this together.

 

Ken

[gcoover]

And here is one way of playing it with a C/G Anglo - in the same key.

 

Happy holidays to all!

 

Gary

 

Silent-Night-XMAS.pdf

Edited December 23, 2022 by gcoover
fixed the key signature

[Owen Anderson]

Gary's Christmas song book has done more than just about anything else to help me memorize the chord shapes for Cmaj, Fmaj, Gmaj on my C/G Anglo. 🤣

[Little John]

On 12/20/2022 at 1:18 PM, Randy Stein said:

Students find it easier to learn when playing a piece of music they are familiar with. Being able to sing a piece helps learn.

 

I completely agree. Easier for anyone, come to that.

 

On 12/20/2022 at 1:18 PM, Randy Stein said:

One simpler version is the melody line with some double stops and a simple C chord. The other is the Matueswitch arrangement.

 

I think it's important to be aware that each version is very EC oriented. Parallel thirds are very easy on the English so it's natural to use this as the starting point for harmony.

 

On 12/20/2022 at 1:36 PM, Ken_Coles said:

And playable (just about) on 30-key C/G anglo.

 

But a different arrangement might suit the Anglo better. Don't make life difficult by slavishly following an arrangement that doesn't suit the instrument! For example, on the Crane duet parallel thirds are awkward but parallel tenths are easy and achieve the same musical effect. There are so many valid options for harmonisation possible whilst staying within the same harmonic framework.