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Conference napalm::guitar

Title:GUITARnotes - Where Every Note has Emotion
Notice:Discussion of the finer stringed instruments
Moderator:KDX200::COOPER
Created:Thu Aug 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:3280
Total number of notes:61432

2054.0. "Know any Christmas/Holiday music???" by DPE::STARR (SRV......I can't believe you're gone....) Mon Dec 10 1990 21:52

Well, its that time of the year when we all start thinking about what kind
of toys we're gonna get for Christmas. And whether they will satisfy our 
appetite for GTS. (Naw!)

But to go off on a tangent here.....

Anyone know any Christmas/Holiday songs that they can post here, with the
basic chord changes??? My sister-in-law asked if I could play a few songs
at the family get-together on the acoustic, and I don't really know any!

I'm gonna head off and take a listen, but I thought some of you might be
able to give myself (and others here) a head start if you know any!

alan
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2054.1Some From My Band's RepertoireAQUA::ROSTStevie Ray FretnoiseTue Dec 11 1990 09:0019
    
    "Run Run Rudolph" by Chuck Berry....basically the same as "Johnny B.
    Goode" or "Carol".  Play it in A.
    
    "Frosty The Snowman"  pick a key
    Verse: I-IV-I-IV-VI-II-V twice
    Bridge: IV-I-II-V-I-V-VI-II-V
    
    "Merry Christmas Baby" check out Elvis' version of this...*smokin'*
    blues (try it in G)
    Intro: VIm-IIm-V
    then a straight 12 bar
    
    Some other blues variants that are pretty funny:
    
    "Santa Claus" by Sonny Boy Williamson
    "Santa's Secret (Santa's Smoking Reefer)"
    
    						Brian
2054.2DPE::STARRSRV......I can't believe you're gone....Tue Dec 11 1990 09:3516
>    "Run Run Rudolph" by Chuck Berry....basically the same as "Johnny B.
>    Goode" or "Carol".  Play it in A.

OK, I *knew* that one! (and how many versions do you own? I have at least four 
- Chuck Berry,, Keith Richards, Dave Edmunds, and Bryan Adams....)

>    "Frosty The Snowman"  pick a key

Yeah, that's what I'm looking for! thanx!

>    "Merry Christmas Baby" check out Elvis' version of this...*smokin'*

But make sure you get the LONG version (8 minutes!) - its a riot!!!!
"Now I'm puttin' it through Al's mike..."  8^)

alan
2054.3PNO::HEISERI Still Believe!Tue Dec 11 1990 11:359
    I was also asked to do this for the family this year.  I checked out a
    book from the library that has about 200 Christmas carols in it.  If
    you're looking for something specific, I can bring it in and post the
    chord progressions.
    
    I wonder how they'd like me doing them on my Ibanez with the M1 set in
    Marshall emulation mode? ;-)
    
    Mike
2054.4PELKEY::PELKEYLife, a state of cluster transitionWed Dec 12 1990 11:3523
I've got about six or seven that I do instrumental, melody over chords, 
on acoustic...  They sound really nice. 

All I do is grab any music book with a few christmas carols
that are to my  liking, get the chord changes, then within the
chord changes, find the melody, and by finger pikcing, I'll pick out
the dominant melody, while at the same time, chording..

I've done tunes like We Three Kings, The First Noel, Little Town of Bethlehem,
Silent night, What Child is This (Greensleeves)....

It's pretty easy to do, it's all done with finger picking.

So far my fave is little town of bethlehem, I think that one sounds the
nicest.

Again, all you need is about 15 minutes per tune, and a Christmas song book
so you can get the right chord changes.  then a few more minutes to get 
comfortable with all the changes...

This Christmas, I'm trying to get one of my borther inlaws to work
with me, and maybe do a few for everyone on Christmas eve..

2054.5Deck the HallsRAVEN1::BLAIRLead guitar for Wayne's WorldFri Dec 14 1990 14:0812
    
    F							C7  F  C7 F
    Deck the halls with boughs of holly, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
    
    F					         C7 F  C7 F
    'Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
    
    C7		   F		          Dm        C  G7 C
    Don we now our gay apparel, Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
    
    F   	   	 	      Bb          F   Gm
    Troll the ancient Yuletide carol, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
2054.6Here's how I'd play that (ending in Gm?)MAIL::EATONDFri Dec 14 1990 15:0515
    
    F		   C7	F		 C7	     F	C7  F  C7 F
    Deck the halls with boughs of holly, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
    
    F		C7  F		 C7	     F   C7 F  C7 F
    'Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
    
    C7		   F		          Dm        C  G7 C
    Don we now our gay apparel, Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
    
    F   	C7    F	 	      Bb          F   C7 F  C7 F
    Troll the ancient Yuletide carol, Fa la la la la, la la la la.

    
2054.7RAVEN1::BLAIRLead guitar for Wayne's WorldFri Dec 14 1990 15:544
    
    Man, I had to delete that last reply on "Deck the Halls".  Sorry
    about that.  I'm not sure what happened.  I copied it from a music
    sheet and thought I had it right.
2054.8PNO::HEISERlove inhalationFri Dec 14 1990 16:316
>    C7		   F		          Dm        C  G7 C
>    Don we now our gay apparel, Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
    
      ^ should this be a minor also instead of C7?
    
    Mike
2054.9The James Hetfield Christmas Collection !RAVEN1::JERRYWHITEJoke 'em if they can't take a ...Fri Dec 14 1990 21:095
    Naah ... just play F# in a chunky fashion ... and SCREAM the words.
    
    8^)
    
    Scary
2054.10Or just jam in your basic power chord, as was suggested...MAIL::EATONDSun Dec 16 1990 14:3018
>>    C7		   F		          Dm        C  G7 C
>>    Don we now our gay apparel, Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
>    
>      ^ should this be a minor also instead of C7?
    
    	Yes, you could voice this as follows...
    
      Gm     C7	     F        	            Dm        C  G7 C
      Don we now our gay apparel, Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
    
    
    or
    
      Gm     C7	     F     Dm C7  F	    Dm        C  G7 C
      Don we now our gay apparel, Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
    
    
2054.11PNO::HEISERlove inhalationMon Dec 17 1990 12:184
    Thanks for the tip!  I don't really know the song, but it just sounds
    like a minor fits in there.
    
    Mike
2054.12Silent NightRANGER::WEBERThu Dec 20 1990 16:3225
    
    C                                           
    Silent night, holy night
    
    G7           F  FMA7b5  F6   C
    All is calm, all        is   bright
    
    (ascending bassline)
    F         F#dim  C/G       C/C 
    Round yon Virgin, Mother & Child,
    
    (ascending bassline)
    F    F#dim      C/G      C/C 
    Holy Infant, so tender & mild
    
    (ascending bassline)   (A#dim)
    G        G#dim     Am7  D9
    Sleep in heavenly  peace
    
    C        G7       F  FMA7b5  F6   C
    Sleep in heavenly peace
    
    
    Danny W.
    
2054.13DPE::STARRSRV......I can't believe you're gone....Thu Dec 20 1990 21:255
Good one, Danny!

thanx!

alan
2054.14Now that's more like it!DREGS::BLICKSTEINThe Rippers are on a tearWed Dec 26 1990 14:0210
    Thanks Danny,
    
    When I read the first chart, I had a burning desire to post one with
    some interesting chord substitutions in it.  You saved me the trouble.
    
    I've been doing a lot of semi-lounge jazz on piano these days and it's
    funny but these days I find straight-up versions of tunes to be
    extremely boring.
    
    Heck, I may still post one.
2054.15RANGER::WEBERThu Dec 27 1990 09:2033
    re: "Silent..."  I use a fingerpicked arrangement  of that to back a
    group of Christmas singers. It includes a cadenza done all in harmonics
    that is as close to a virtuoso display as I ever get. This year, with
    about one minute's warning, the lead singer said she was having trouble
    with the key of C--could we do it in Bb? The keyboard player says "No
    problem" and hits the transpose mode on his DX50. After discarding the
    notion of quickly tuning down a tone (or installing a TransTrem), I
    playedthe first two ascending basslines up an octave, dropped down for
    the third one, which now started on F,  did the cadenza sans harmonics
    (and about half the notes) and did not have a good time in general. The
    idea of using an E string (.012" on this guitar) as a garrote occurred
    to me about halfway through--with a jury of my peers (i.e.: guitar
    players) I know I'd be found innocent, despite the hundred or so
    witnesses. This is why I play all the other Christmas tunes with all
    moveable chord forms; over the years I've been forced to play them in
    virtually every key.
    
    The keyboard player has a Christmas tune fakebook. I get the feeling
    the publisher has to pay  extra royalties for chords, because there are
    so few of them ("Silent Night" had just 3). Most of these tunes can be
    made much more interesting by adding the usual substitutions with a few
    passing chords thrown in. Many of them hang forever on the tonic and
    then stay an equally interminable time on the dominant. These are easy
    to spice up by using IMA7  IMA6, V7  V9  or IIm7  V9 alternations. This
    is often followed by a I  II7  V7 cycle which can easily extended to 
    I  IIIm7 IIIb7  II7  IIm7  V7  or  I  III7  VI7  II7  V7. A bunch of
    diminished chords can help, too  :-)
    
    Dave, if you have any good ones, please post them. I'm sure they'll
    come in handy next year.
    
    Danny W.
    
2054.16The Christmas SongRANGER::WEBERThu Dec 12 1991 10:4859
    Here's one that's too good to be relegated to just this time of year.
    I've left out most of the lyrics to avoid copyright infringement. Since
    it was written with decent changes to begin with, it just needs a
    little embellishment.
    
    "The Christmas Song"
    
    EbMA7         Fm7     Gm7    Fm7    Bb13 Bb7+                        
    Chestnuts     /  /    /  /   /  /    /   /
    
    EbMA7         Bbm Eb7 Eb7b5  AbMA7   Abm7 G7
    Jack Frost    / /   /  /     /  /   /     /
              (Am)
    Cm  Cm7    Ab6     Eb      Am7   D7
    Yuletide   /   /   /  /    /     /  (and...)
    
    
    GMA7 G6         Abm7 Db7  GbMa7
    Folks dressed   /    /    /   /          
    
    Fm7 Gm7 Ab  Bb13
    Ev' ry  bo   dy
    
    EbMA7          Fm7     Gm7    Fm7     Bb13  Bb7+                       
    Knows  some    /   /   /  /   /   /    /   /
    
    Eb         Bbm7 Eb7 Eb7b5   AbMA7   Abm7 G7
    Helps to   /    /   /       /  /    /    /       
               (Am)
    Cm Cm7     Ab6      Eb        D7
    Tiny tots  /  /     /  /      /        /(will...)
    
    Gm7 C7     Fm7      Bb7  EbMA7
    Find it    /  /    /  /   / /           They know that
    
    Bbm7    Eb7     Bbm7      Eb7
    Santa's /  /    /  /      /  /          He's loaded
    
    Bbm7    Eb7   Bbm7  Eb7 Eb7b5  AbMA7 Ab6
    Lots /  /  /  /  /  /   /      / /   / /   And ev'ry
    
    Abm7    Db7 Db7b   GbMA7  Gb6
    Mother's /  /      / /   / /       To see if
    
    Fsus4          F7             Bbsus4  Bb7  Bb13
    Reindeer ..... Know ...       Fly                 (And...)
    
    Repeat chorus before bridge to D7...
    
             Fm7  Gm7  Ab   A   Bb  Bb7+  Bb9+  Bb7+   
    Merry   /          /    /   /   /     /     /   
    (to...)  
    
    EbMA7    GbMA7  AbMA7 DbMA7  DMA7  Eb6/9
    You /    /  /   /  /  /      /      /
    
    
    Danny W.
    
2054.17CAVLRY::BUCKThu Dec 12 1991 10:585
    
    Cmaj7  D-7   Cmaj7  Bmaj7  Cmaj7  D-7    F#13   G13
    
    I'm    dream-ing    of     a      white  Christ-mas
         
2054.18FRETZ::HEISERelectric warrior/acoustic saintThu Dec 12 1991 12:176
    Try picking up "Our Christmas" on Myrrh records for some real cool
    renditions of popular holiday songs.  Phil Keaggy does a duet with Kim
    Hill (currently opening up for Amy Grant's tour) on "God Rest Ye Merry
    Gentlemen".  Some great guitar work on it!
    
    Mike
2054.19re .16, .17SMURF::BENNETTMC Escher & DJ Pablo P.Thu Dec 12 1991 15:295
Thanks loads guys - I was going hunting tonight for a copy of Mel's
Christmas Song.

ccb