Merry Cello!
What is December without music?
This is the time of year with the most songs related to it. I have made short arrangements of 16 of these songs, varying in degrees of technical difficulty. Typically, the accompaniment part is the easiest to play while the melody is more challenging.
My relationship to christianity is not very friendly but I nevertheless have a sweet spot for all the music that we associate with this season. However, there are more songs here to do with santa and snow than about baby Jesus. And I frequently prefer to write xmas rather than christmas, where ‘x’ is the unknown and can stand for whatever we want it to stand for… In my language, Norwegian, the word for christmas is still ‘jul’ which is from pre-christian times when the celebration had to do with the winter solstice. But anyway, let’s get on with it! Music!
The Advent Calendar starts with I’ll Be Home For Christmas. Written by Kim Gannon (lyrics) and Walter Kent (music) and first recorded in 1943 with Bing Crosby.
I wrote a short version for 2 parts which you can play along to in the Videos section while the sheet music can be downloaded here.
Dec 2
To prepare for the next song’s technical challenges I made a short video about left-hand pizzicato. It’s a great technique to practice since it improves your overall articulation.
White Christmas by Irving Berlin - here in an arrangement based on the version by Elvis Presley. The song was however first performed by Bing Crosby in the 1942 musical film ‘Holiday Inn’.
You can play along to my 2-cello arrangement in the Videos section! And the sheet music can be downloaded here.
Dec 4
To prepare for tomorrow’s song I made this short tutorial on harmonics played pizzicato! It’s a delightful world of sound to get yourself into…
Written by Meredith Willson in 1951, originally titled ‘It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas’.
If you’re up for a challenge that involves some stretching, pizzed harmonics and rapid change from pizz to arco, try playing along to this version of It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas! The sheet music can be downloaded here.
Dec 6
It comes up sooner or later - playing 5ths that are not just two open strings but requires you to press two strings down with the same finger. It takes time getting used to but you can do it!
Even the songs you’ve heard countless times can be surprisingly fun to play on the cello. Written in 1850 by James Lord Pierpont and first recorded in 1889! This recording is unfortunately lost but a recording from 1898 survives.
This one is for you if you’re up for sharp rhythms! Play along to Jingle Bells in the Videos section. Sheet music can be downloaded here.
Dec 8
A very short introduction into the world of music arranging. The songs I’ve prepared for this season consist of accompaniment parts that are quite similar to each other. Xmas songs have typically very simple chord progressions, and to fill a bar with e.g. the chord of C-major I’ve written Cs and Gs in rhythmical patterns. The music excerpts are from tomorrow’s song…
Are you up for another dash of American vibes? I have evidently been severely affected by having listened a lot to Elvis and Ella Fitzgerald. However, this song was first released in 1947 with the songwriter Gene Autry. The music was composed by Oakley Haldeman.
You can play this lovely tune together with me in the Videos section, and you can download the sheet music here.
Dec 10
So basic, yet so hard to get comfortable with! Or maybe it’s just me…?
It’s time to really get comfy with that swing rhythm! I love this song. First released in 1957 by Bobby Helms. (The authorship of the song is disputed, you can read up on it on wikipedia if you like.)
Come play Jingle Bell Rock with me in the Videos section, and feel free to download the sheet music here.
It was snowing properly as I was editing the video for this song! However, the song was written in 1945 during a heat wave in California, by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne. Originally its title was ‘Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!’
Come join me in the Videos section if you want some indoors snowy coziness, and you’re welcome to download the sheet music here.
“I’ll have a blue christmas without you…” Not all the songs are jingle jangle on sugar and caffeine, some songs are a little more melancholic and it’s nice to have a variety of vibes to choose from.
Blue Christmas was written by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson, first recorded by Doye O’Dell in 1948.
You can join me in the Videos section, and you can download the sheet music here.
Dec 14
Merry cello technique! This time about the basics of stretching. The more I teach, the less I approve of the word 'stretching'. I find it more suitable to say reaching. It's just not very catchy yet.
Not really a xmas song, although it has become that for many of us in the Nordics where the song is featured in Disney’s Christmas special ‘From All of Us to All of You.’ every year. I don’t mind! Play along with me in the Videos section, and feel free to download the sheet music here.
Dec 16
Swing rhythm? Yes, that's the sound of American xmas tunes. Think of some well-known European tunes and you can probably sing them with straight eighthnotes.
The American ones however are more jazzy-sounding. I hope this little video does its job at explaining why my arrangements look so different from each other in rhythmic notation.
Just lovely! Composed by Felix Bernard in 1934.
Please come and play with me in the Videos section, and if you want your own copy of the sheet music it can be downloaded here.
This is one the most beautiful songs that I know of, and I hadn't heard it until I was living in Sweden myself. Composed by Alice Tegnér and published in 1893, to a poem by Viktor Rydberg.
This is an arrangement for one cello and it's technically more challenging than the previous tunes. There is nevertheless sheet music for this one as well, which you can download here.
In the Videos section I give a play-through to demonstrate how it goes. I don’t yet have a tutorial on how to practice this one. If I receive interest from you about that, I’ll make one.
This joyous tune has been with us since the 16th century!
It's very short (impossible to play through just once!) and its strength regarding its musical association to this holiday season has kept it alive and popular until today.
Please join me in the Videos section for some fun playing! Sheet music here.
Dec 20
The last little bit of technique time-out, this one is about the prominent technique of tomorrow's video: trills.
This is a trill version for one cello of one of our most beloved xmas songs. Composed in 1818 by Franz Gruber, 'Stille Nacht' takes most of us straight back to our childhoods.
In the Videos section you can see all the trills combined with the sheet music.
Having listened quite a bit to Ella Fitzgerald I had to include this song in the calendar!
Made by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie. First recorded by Harry Reser and His Band in 1934.
The accompaniment is not so hard to play - feel free to join me in the Videos section :)
Sheet music here.
This song has always brought me a feeling of grounding in the midst of all the reindeer and snowmen.
Michael Praetorius made the music that we know today, already in the very early 17th century.
This is my version for one cello, technically more challenging than the duo arrangements. If you would like a tutorial on how to practice it, let me know :)
I give a play-through in the Videos section, and you can have a look at the sheet music here.
This is it - we made it once more to the point where the days will be getting lighter and warmer.
Composed in 1943 by Hugh Martin and introduced to the world by Judy Garland in 1944.
Have yourself a merry little cello xmas and join me in the Videos section for this lovely tune!
Sheet music here.
