Category: O Little Town Of Bethlehem

O Little Town Of Bethlehem

12/8/2018

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