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O Little Town Of Bethlehem

12/8/2018

0 Comments

 
Hi,
The song of the week will be 'O Little Town Of Bethlehem', played as an instrumental in cut common time (2/2) in the key of G.

Recordings
Mandolin - key of G
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAy-O9P7DCw

Banjo - key of G
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDdwlj42qF4

Progression
The first half and the last quarter of the chord progression I use for O Little Town Of Bethlehem is the same as the progression used for playing Nine Pound Hammer.

1   1   4   4
1   5   1   1
1   1   4   4
1   5   1   1
6m6m3   3
6m6m3   3
1   1   4   4
1   5   1   1

In the key of G, 6m = Em, and 3 = B. On guitar, it is common to substitute a B7 chord in place of the B chord. This works because the B chord functions here as the 5 of the 6m, just as it does in the B-Part of Blackberry Blossom:

6m 6m 6m 3
6m 6m 4/1 5/1

Em Em Em B(7)
Em Em C/G D/G

Melody
A distinctive part of the melody of O Little Town Of Bethlehem is found in the first two measures of lines 1 and 7, where the melody starts on the 3rd of the 1 chord (a B note in the key of G) then dips down a half step to (an A# note in the key of G), and then returns to 3rd. Notice that in the second of the three mandolin breaks on the recording (an improvised break that is only loosely informed by the melody), I preserve this part of the melody intact, while freely toying with or deviating from the melody in most other spots.

The similarities and differences among lines 1, 3, and 7 of the melody are such that in order to avoid confusing them with each other, you may find it helpful to think of lines 3 and 7 in terms of where the high E note occurs in place of a lower melody note found in line 1.

Christmas Carol Progressions
In case some of the following songs are called at the jam next week in my absence, here are the chord progressions that have been used in past years at the jam for these songs, together with the keys that I recommend if the song is played as an instrumental, plus a Nashville Number System chart for the most common chords that tend to show up in minor key songs

Silent Night (C)
1111
5511
4411
4411
5511
1511

Away In A Manger (G or A)
1141
5511
1141 
41511  
(Another way to play the last line is: 51511)

Jingle Bells (G or C)
1114
4551
1114
4551

1111
4125
1111
4151

Good King Wenceslas (G)
1       1     4/5     1      
1       1     4/5     1  
1/5    1     4/5     1                        
5       1/5  1/5     1/4   1    

Auld Lang Syne (G)
1155
1144
1155
4411

Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem (G)
1111
4411
1122
5555
1111
4411
1125
1411

1511
1411
1122
5555
1111
4411
1125
1411

O Come All Ye Faithful (G)
1      1      5      5
1      1      1      5
6m   5/2   5/1   5/1
5      2      5      5
1      1      5      1
5/1  6m/2 5      5
1      1      1      1
1      1      1      5/1
4      5/2   5      1/4
1      5      1      1  

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Em)
1m 1m b6 5
1m 1m b6 5
4m b3  1m b7
b3   5   1m b7
b3   5   1m 1m  

What Child Is This (Am)
1m 1m b7 b7
b6  b6  5   5
1m 1m  b7 b7
b6  5    1m 1m

b3  b3  b7 b7
b6  b6  5   5
b3  b3  b7 b7
b6  5   1m 1m  

or:
1m b3 b7 5m
1m b6 5   5
1m b3 b7 5m
b6  5  1m 1m

b3  b3  b7 5m
1m b6  5   5
b3  b3  b7 5m
b6   5  1m 1m   

We Three Kings (Em & G) 
Verse:
1m 1m 5 1m
1m 1m 5 1m
1m b7 b3 b3
5    5   1m b7 b7

The chorus is played in the relative major key of whatever minor key the verse was played in:
1    1   4    1
1    1   4    1
6m 5   4    5
1    1    4   1

Key     1m    b3   4m    5m    5     b6   b7
Am     Am    C     Dm    Em   E     F    G
Bm     Bm    D     Em    F#m F#   G    A
Cm     Cm    Eb    Fm   Gm   G    Ab   Bb
C#m   C#m  E      F#m G#m G#  A     B 
Dm     Dm    F      Gm   Am    A    Bb   C
Em      Em   G      Am   Bm    B    C     D   
F#m    F#m  A      Bm   C#m C#   D    E
Gm     Gm    Bb    Cm   Dm   D    Eb   F

Happy Pickin',
Jason
O Little Town Of Bethlehem - banjo tab
File Size: 735 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

O Little Town Of Bethlehem - guitar tab
File Size: 816 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

O Little Town Of Bethlehem - mandolin tab
File Size: 651 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

O Little Town Of Bethlehem - melody in G
File Size: 723 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

0 Comments

    Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2017 - 2018

    started as Beginner Jam in Jan 2015
    with
    ​Jason Homey

    Picture
    Songs regularly called at Bluegrass Jams and links from Jason's "Song of the Week" emails.  (from Renee)
    ​
    ​

    Songs

    All
    Are You Missing Me
    Auld Lang Syne
    Banks Of The Ohio
    Beautiful Brown Eyes
    Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem
    Big Spike Hammer
    Bill Cheatham
    Blue Ridge Cabin Home
    Canaan's Land
    Cherokee Shuffle
    Cheyenne
    Christmas Carol Progressions
    Christmas Songs
    Clinch Mountain Backstep
    Cry Cry Darlin
    Cryin' Holy
    Devil's Dream
    Dooley
    Down In A Willow Garden
    Down The Road
    East Virginia Blues
    Fireball Mail
    Foggy Mountain Breakdown
    Gathering Flowers From The Hillside
    Gold Rush
    Gold Watch And Chain
    Hand Me Down My Walking Cane
    Head Over Heels
    Homestead On The Farm
    How Mountain Girls Can Love
    I Can't Feel At Home
    I Know You Rider
    In The Pines
    In The Sweet By And By
    I Saw The Light
    John Henry
    Keep On The Sunny Side
    Left Over Biscuits
    Little Cabin Home On The Hill
    Little Darling Pal Of Mine
    Little Maggie
    Little Willie
    Love Of The Mountains
    Love Please Come Home
    Nine Pound Hammer
    Old Home Place
    Old Joe Clark
    O Little Town Of Bethlehem
    On And On
    Over The Waterfall
    Poor Wayfaring Stranger
    Red Haired Boy
    Red Wing
    Reuben
    Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms
    Roving Gambler
    Sally Goodin
    Salty Dog Blues
    Shuckin' The Corn
    Steel Rails
    Turkey In The Straw
    We'll Meet Again Sweetheart
    Whiskey Before Breakfast
    Why Don't You Tell Me So
    Wildwood Flower
    Wreck Of The Old '97
    X-Hits And B-List Songs Of 2016
    X Music Theory
    X New Song List 2018
    X- Song List 2018
    X-Songs Of The Week Of 2017
    X- The Mercury Sessions
    X-The Original And Great Carter Family

    All of Jason's Songs
    in alphabetical order


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      • Becky Smith Interview
      • Marv Quinton Interview
      • Rue Frisbee Interview
      • Donna and Mike Bond Interview
      • Honi Deaton Interview
      • Dennis Stokes Interview
      • Gary Eller Interview
    • Articles >
      • Glen Garrett - The Golden Years
      • Sammie Bush - came to Weiser
      • Mark O’Connor - My History at Weiser
      • Barbara Lamb - Fiddler Extraordinaire
      • Charlie Simmons -The Idaho Bluegrass Association from 1975 to 1985
      • Idaho's 19th century Fiddlers
      • Weiser Fiddle Champions ​ 1950s & 1960s
      • ​Byron Berline
      • Dave Frisbee
      • Weiser Fiddle Champions from 1970s and 80s
      • Megan Lynch Chowning
      • Fiddle Champion ​in 1990s and 2000s
      • Tashina and Tristan Clarridge
    • Snap Shot - Videos from IBA members
  • Events
    • Calendar (BCBB)
    • Open Mic
    • SpringGrass 2023 >
      • Springfest 2022
    • Winterfest
    • IBA Concert Series
    • Virtualgrass
    • Other Bluegrass Events
  • Jam
    • Idaho Jams
    • Jason's Beginner Jam Blog 2021 - 2022
    • Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2021 - 2022
    • All of Jason's Songs
    • Old Blogs from Jason >
      • Jason's Beginner Jam Blog 2019 - 2021
      • Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2019 - 2021
      • Jason's Beginner Jam Blog 2017 - 2018
      • Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2017 - 2018
      • Songs in 2016
  • Camps & Contests
    • Idaho Bluegrass and Banjo Camp
    • Banjo Contest
    • National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest
  • Idaho Bands
  • Teachers
  • Classified
  • Links
    • General
    • Learning
    • Specific Instruments