Songs for Christmas chord inversions
Found in: Accompaniment
Megan F., Nebraska
The variations in Songs for Christmas use inversions that my Level 4 students have not yet learned. However, they’re beyond the basic C F & G chords of the simple versions. Should I teach the variations using root position chords, or find a way to challenge them with the simple versions, e.g. transposing, adding rhythmic variations, arpeggios, etc.? I could go ahead and teach the inversions, but I’m thinking I should probably wait until it’s part of the accompaniment curriculum. Your thoughts?
Leeanne I., Australia
I have a Level 4 student using Songs for Christmas. We have learned all the basic versions and also transposed all the songs just using C F & G. I tried him on the advanced versions, but he finds all the split chords and ‘walking’ LH too confusing. I would start them on transposing first, then use the advanced versions RH when learning your 7th, suspended, etc chords, in Accompaniment 1. Do the rhythmic variations when you have done Accompaniment Variations, and transposing when you have learned that in Accompaniment 2. I use the “Songs for …” books as extra practice for what they have learned in the Accompaniment program.