Fast Piano Lessons Blog

A lot of people have been asking for sheet music!
I don’t have sheet music because its much more expensive and takes longer to read than fakebooks.
There is another problem with just posting sheet music online… (I think its illegal!)

If you are interested in purchasing a good book of christmas songs check this book out:

This fake book is EASY to use, the symbols have been simplified.
You could play every chord in there after reading the CHORDS 101 course!

Thats why its a good book to get started learning how to read chord symbols. They’re all in the key of C which means most songs use the same few chords over and over again. Like C, Dm, F & G.

If you haven’t already checked out some of the lessons, be sure and go to ChristmasPianoLessons.com
Thats where I’m focusing most of my energy this month!

Here is the big site I’ve been working on lately for you!
Be sure and check out the lessons on Jingle bells and more christmas lessons will be coming soon:
www.ChristmasPianoLessons.com

Click here for the Christmas Piano Lessons

Not sure what to call this version of jingle bells… Is it more jazz or blues or rock? You decide!
This is for all the intermediate to advanced players who have been asking for something a little bit more challenging, otherwise I would normally break this lesson down into smaller steps. See if you can steal a few of my voicings for chords!

Outline:
The first half is a little reserved with some jazz voicings.. but not for long!
The second half has a walking bass line in the left hand with the right hand embellishing the melody quite a bit with some extra blues notes.
At the end I’ve attached a blues lick ending walking down from C, Bb, A, Ab, G back to C while the right hand trys to solo like crazy.
And then the final chord: C13#11 (C E G Bb, D F# A)

This is a really cute song. Its been in a lot of the Alvin and the Chipmunk movies.

Here are the lyrics:

(Dave:)Alright you Chipmunks, Ready to sing your song?
(Alvin:)I’d say we are
(Theodore:)Yeah, Lets sing it now!
(Dave:)Okay, Simon?
(Simon:)OK
(Dave:)Okay, Theodore?
(Theodore:)OK
(Dave:)Okay Alvin?…Alvin?…ALVIN!!!
(Alvin:)OKAY!!

(Chipmunks:)
Christmas, Christmas time is near,
Time for toys and time for cheer.
We’ve been good, but we can’t last,
Hurry Christmas, Hurry fast.
Want a plane that loops the loop,
(Alvin:) Me, I want a Hula-Hoop.
(Chipmunks:)
We can hardly stand the wait,
Please Christmas don’t be late.

(Dave:) Ok Fellas, Get ready.
That was very good, Simon.
(Simon:)Naturally!
(Dave:)Very Good Theodore
(Theodore:) He He He He
(Dave:)Uh Alvin, You were a little flat
So, watch it, Alvin…Alvin?…ALVIN!!!
(Alvin:)OKAY!!

(Chimpunks:)
Want a plane that loops the loop,
(Alvin:)I still want a Hula-Hoop.
(Chimpunks:)
We can hardly stand the wait,
Please Christmas don’t be late.
We can hardly stand the wait,
Please Christmas don’t be late.

Here is a performance example of Chestnuts Roasting on an open fire. Halloween isn’t even a week away and my students in Seattle are asking for me to teach them christmas songs. This one is a little more jazzy than most of them. This isn’t a lesson so much as a teaser to get everyone in the mood for the holidays! You can still pick up some advanced chord voicings (7ths & 9ths) by watching my hands. To tell which chord I’m playing, you can watch my left hand. I almost always play the root of the chord as the lowest note.

Here are the lyrics:
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,
Jack Frost nipping on your nose,
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir,
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.

Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe,
Help to make the season bright.
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow,
Will find it hard to sleep tonight.

They know that Santa’s on his way;
He’s loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh.
And every mother’s child is going to spy,
To see if reindeer really know how to fly.

And so I’m offering this simple phrase,
To kids from one to ninety-two,
Although its been said many times, many ways,
A very Merry Christmas to you