As I’m sure is currently the case with many of you, my students are working on Christmas pieces along with their usual assignments. As usual, a few of them have encountered rhythmic “simplifications” in their arrangements (Away in a Manger and Go Tell it on the Mountain come to mind). After pointing it out the difference between what they played and what is on the page, together we made the executive decision to play the rhythm as it is normally heard. We also took a moment to discover what is the actual rhythmic notation of the tune and then marked it in the score above the staff. For a more complete discussion of this issue, check out this Forum Q&A post regarding rhythmic simplification in arrangements.
A few of my students in particular are really thriving on these Christmas pieces! Once again, I am reminded of the value of learning familiar tunes. I find that it gives students an extra boost in learning their pieces, since they can depend more on their ear for pitches/rhythms rather than their eyes. This means they will learn the pieces quickly and more accurately. I also find that playing familiar tunes is a huge motivator for students. They love to be able to play tunes they know!
Hurrah for Christmas music! 🙂
For a listing of free Christmas music arrangements on the internet, check out this post.
Photo Credit: woodleywonderworks | CC 2.0
Christmas is on the way, whether you are ready or not! My students are already starting to ask about Christmas music.
In a post last week, I mentioned Jim Brickman — composer of new age solo piano music (as well as some pop music with vocals). His music is great to play when you are stressed out and just want to play something relaxing that doesn’t require as much concentration as classical music. =D I thought I’d share some of my favorites among his compositions.
. This book is a great value for the money. Some of his books of sheet music include pop songs that have vocal lines (such as the popular Christmas song, “The Gift” ). If you want to avoid those and stick to mostly solo piano music, this book is a great option. A couple great pieces included in this book are, “Angel Eyes” and “Rocket to the Moon.”
. These selections have been arranged by Dan Coates, and are a little touch easier to play — not to mention they are easier on the hands! Jim Brickman must have large hands, because he likes to include lots of tenths in his LH accompaniment figures. =) So if you have small hands, this book is preferable over his original arrangements. This includes my all-time favorite Jim Brickman tune, “Serenade.”
