Description
In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play a solo arrangement of the Christmas song, “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear”. In addition to showing you how to play it, I’ll explain my thought process for creating a solo composition like this so that you can create your own.
Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson
Part 2 - For Premium Members
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Slow Walk-Through
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Video Tablature Breakdown
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Brian, thanks for breaking down the thought process you followed in creating this great little solo arrangement. Really helpful stuff.
Rick
Love that. Dripping with holiday sentiment.
That guitar sounds great. Thanks for breaking this down in such a way that it is easy to understand. Thanks Brian
W
Thanks Brian. That sounds great! I know you probably told us before but what is that sweet sounding guitar?
Kay value leader – 1963 ( I think)
Thanks Brian. I have been learning some of the other Xmas tunes you have provided us. Its great to have an addition to the list.
It is the season.
Great Lesson – Thanks Brian!!
Hey Brian! Thanks for the new lesson. Don’t forget to add Jingle Bell Rock to your list of videos you’ve done. I don’t see it pop up on your list of Christmas songs.
Thanks!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIdFz9aS4d8
Hello Brian, thanks for this very useful lesson. It’s really good to learn how to arrange a song. I still struggle when to place “funny chords” like the 2nd major, but with some practice and patience it should come.
Thanks Brian for the song and process you use to develop the melody.
Wonderful arrangement Brian. Thanks for sharing.
Awesome ..that B9#5 made me smile.. I like those diminished substitute chords .happy holidays
Thanks Brian, The thought process was excellent, I tried throwing in a blues version in the middle then going back to the traditional ending …best of the season to you and your family..Ted
Thanks for this very useful lesson Brian. I’ve been trying to figure out how to form cords to simple melodies and this lesson has helped a lot. I’d like to see more like this in the future if you can.
Thanks again,
Ray P
Interesting Brian, I was just learning “Sleigh Ride”. I heard it on the radio and started fingering out the melody but I went online and found the chords. They were all in first position. So after watching this I am now trying to find the chords around the the melody notes and find them myself. Great lesson. Hopefully I can post it soon. Thanks for being so consistent with your lessons.
One of your best, Love the Christmas songs.
Thanks, Brian, for providing a practical, step-by step demonstration of your logic and how you plug in the CAGED system. Have been hoping for a lesson such as this, and will always welcome more. Best wishes and happy holidays to all.
Great lesson Brian, but then I think most of them are. The ones I can’t play I don’t think are so great…….haha. I give thanks that I found you way back around EP051 and hope you continue to post lessons for a long time to come.
Awesome lesson. Thank you. Did not think of crafting songs by using the main melody line like this (makes since now that you mentioned it, will practice). Lesson was really well done; festive yet applies to a much bigger picture. Cheers brother.
I absolutely LOVE this. Last month I discovered your O Holy Night lesson. That is my all time favorite Christmas Hymn. Once I get my bends on key I will have that one down. This one is equally beautiful and hasn’t taken me very long to learn the jist of it. Now I am refining it. It sounds good on my trans-acoustic guitar with both the reverb and chorus turned up, but I think I like it on my electric guitar a little better.
Really enjoy being a member, I just need practise more, you make it effortless,thanks Brian.
Can someone tell me why when I try to download the mp3 it takes me to a sample on amazon.com?
Thanks Brian for this lesson. I love it! Hopefully I will learn this quickly so I will be able to play this at our home group Christmas Party.
For some reason, the tab won’t download for me. It says “This site can’t be reached activemelody.s3.amazonaws.com’s server IP address could not be found.”. Does it work for others?
Thanks,
Phil
Sorry, after 3 tries it finally did work, Now to learn how to play it :-).
Phil
Precise instruction. Brilliant as usual.
Brian thanks this lesson is exactly what I have been trying to do. I learned already from you how much extra you can get out of a chord by arpeggioing it, but this lesson really puts the two, melody and chords,into a perspective for how to get the just the sound I want for each melody. Caged system adds tons of color even if you are just playing chords. I could write a long list of what I have gained from active melody even though I really don’t always have the time to work through your compositions but the concepts are still there and I can use them. You are the best. Thanks again.
Love this Brian…working on it now
And absolutely love the Kay! Hadn’t seen that before – so cool
Beautifully done, thank you! Nice lesson on how to personally arrange a song with just a melody and then construct the supporting chords / sounds.
Thank You Brian! Really Sweet!
I learned Silent Night & this song very quickly, which I attribute to aggressive pursuit of your etudes. I know I need to play them enough to begin to internalize them. Keep them coming. I love the diversity of your melodies. Would like to see an in-depth review of Western Swing (Eldon Shamblin, Whit Smith) comping & soloing styles. All the best. Happy Hallowe’en.
PS: I’ve been jamming with my brother via Zoom, with varied results. We wanted to do W. Guthrie’s Oklahoma Hills. He sings. I don’t, so I decided to learn the melody (in Cmaj). I astounded meself by concocting a reasonable facsimile of the voice lines as well as fills, turnarounds, intros & outros. Thanks!
Nice any chance we could get a version of Have Yourself A Merry Little Xmas?