Christ Was Born on Christmas Day

Christ Was Born On Christmas Day, with an easy Middle C position version and a late elementary arrangement.

Here's the top half of page one:

Christ was Born on Christmas Day, free online Christmas music

And the bottom half of page one:

This late elementary solo version makes use of left hand chords in basic root and inverted positions, to make comprehension and playing easy... and it's still pretty!

This video shows the Blacksburg High School Madrigals choir, dressed in medieval or Renaissance garb:

Scroll down the page for the links to the free downloadable PDFs.

Page two, the top half:

Page two, the bottom half:

This song is very easy on the piano hands separate.  Coordinating the two hands on page two is a little harder!  

I suggest reviewing the G cadence chords -- check out my Key of G scales and chords page if you are unfamiliar with what I mean.

Here are the G chords in "close" position - G, C/G, G, D/F#, G.  Is that clear?

A cadence in the key of G (put a sharp on the F)

The Roman numeral "I" is always for the main chord; in this case, the G chord since we are playing in the key of G.

"IV" is the chord built on the fourth step of the scale: C.  Here we see the C chord, but using a "g" in the bottom instead of "c".  Hence, "C over G," or "C/G".

The fifth step of the scale in the key of G is... D!  (G, A, B, C, D...).  So it is called the "V" chord - Roman numeral five.  

It has an F sharp in the bass, so it is spelled "D over F#" or "D/F#".

Now in this piano arrangement, the D chord will be a SEVENTH chord - it will include a C note (the seventh step up from the bottom of the D chord).  That gives it a "special" sound that makes us want to return home to the I chord, the G.

What a G chord going to a D7 chord looks like on piano music

You and your student will have to figure out what kind of fingering they will use in the right hand; I think there are probably only two possibilities: 5-3-1-2-4-5-4, or 4-2-1-2-4-5-4.

Neither fingering will feel natural to an elementary-level student, but this is the only tricky spot in the right hand.

If they are familiar with chord shapes, then this should not be too big of an obstacle.

Now here is the easy Middle C version, shown in two parts:

If you want to make a duet out of it, have your student play the melody up an octave or two, and have their duet partner play a simple chord arrangement (look at the arrangement above to see what chords are usually employed).

I haven't put any fingering in... instead of saying, "That's finger 2!" for the first left hand note, make your beginner piano student figure out that the note is a B.

(I sometimes call this the "Baby" note B, since it has to lay on the line like a baby.  Contrariwise, the treble note Middle D is the "Daddy" note, as its "head" supports the whole "ladder" or staff...)

After playing it through once, you might discuss what the fingering ought to be, then hand them the pencil and tell them to draw the first right hand finger number and first left hand finger number also.

Merry Christmas!


The links for the piano music:


Download free online Christmas music Christ Was Born On Christmas Day


Download beginner version of free Christmas sheet music "Christ Was Born on Christmas Day" 


Dianna:
Your website is a light in the darkness. THANK YOU for all you do in helping to spread the love of music. It matters!

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About the Author

Dana Thynes

Hi, I'm Dana!  (Say that like "Anna".)  I'm the owner of Music-for-Music-Teachers.com, and a newer site, SingTheBibleStory.com.

Like some of you, I've been playing the piano since early childhood, and have added a few other instruments along the way, plus an interest in arranging and composing music.

You can find out more about me and the reason for this website at my About Me page.