A lot of us have a few holiday tunes we can play so let's post 'em up here in one location.

Personally, I'm getting sick of all the made-up junk holidays....(black friday, cyber monday etc) and would really like to get into the REAL holiday spirit and listen to some nice Christmas/holiday piano tunes performed by our own members. So, if you've got anything, let us all hear it. Maybe over the next month we could all add a performance to the list. Don't be shy as this is not a recital or anything, just a place to have some fun and enjoy the holiday season along with the performances or our members.

(p.s) Mines coming next week as I'm currently experiencing a few "misfires" in which I press down the key but nothing plays. Tech is coming out Sat to tune and fix...I hope!

Here ya go Mr S-H. We have a holiday music thread on the Sudnow forum. I recently posted my arrangement of Silver Bells. In the process, I learned something of interest about the song (all credit goes to our brilliant forum leader).

Seems as though the working title of the song was "Tinkle Bells". One of the composers of the tune, Jay Livingston, went home and told his wife the name of the song. She said, "Are you out of your mind?". She explained to him the double meaning of the word "tinkle".

http://www.box.net/shared/7i6mcnbm7i

Barb

Wow, Barb! That was terrific! My favorite yet of your tunes. I loved it. Great way to start the holiday music.


Cathy

One of my wife's favorite expressions - especially when traveling as we encounter yet another convenient location of "America's Potty" (aka, McDonald's).

Nice playing Barb!

JF

Oh, I'm glad you started this thread, hunky. I really like the one we did last year. I'll have something soon. In fact, I sat down yesterday and rattled off a perfect take of my intended piece, only to go to the Q3 and see the error message: "memory full."

Guess I should've replaced the skimpy flash card that came with the unit with an 8GB card, huh?

Barb,

That was just terrific....loved it....how you put so many ideas into that! Great!

Barb - I love all of the Christmas ornaments that you have hung on this great rendition. You have dressed this up nicely for the holidays!

That was really pretty Barb! I enjoyed it very much.

I'm learning some new music for the holidays and hope to be able to record and post something here soon.

Wow – I just checked the forum and this page started to grow. Hey – thanks so much everyone. You are making me blush.

Please, someone put up a holiday song. I feel so alone here.

John - I agree - McDonald's makes car travel enjoyable.

Good job Barb... I love the music of Christmas. It really gives my spirit a boost. I'll have something in a few days, probably a fairly bare tree though.

Terrific! I love Christmas music!

Barb, "Silver Bells" is one of my alltime favorites. I chuckled at your story of it's almost title, as my mom used to use that expression when we were kids. :-)
Love your rendition - nice harmonizing.

I'm working on "Greensleeves" ("What Child is This"), and it's coming along really well. It's the first time that I've used the overlapping pedal, and I'm really enjoying it. Unfortunately, I have no way to record it to my computer, but I'm looking forward to hearing a lot of great Christmas tunes here. Bring them on!

Very nice, lots of rich chords, actually it sounds like you have extra fingers

didn't make me want to tinkle, which is nice.

Monika, that is so frustrating! grrr...

Ok, I've been having a lot of fun playing Christmas carols by ear lately, and inspired by Scott Joplin, and jazzwee, and Swingin' Barb, I've tried some "interesting" chords. So here's my "reharmonized" version of Joy to the World with funky (for me) chords:

Joy to the World

It's a treat to figure these out. I've even tried Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire (The Christmas Song?), which I wouldn't have been able to do before. Life is so much fun

Happy holidays, all -

Cathy

Cathy, some surprising chords in there, but they work!

Cathy,

Wow! That is so cool and joyful. I loved it. You were born to "reharmonize". You sound like you have been using those funky chords for years.

I didn't want it to stop so, I just let it play for 5 or so choruses.

Barb

Thank you Carl. I'm glad your spirit got a boost. I'm looking forward to hearing your music.

Mom3Gram - thank you. We need to get you into the 21st century for recording. Maybe you can put it on your Christmas wish list?

Thank you Canonie. No, I don't have any more fingers than the normal twelve like everyone else.

Thanks Morodienne and Barb - I laugh every time I do it But I couldn't play it twice because it would have just jangled out of control. Maybe before Christmas I can record the chestnuts one. But Barb, your sounds really do influence me, even tho I'm only using 7 chords in strange places at the minute!

Cathy

That sounds great Cathy. What kind of piano are you playing?

Cathy - You are using 7 chords ( as opposed to 8 chords )

or

7th chords ( as in dominants and major sevenths )

Just trying to get this straight in my head.

In my left hand, dominants. I think the progression at one point went Bb-D7-G7-C7-F (I was copying Scott Joplin, except he started on F). But the G7 had an A in the right hand - at least, one of the times it did :\ I wasn't consciously using any other chord, and I think the one with the A in the right hand was the funkiest one. Maybe I'll try to make a lead sheet, if I can remember long enough what was happening. But I'm not sophisticated enough to think beyond a dominant 7th

Cathy

No lead sheet? This was by ear? You are swinging girl!

foxyw - thanks. It's a Casio Privia PX-100, plugged into my computer and recorded using Audacity, then exported as an .mp3. Some of the folks here renormalize (or normalize the first time, I dunno) but I just try to get a volume level I can live with .

Cathy

Thanks Cathy! I'm planning to purchase a digital piano at some point so it's good to hear what others are using. As of now, I am using a Zoom H4n recorder which is working out well but I do think I would really enjoy having a digital piano too.

This is so COOL! A Christmas thread!

Barb, I loved how rich your Silver Bells sound!

And Cathy, really nice "funky" chords! Seriously!

Great! I may have to try something, I'm inspired.

CMohr - Thank you. Yes, you must post something. Bring on the holiday music.

Barb, great job on "Silver Bells"! I love your fills. (p.s. and thank you for the background story on tinkle Silver Bells. That was hilarious!)

I really enjoyed “Silver Bells”, Barb!

And, Cathy, that was one of my favorite Christmas Carols, and you did a fantastic job!

Here is one I did last year. I hope Ya’ll like it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDNs2tH06x0

Take care, and Merry Christmas All!

Rick

+1. That was really cool, Cathy! It gave the old standard an interesting and unique spin. You should work out a full-length version.