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
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Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2017 - 2018started as Beginner Jam in Jan 2015 Songs regularly called at Bluegrass Jams and links from Jason's "Song of the Week" emails. (from Renee)
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