My students have started asking for Christmas music! Have yours?
Honestly, I love this change in season that almost forces a change in routine on us. New books and new arrangements of familiar tunes usually excites my students (me too!)
I enjoy taking a lot of time combing through materials and finding just the thing to motivate young musicians. Let me share my shopping list with you!
*If you order through some of these links I will earn a small amount of money at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
For Beginning Pianists:
Piano Adventures Level 1 Christmas This one is my personal favorite for beginners because it includes sight-reading exercises.
Christmas for the Later Beginner This book is nice for older beginners. Includes duet parts for teachers, parents or more advanced peers.
For Advanced Beginner & Intermediate Pianists
Piano Adventures Leve 3b is my go-to for early intermediate pianists. The songs can be learned relatively quickly but have a more mature sound than some other books at this level.
A First Book of Christmas Songs is a nice collection for advanced beginners looking for very straight-forward arrangements.
For Teachers or Late Intermediate Pianists: In this section I've chosen books that include music that teachers will find easy to prepare. (For instance, if you have to play at church every Sunday during the Advent season)
Christmas With a Velvet Touch by Tom Fettke is full of lovely arrangements that late intermediate or advanced students will enjoy. I have played these during the Advent season and found them to be very enjoyable.
An Impressionistic Christmas is a new-to-me collection of hymns for the Christmas season that are written in the style of the great impressionist composers. They look to appropriate for the Late Intermediate Pianist & I am looking forward to playing through them.
A Contemporary Christmas is a nice collection of more recent Christmas songs. It's listed as an Advanced level book but I would classify it as more Late Intermediate. Sight-readable and enjoyable for most piano teachers.
Coming soon:
More Christmas lists with fake books & some gifts for the musicians in your life!
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