Christmas Mandolin

[nick delmore]

Worked out a version of "We Wish You A Merry Christmas". I imagine lots of folks have some Christmas mandolin tunes under their belt.

(4).mp3

[Dick Dery]

Worked out a version of "We Wish You A Merry Christmas". I imagine lots of folks have some Christmas mandolin tunes under their belt.

(4).mp3

I've always thought this was a nice collection of simply arranged well- and lesser- known tunes.
Page 26 is a personal favorite.

https://pghardy.net/tunebooks/pgh_xm...book_paged.pdf

[journeybear]

I have a list, and I'm checking it twice ...

Adeste Fidelis
Angels We Have Heard On High
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Feliz Navidad
The First Noel
Good King Wenceslas
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Greensleeves (What Child Is This)
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Jingle Bell Rock
Jingle Bells
Joy To The World
O Little Town of Bethlehem
O Tannenbaum
Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Santa Got Run Over By A Reindeer
Silent Night
Silver Bells
Twelve Days Of Christmas
We Three Kings
We Wish You A Merry Christmas
White Christmas
Winter Wonderland

Essentially, this is the list of Christmas songs I can probably play without screwing up too badly. "Silver Bells" is still probably my favorite, and I'll noodle on it between songs year-round (to some people' consternation) because I think it is just a loovely tune, and a good tuning check. I've been been bonding with "Angels We Have Heard On High" over the past few years.

I've worked some of these into what I call "Acoustic Thrash Medley." I've done this a few times, even electric once, and they're up on youtube. When I say thrash, it's mostly a way of slinging a few together in the same key of G, driving the G and D strings as a drone, and embracing whatever sloppiness occurs. Not recommended for those who are sentimental about the holiday. It's "Angels We Have Heard On High," "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," "Adeste Fidelis," "Joy To The World," "Angels We Have Heard On High" reprise.

I've taken stabs at the following, with mixed results. The chord structures are more challenging than the above.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Oh Holy Night

You can search for the medley if you like; I'll leave it off here because it comes out pretty rough every time, even though it's fun. But I'll include this, which came out fine after a few passes. Managed to just slip in that final 6th chord.

[Dave Hicks]

An original and a trad.



An oldy!

[Sue Rieter]

I would like to learn "Carol of the Bells". I was just thinking about that tune the other day. When my son was in middle school (many moons ago) he took up percussion and they started them on xylophone. "Carol of the Bells" was on the set list for the Christmas concert, and I sat him down and worked with him while he practiced, singing that run and having him play it until he got it right. At the concert, I could hear him play it, well, over the rest of the kids. The other day, I realized I had helped him learn it by ear.

[M19]

I've always thought this was a nice collection of simply arranged well- and lesser- known tunes.
Page 26 is a personal favorite.

https://pghardy.net/tunebooks/pgh_xm...book_paged.pdf

Thanks for this. Just got a bunch from Tim Connell's class, too. Better get at 'em...Tempus Fugit you know.

[Perry]

I came up with this arrangement many years ago. Here is the TAB

[nick delmore]

An original and a trad.



An oldy!

Well that was uncanny. I was listening to the opening stanza & hearing a funky back-beat kind of rhythm in my head when, lo & behold (that's a Christmas kind of expression, right?) you broke into something very similar. I suspect we might have a lot in common, musically. I liked the original too. If you have more stuff, you should post it. Oh yeah, I also appreciate you following my "Nick's Front Porch Mandolin" thread over on the Sound Files forum. You're in a pretty exclusive club there

[Dave Hicks]

Well that was uncanny. I was listening to the opening stanza & hearing a funky back-beat kind of rhythm in my head when, lo & behold (that's a Christmas kind of expression, right?) you broke into something very similar. I suspect we might have a lot in common, musically. I liked the original too. If you have more stuff, you should post it. Oh yeah, I also appreciate you following my "Nick's Front Porch Mandolin" thread over on the Sound Files forum. You're in a pretty exclusive club there

Nick -

Thanks for listening and commenting. I've enjoyed your originals and takes on OT music.

D.H.

[Dave Hicks]

Here's one I just finished. Song with mandolins, guitar, uke and percussion.



Some “Irish” folderol from the music halls of the 1880s. It was written by C. Frank Horn (1851-1928), a Pennsylvania songwriter who wrote a number of comedy songs in the 1880’s. (For more information see pp. 16-20 in https://nyfolklore.org/wp-content/up...ices-2007b.pdf.)

We used to hear this pretty often on Folk Radio, back when that was a thing, around this time of year. I don’t recall whose version was generally played – the Irish Rovers? Mick Moloney and Eugene O’Donnell?

[journeybear]

I would like to learn "Carol of the Bells"

Could be a bit tricky. Unless you figure out how to play the counterpoint as well. Without that, it's mighty repetitious. Good luck!

[Sue Rieter]

Could be a bit tricky. Unless you figure out how to play the counterpoint as well. Without that, it's mighty repetitious. Good luck!

Maybe I need someone else to play it with. I have a friend who recently took up the banjo ....

[journeybear]

Yes, I think that would be the way to go. I do think it's possible to arrange it for solo mandolin, but looking at the sheet music, it seems challenging. Perhaps simplifying it a bit would help. But arranging it for duo would probably be more successful.