Ding Dong Merrily On High: Mastering Christmas Carols on the Piano and Keyboard
October 14, 2011
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Another popular carol in our series on mastering Christmas Carols on Piano and Keyboard is “Ding Dong Merrily On High”.
Introduction
Here, Ding Dong Merrily On High is written and played in the key of F Major, and has a 4/4 time signature.
F major makes the higher notes more comfortable to sing, but you could transpose up (or indeed down) if needed.
Main Melody
Hum through the melody and you’ll notice several things:
- The first four bars are repeated note for note in bars 5-8.
- Bars 9-13 feature the same phrasing in the melody line, but gradually descending. This is useful to remember when playing at speed.
The melody notes you need to play are:
F F G F E D | C – - C | D F F E | F – F – |
F F G F E D | C – - C | D F F E | F – F – |
C Bb A Bb C A | Bb A G A Bb G |
A G F G A F | G F E F G E |
F E D E F D | E D C C |
D F F E | F – F – |
Here’s the complete melody written out:
And here’s what it sounds like:
Fingering
The first eight bars can be played by the right hand in a fixed position, starting with the fourth (ring) finger.
Start bar 9 on the little (fifth) finger and play naturally until the end of bar 11, where you’ll finish on the thumb.
If you can smoothly play the G at the start of bar 12 by scrunching your hand up then you’ll be able to play the rest of the piece without moving again.
Alternatively, use your third (middle) or fourth (ring) finger, but bear in mind you’ll need to move your hand again later on.
Single Note Bass Line
Below is a simple bass line for the carol using just one note at a time. Most of the bass notes are minims (half notes) so you play two evenly in each bar – one on beat 1 and the other on beat 3. The exception to this is in bars 2 and 6, which feature a dotted minim (half note) and a crotchet (quarter note). This means you play the first note on beat 1 and the second note on beat 4.
Here’s the printed music:
And here’s what it sounds like:
More elaborate bass line
This bass line varies a little from the previous example. It features more crotchets (quarter notes) to give more of a “walking” feel to the piece. Bars 2 and 6 still feature the dotted half note and quarter note, while bars 4 and 8 feature two half notes.
Here’s the printed music:
And here’s what it sounds like:
Adding harmony and fullness with chords
In the final version of Ding Dong Merrily on High, I’ve added two- and three-note chords to the right hand, always with the melody note as the highest note. The bass line has also been slightly altered to fit with the harmonies.
In particular, pay attention to the chord and bass note in the 3rd beat of bar 13. It’s a G major chord with a B natural in the bass. Be sure not to play the B flats as you would at any other place in the music.
Here’s the printed music.
And here’s what it sounds like:
We hope you found this guide useful. Feel free to leave comments below if you have any questions or suggestions.
Good King Wenceslas: Mastering Christmas Carols on the Piano and Keyboard
October 13, 2011
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Another popular carol in our series on mastering Christmas Carols on Piano and Keyboard is “Good King Wenceslas”.
Introduction
Good King Wenceslas is written and played in the key of G Major, and has a 4/4 time signature.
Main Melody
Hum through the melody and you’ll notice several things:
- The first two lines are repeated note for note
- The second half of the third line is identical to the second half of the first and second lines
The melody notes you need to play are:
G G G A | G G D – | E D E F | G – G – |
G G G A | G G D – | E D E F | G – G – |
D C B A | B A G – | E D E F | G – G – |
D D E F | G G A – | D C B A | G – C – | G – - -
Here’s the complete melody written out:
And here’s what it sounds like:
Fingering
The first and second lines can be played by the right hand in a fixed position, starting with the fourth (ring) finger.
Each bar on the third and fourth lines can be played as a smooth group but you will need to move the right hand or at least stretch in order to play all the notes.
Single Note Bass Line
Below is a simple bass line for the carol using just one note at a time. It’s written so that it follows the melody to some degree.
Here’s the printed music:
And here’s what it sounds like:
Adding harmony and fullness with chords
In the third version of Good King Wenceslas, I’ve added two- and three-note chords to the right hand, always with the melody note as the highest note. The bass line is, in the main, a single note per bar.
And here’s what it sounds like:
We hope you found this guide useful. Feel free to leave comments below if you have any questions or suggestions.
Hark the Herald Angels Sing: Mastering Christmas Carols on the Piano and Keyboard
December 9, 2010
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As part of our mastering Christmas carols on piano and keyboard series, here’s our guide to playing Hark the Herald Angels Sing.
View a range of Christmas Carols Music Books at Amazon.
Introduction
Hark the Herald Angels Sing is written here in G major, which is a comfortable key for most people to sing it in.
Main Melody
Here’s the complete melody written out on the treble clef stave, as you’d play it with the right hand:
Listen to the melody (MIDI file, should play directly in your browser. Alternatively, iTunes or Quicktime will play it).
Those notes are:
D G G F# | G B B A | D D D C | B A B | D G G F# |
G B B A | D A A F# | F# E D | D D D G | C B B A |
D D D G | C B B A | E E E D | C B C | A B C D G |
G A B | E E E D | C B C | A B C D | G G A G |
Single Note Bass Line
Here’s how to add single bass notes to add some harmony. Most notes are on the 1st and 3rd beats of the bar, with a few quarter notes (crotchets) as well.
Do note the extra sharps — the C# in bar 7, and the G# in bars 14 and 18.
Melody with Chords and Octave Bass
The final version features the playing of chords in the right hand, with the melody as the highest note, and the same bass notes in the left hand.
This is potentially one of the hardest carols we’ve covered so far, in terms of right hand chord changes, but it’s worth sticking with it as it includes some lovely harmonies.
I hope you find this guide useful for helping you to play Hark the Herald Angels Sing.
View a range of Christmas Carols Music Books
Series Index: Mastering Christmas Carols on the Piano and Keyboard
Mastering Christmas Carols on the Piano and Keyboard: The Holly and the Ivy
December 9, 2010
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As part of our mastering Christmas carols on piano and keyboard series, here’s our guide to playing The Holly and the Ivy.
View a range of Christmas Carols Music Books at Amazon.
Introduction
Like Silent Night, Away in a Manger and We Wish You a Merry Christmas, The Holly and the Ivy is in 3/4 (Waltz) time.
It’s written here in G major, which is a comfortable key for most people to sing it in.
Main Melody
The main melody repeats, as the chorus keeps the same tune as the verse. Bar 1 to the beginning of bar 9 is the verse, with bar 9 to bar 17 the repeat.
Here’s the complete melody written out on the treble clef stave, as you’d play it with the right hand:
Listen to the melody (MIDI file, should play directly in your browser. Alternatively, iTunes or Quicktime will play it).
Those notes are:
G | G G G E | D B G | G G G E | D D C | B A G B B |
E E D G A | B C B A | G G | G G G E | D B G | G G G E |
D D C | B A G B B | E E D G A | B C B A | G
Single Note Bass Line
Here’s how to add a single bass note to each bar to add a little harmony. In fact, it only uses three different notes — G (predominantly), C and D.
Walking Bass
This extends the above theme with a slightly more complex bass line. Instead of one bass note per bar, I’ve introduced a ‘walking’ bass line feel comprised primarily of crotchets (quarter notes).
Melody with Chords and Octave Bass
The final version features the playing of chords in the right hand, with the melody as the highest note, plus two bass notes an octave apart in the left hand, plus occasional fill-in notes.
This version will cause the right hand to hop around a little, as you move from chord to chord, although if you look at each chord progression, many keep one or more of the same notes and similar shape. For example, at the start of bar 3, the chord changes from a G major in root position to a G major in 2nd inversion (D in the bass), and then to a perfect fourth interval with that same D as the root.
In other places, it’s a case of moving some of your fingers by one note. The last two chords in bar 8 move from a G major in 2nd inversion to a D major root chord. All this requires is to move the top note down from B to A and the middle note down from G to F sharp, which is quite an easy finger move.
The only places you’ll really need to watch your jump is accurate are places like in bar 2, moving from the first inversion G major chord to the major 3rd interval on the higher C.
I hope you find this guide useful for helping you to play The Holly and the Ivy.
View a range of Christmas Carols Music Books
Series Index: Mastering Christmas Carols on the Piano and Keyboard
Christmas carol concert: ten tips for preparing pianists
October 24, 2008
So, you’ve been asked to accompany the carol singing at your local school, church, social club, in the community, or even on the streets?
Here are ten tips to ensure you’re prepared and confident for the big day.
1. Be prepared
Most people like to know well in advance exactly what’s expected of them, so find out as soon as you can what you’re being asked to do, what format the carol concert will take, what rehearsals are planned, and how the whole thing will run.
Your stress levels will be lower if you have enough time to prepare for the event.
2. Know your skill and commitment levels
Be honest about your level of proficiency. Presumably, you’ve been asked because someone thinks you’re good enough to play, but don’t be afraid to keep things simple if you’re not confident playing more complicated pieces / arrangements, or if you don’t have a lot of preparation time.
If you’re provided with sheet music, and you know it’s too complicated, ask if there are simpler arrangements available.
Conversely, if you’re provided with chord sheets and lyrics, but you work better from manuscript, ask if you can have that instead.
3. Become friends with the organiser
You need to develop a good working relationship with the organiser of the event so that you can discuss how the event will run, flag any problems, and be kept “in the loop” if there are any new developments.
Particularly for more formal services, such as in a high church where there may be readings, liturgy, etc., the service organiser should be able to offer strong leadership so you’re not worried about when and how you should be performing.
4. Playing, singing, leading?
Are you going to accompany a choir or congregation by simply playing piano/keyboard, or are you expected to sing and play at the same time?
Are you “leading” others through your singing and playing, or is someone else directing from the front, or simply leaving it to the group’s knowledge of the music to carry it through?
Don’t be afraid to say if you’re not comfortable / able to play and sing at the same time. You may be able to work with a vocalist who can lead the rest of the group, leaving you to concentrate on playing the right notes.
5. Solo or group?
Are you going to be playing on your own, or with other instrumentalists? This will affect how and when you practice, what arrangements you use, and may require some diplomacy and group-building skills.
If you’re asked to play in a group and are prepared to either lead, or participate in that, be ready to work at honing musical arrangements and performance, dealing with possible creative conflicts, helping less confident musicians, and ensuring everyone knows what they’re doing on the day.
From my experience, many guitarists find all but the simplest carols (and hymns, too) quite difficult to play and make sound good, not because they’re poor musicians, but because many were composed on and for keyboard instruments. Don’t be surprised if guitarists wish to take more of a back seat when it comes to providing volume/body to carols. Solo instruments (cellos, violins, bass guitar) are often easier to work in, and can sound very good.
6. Singing from the same song sheet
Find out from the organiser exactly which carols are to be sung, obtain all the words, and ensure the same tune is being used (some carols have more than one version, particularly British and American variations).
If you have sourced your own music and/or words, ensure that it fits with what’s printed on the programme/hymnbook. Find out if certain verses are to be missed out, or repeated.
7. Practice! Practice! Practice!
If playing/singing solo, find enough time so you’re confident to accompany/lead the singers.
If working with other musicians, schedule in at least two rehearsals, or as many as required so everyone is confident, plus your own solo practices.
Find out whether you will be able to practice in the venue before the event  this can help to familiarise yourself with how you and/or a group of musicians will sound, particularly if you’ve never played there before.
8. Practicalities
Find out whether you will need to provide your own keyboard/digital piano, or whether an acoustic/digital piano will be provided for you.
If playing and singing outside, ensure there’s protection from the elements for you and your equipment, and a safe way to provide electricity for any amplification.
Ensure you’re able to get yourself and any equipment to the venue in plenty of time to set up, particularly if you’re working with a group, and if you will be using a PA system.
If using PA, find out who is setting it up and ask if there will be time to “sound check” everything, even if briefly.
Ensure that you can hear yourself playing and singing in the venue. See if the volume levels of any audio monitors (speakers) can be set at a slightly higher volume than is necessary, when practising, particularly when a large number of choir/congregation is expected  their singing will drown out or soak up your own sound and you may find it hard to hear what you’re playing.
Ensure you have enough light to be able to read the music/words comfortably.
9. Confidence
Be confident! You’ve been asked to do this, so someone believes in you.
Now you’ve accepted, trust in your abilities. If you’re nervous, don’t over-stretch yourself  play within your comfort zone.
With the right amount of preparation and practice, there’s no reason why the carol concert won’t be a great success.
10. Learn and Grow
After the event (maybe not right away) assess how you thought it went as a musician.
Did everything work as it should have? Were you happy with how you performed? What went well? What could have been better?
Make some notes so that, if you do another event, you’ll be even better prepared.
Have fun!
What tips would you add? Share in the comments below.
Mastering Christmas Carols on the Piano and Keyboard: An Introduction
November 19, 2006
With Christmas just around the corner, you may find that as a pianist / keyboard player your talents will be called upon to accompany the singing of Christmas carols.
This thought could fill you with dread, or it could excite you though you don’t really know where to start. In this mini series, I’ll take a look at some of the more popular carols, and show you ways of learning and playing them quickly and simply no matter what your proficiency (having said that, if you are already a virtuoso on the piano, you may be better off buying the sheet music and practising the full arrangements yourself)
Carols often seem complicated, and because they’re only called for during a short period of time in the year, they’re not always polished.
Many carols are really hymns, and if you’ve tried to play fully embellished versions of hymns you’ll know they often involve many chord changes and ‘special’ chords that add colour.
Though that’s very nice, often the song can be vastly simplified and still sound good – certainly good enough for a sing-song around the piano or taking out to the local hospital with an amateur choir. Often it’s enough to be able to pitch the tune or play a basic bass and accompaniment to keep singers in tune.
So, if carols fill you with trepidation but you’d really like to have a go, even if you only get to play one or two in a way that pleases you, stay tuned! You may be surprised how simple carols can really be!
- Away in a Manger
- Away in a Manger (alternative tune)
- Deck the Halls
- Ding Dong Merrily on High
- Good King Wenceslas
- Hark the Herald Angels Sing
- In The Bleak Mid-Winter
- Joy to the World
- O Come All Ye Faithful
- O Little Town of Bethlehem
- O Little Town of Bethlehem (Second Attempt)
- Silent Night
- The Holly and the Ivy
- We Wish You A Merry Christmas
