Guitar MX - Christmas Guitar

I remember when I was about thirteen years old, I walked into my favorite guitar shop around Christmas time. When I entered to store, I was immediately met with the most beautiful acoustic arrangement of Greensleeves that I had ever heard. My first thought was, "Wow, that looks nearly impossible to play."

All to often we underestimate ourselves and Christmas music tends to have a reputation for lighting fast finger picking that is equally intimidating as it is beautiful. The truth is, this is one of those situations that we have discussed in previous editions where the music is actually simple to play but looks rather difficult.

There is definitely a feel to Christmas music but the beauty is that you have half of the battle won before you even lift a finger. What is your leading edge? You already know how the songs sound. Chances are that you can hum them out, think of them in your head and easily pick up on the lyrics to many of the choruses.

This allows you to keep on track and know when you're playing a song the wrong way. It's actually the foundation to playing by ear. Although we won't be going into that topic today, keep in mind that Christmas carols are a great place to start if you want to learn how to play by ear.

The style of Christmas music is quite unique. The carols are written in a vast array of different keys and arrangements, in addition to having various tempos ranging from slow to fast. Some have chord progressions that are simple and easy to follow, while others can get a little more complicated.

This shows us that there isn't really a distinct pattern with Christmas music. Unlike rock, we don't have the advantage of having two predominant scales to choose from, rather, the entire range of scales.

This can be a great thing and it can be your worst nightmare if you don't feel comfortable with your scales or transposition. The good news is that amongst all of the hundreds of variations of your favorite Christmas carols, you will be guaranteed to find at least one version in the key of C or G, which makes life easier for most of us.

Setting the feel of the music is in the hands of the musician. Some songs call for a more regal approach, while others cry out for some blues. Christmas music is extremely flexible and allows you to play the song the way you personally like while everyone can still recognize what tune you're playing.

My base rule for playing Christmas carol leads is to never let something get boring. Are all of your notes on the same string for that song? Switch them up to different octaves, or add in a number of string slides and hammer on's/pull off's. Another great idea would be to bend up or down to different notes.

Keep the tempo appropriate for the song. As guitarists, we tend to be inclined to lean towards setting a faster pace for a song. Christmas tunes tend to sound really odd when you do that, so don't be afraid to kick back a little bit and let the music speak for itself.

On the same token, keep the beat nice and bouncy for those songs that are quicker. Jingle Bells is the perfect example. You want that nice "Skipping" tempo to accent what you are playing.

As you can already gather, Christmas music pushes us to use most of the techniques and theory that we have already learned in the past five months. In addition to all of the classic techniques that you see repeated over and over again, Christmas music also introduces us to a new concept.

Finger picking: Finger picking has traditionally been used when playing classical guitar. In todays' society, it has taken a turn towards the mainstream and can be heard on tracks ranging from Metallica to The Dave Mathews Band. It is particularly useful in spicing up your favorite carols and adding in that extra touch.

Not unlike the numbering system for your fretting hand and chord charts, each of your fingers on your strumming hand have a corresponding letter. These letters are what will allow you to keep track of what you are doing and first and foremost, allow the music to give you the picking pattern.

...Remember the acronym "Pima" and you're all set. Music will tell you which finger to use by matching the corresponding letter over that note. More advanced pieces of music will require you to figure this out on your own but by that point, you will most likely know the theory to work it out without the letters.

Rest your thumb on your 6th string. Then place your index on the third string, your middle finger on the second string and your ring finger on the 1st string. These fingers will be responsible for the strings they are currently resting on at all times. For the A and D strings you will be using either your thumb or index finger, depending on what the music calls for.

Insure your thumb is slightly closer to the fretboard than the rest of your fingers.

Try not to anchor your pinky as it is bad technique. However, I usually find this to be quite a challenge for certain situations and will sometimes opt to use my pinky as a stabilizer. Some musicians view this as perfectly acceptable while some classical musicians get chills even thinking of the idea. The choice is yours but I recommend knowing how to play without the use of the pinky if you are interested in a music degree.

Keep your fingers slightly curled. It gives your more picking power and allows you to know where they are at all times. It also diminishes the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome as your wrist is in a more neutral position.

Play centered over the sound hole (acoustic) or pickup (electric.) This is for general form, of course. You'll need to move them around if you want more bass or treble in your playing. For the time being, keep your right hand centered to make life easier for yourself.

Some guitarists prefer to use just their thumb and index finger. Some also use their middle finger if needed. They are in the "If it sounds good play it" camp. I use this effect for more fuller sounding chords.

I'll hit the root note with my thumb, and strum out the rest of the chord with my index or middle finger. I do not use this method for individual string picking because it actually complicates the picking patterns.

When using the classical method of finger picking described in detail above, use these tips to get adjusted to your new found finger positioning:

Let your picking fingers touch their corresponding strings. Then lift them up and drop them again, insuring that all touch their proper strings at the same time. Repeat this until you can do it with ease.

Hold a D chord. Use your thumb to pick the open string and let your other fingers take their usual positions. Play the chord by plucking all four strings at the same time. Then run through the chord finger by finger starting at the D string and work your way to the E string. Then reverse the process.

Don't be afraid to challenge yourself. A great starter song for finger picking is "Dust In The Wind" by Kansas. You can also try Black Bird by the Beatles for some added practice.

Make it a part of your daily practice routine and you should see a noticeable different in as little as three weeks.

Another unique way of integrating finger picking with a pick is using both at the same time. If you have ever listened to a country album, you've probably heard this. Simply hold your pick between your thumb and index finger and use your middle and ring finger to pick out additional notes.

You can also be a little adventurous and curl the pick under your index finger so you can switch between the modern and classical styles of picking. We'll go more in depth on that another time.

Here's a demonstration of the thumb/index combination on a classic chord progression. Give it a try yourself and start inventing your own finger picking style!

There are some tools that you can use to make life easier for yourself while playing your favorite Christmas carols. The first one we'll discuss is the capo. You may remember the capo from a previous lesson on transposing, found here.

You can use your capo for quick key changes while still holding the same chord shape. In other words, play those complicated chords without the complicated fingerings. It doesn't look professional while playing at a gig but it's the perfect tool for around the fire place.

The second gadget evolves around your fingers. Many people complain that when they first start finger picking, they get a very muted sound. This is normal but one way to counteract that is by putting on a set of finger picks.

Manufacturers make them to fit all three fingers plus one for the thumb. They can come in plastic or metal and cover the tips of your fingers, in addition to the bottom of them. I like to refer to them as finger nail extensions. They do take some getting used to but they make great stocking stuffers!

Now that you have the general idea of what Christmas music is all about, we can move onto the fun part... Playing it! Please enjoy the following arrangements of some of the more popular tunes of the season. They all encompass the various techniques we have discussed but are also enjoyable and easy to learn.

Please note: These are only my interpretation of the songs. All have been personally arranged by myself. These are intended for personal use only.

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