| The secret to playing Christmas sheet
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| | structures to your playing. Very often
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| music is to make the melody prominent,
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| | Christmas sheet music has chord symbols
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| get some rhythm happening underneath and
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| | on it and you can take your lead from
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| bang out some chords to support the
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| | those symbols.
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| harmony of the song. And, while that may
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| | If you don’t know how to read chord
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| seem like a fairly simple concept, for
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| | symbols here’s a simple rule. If you
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| most pianists it takes some practice.
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| | see a simple triad chord symbol such as
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| Here are some ideas that may help you.
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| | “G”. That means it’s a G major
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| First let’s start with the melody. I
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| | triad or 3-note chord. First plunk down
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| think for some reason many musicians
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| | a G then a major third above which is a
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| forget that the melody is the most
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| | “B” then a minor third above that
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| important thing. I’ll never forget
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| | which is a “D.”
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| this one time early on in my career when
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| | For minor chords the intervals are
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| I got a gig with some prominent local
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| | inverted. A minor interval first then a
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| jazz musicians. It all started out ok,
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| | major interval on top of that. Then if
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| but eventually we got into some tunes
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| | you want to get really fancy add sevenths
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| where I didn’t know the melody very
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| | to your chord voicings. For example; if
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| well. I was playing all kinds of way out
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| | you see a G7 chord symbol that mean a
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| improve and the bass player turned to me
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| | major triad with another minor third
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| and said, “Hey man, just play the
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| | stacked on top. In others word the chord
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| flippin melody!”
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| | would be in order from bottom to top; G,
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| It was kind of embarrassing that’s for
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| | B, D and F.
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| sure. Anyway, I never forgot that and to
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| | If you see a Gmaj7 chord symbol it’s
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| this day I always put the melody before
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| | the same as a G7 chord except the top
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| anything else. What does that mean? It
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| | note is an F# instead of an F. Or, think
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| means to get the melody right and make it
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| | of it as a G major triad with another
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| the most prominent part of your playing.
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| | major third stacked on top.
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| The next thing to go along with your
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| | The only other chord symbol is a minor
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| melody is rhythm. It’s so important
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| | seventh chord or G-7. This would be
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| that your playing has some feel to it.
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| | played as a G minor triad with a minor
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| So often, pianists focus on getting the
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| | seventh stacked on top or; G, Bb, D and
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| notes right and therefore lack the rhythm
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| | F.
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| and feel of the music. If you can, play
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| | While this may seem like a fairly simple
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| your music along with the radio or a
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| | approach to playing chord symbols it
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| recording. That will help you develop
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| | covers at least 85% of all Christmas
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| some feel.
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| | sheet music. There are other chord
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| Feel comes from playing with others. It
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| | symbols which you may come across from
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| comes from bassists, drummers and other
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| | time to time but, like I said, that’s
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| instrumentalists. Even now when I’m
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| | pretty much it.
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| playing solo piano concerts I can hear
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| | So, when practicing Christmas sheet music
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| the drums and bass in my head and that
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| | play the melody prominently and correctly
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| will be very evident in my left first and
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| | in the right hand, add some rhythmic feel
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| sometimes in the right hand as well with
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| | to it and drop in a good helping of
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| rhythmic chords.
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| | chords to back up the harmony of the
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| And, speaking of chords, you cannot
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| | song.
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| forget to add a good dose of rich chord
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