Jingle Bells Jazz Piano Tutorial
In this lesson we introduce the tune Jingle Bells and explore the core pillars of the harmony before reharmonising and arranging the tune.
In the downloads section of this page you can find a full transcription of the arrangment and also an annotated lead sheet which shows the original chord changes in black and colour-coded reharmonisations and chord substitutions.
Inner Voice Movement
A very simple but effective device for reharmonising Christmas songs is to use inner voice movement. This is particularly effective when we have the same chord type over multiple bars, for example the first 3 bars of Gmaj7.
We can use the inner voice of 5, to #5, to 6 and this adds additional colour and tension to an extended period of a single chord type.
Triads & Passing Chords
We start by arranging the tune using simple triad voicings in our left hand. This allows us to clearly visualise the core harmonic pillars of the tune which are the 1, 4, & 5 chords.
We then gradually layer our reharmonisations, start with simple 25 approach and passing chords and place these before the core chord changes.
We touch upon some more advanced reharmonisation principles such as introducing the 3 and 6 chords and how to experiment with tritone substitutes.
Lesson Downloads
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Jingle Bells Reharmonised File Type: pdf -
Jingle Bells Midi File File Type: midi
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Jingle Bells Transcription File Type: pdf
Related Lessons
The tune follows an AABA form with a 16 bar B section which makes the tune 36 bars long. It’s often played a fast tempos with a syncopated swingin’ feel.
The tune is most commonly played in the key of C. We reharmonise the changes to create a rich and harmonically complex arrangement.
We jump straight in with two-handed voicings, starting with simpler chords and then increasing the complexity of the voicings we choose to play.
Practice Tips
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Pay attention to the core pillars of the harmony which are the I chord, the IV chord, and the V chord.
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Once we can clearly visualise these core pillars, we can start to introduce passing chords and other reharmonisations.
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Experiment with additional 25 progressions which can be used to precede the core chord changes.
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Once your are comfortable with the basic 25 reharms, we can then introduce the 3 and 6 chords to create richer harmonies and progressions.
