Jingle Bells with back cycling triads, diminished triads etc

**Liarspoker** · 12-09-2023, 12:33 PM

Here's a quick arrangement of Jingle Bells featuring back cycling triads, contrary motion, diminished triads and scalar bass movement.

The video and sheet music (plus tabs) are in the blog post.

I hope that someone finds it useful.

Jingle Bells using Back Cycling with Triads - Modern Guitar Harmony

**Christian Miller** · 12-09-2023, 12:36 PM

It fits the first few bars of moments notice really well…

**Liarspoker** · 12-09-2023, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by Christian Miller

It fits the first few bars of moments notice really well…

Indeed it does. The chords for the second half of the first phase are V of V of V but you could fill that in with more V of V's. Must try that actually.

**Christian Miller** · 12-09-2023, 03:07 PM

Also I like

E7 A7 D7 G7 or

E7 Eb7 D7 Db7

for jingle bells jingle bells

**Christian Miller** · 12-09-2023, 03:08 PM

All chords in first and third inversion of course. Tritones on the bottom baby!

**ragman1** · 12-10-2023, 02:41 PM

I've listened to it. There's no doubt it's highly technical, theoretical, intricate and triadic. But the problem, apart from the end phrase, is that...

... it's horrible.

**P4guitar** · 12-10-2023, 03:26 PM

Originally Posted by ragman1

I've listened to it. There's no doubt it's highly technical, theoretical, intricate and triadic. But the problem, apart from the end phrase, is that...

... it's horrible.

Made me laugh...but I sort of liked that version.

**Liarspoker** · 12-10-2023, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by ragman1

I've listened to it. There's no doubt it's highly technical, theoretical, intricate and triadic. But the problem, apart from the end phrase, is that...

... it's horrible.

I agree that it's not my best playing. I'll try to record it again tomorrow with better tone too (and practise it a bit more).

From what I remember our musical tastes are vastly different. What I really liked you didn't (but not necessarily vice versa).

Anyway I'll try for a more sustained sound and maybe played a bit slower too.

Love the intro chord though....'Winter'.

**ragman1** · 12-11-2023, 06:04 AM

Originally Posted by Liarspoker

I agree that it's not my best playing.

It wasn't your playing, it was the repetitive discord over a simple tune, Xmas carol or not. Also, the sounds were mostly all in the same register. The point is I don't think it enhanced the tune and it became unattractive.

I'm all for triads in the right place but a constant stream tends to limit the harmony too much. I think they're called close voicings or something.

I agree about the first chord, it is wintry :-)

I don't remember our tastes clashing in the past. I've no recollection of that. But I suppose anything's possible :-)

**frabarmus** · 12-11-2023, 06:40 AM

I found it interesting... I don't mind, really, a dissonant version of a simple, merry, almost childish song. I did an arrangement of it, years ago, that wasn't based so much on a "theory puzzle/riddle" (whatever that means) though I did sub all the underlying chords (with jazz-chords with extensions etc.) to make it sound "unobvious" and surprising and it did sound rather "contemporary" (if not random, harmonically). I thought it wasn't bad (perhaps it wasn't that good either as I wanted to post it on this thread but can't find it... I must have thrown it away then!).

**ragman1** · 12-11-2023, 07:02 AM

Just as an aside, being Xmas at the moment I usually try to come up with an arrangement of Silent Night. I tell you, it's one of the hardest tunes to reharm. There are lots and lots of arrangements on YouTube and I've yet to find one that really hits the spot with me.

I know it's all down to personal taste and all that but some are so way out that the song is simply destroyed and others are just cut-your-throat downright miserable!

With jazz tunes, it's quite easy to reharm them because of the way they're constructed. But these simple tunes are not so easy at all because their whole beauty is in their simplicity.

**frabarmus** · 12-11-2023, 07:13 AM

I agree it's not easy to reharm tunes like these and keep/make them beautiful or "meaningful" (whether or not one maintains the Xmas spirit of them, in one's arrangement)...

**Liarspoker** · 12-11-2023, 01:33 PM

Thanks for your comments guys. Appreciated.

Yeah, it's a play on the E & F tension so no worries if you don't like it ragman. The semitone might be a bit extreme for some.

The blog post says to experiment so if anyone wants to have a go at reharm using the techniques in the blog post feel free.

I'd love to see any videos

I also have a Silent Night version somewhere and many other Jingle Bells. Must dig them out.

Peace

**Liarspoker** · 12-11-2023, 01:41 PM

Not my best playing either but Jingle Bells with 4 & 5 note chords. This uses back cycling too. I got the theory from that, bass and melody note and filled the middle notes in by ear. Bit of bass movement makes it more interesting too.

**Liarspoker** · 12-11-2023, 01:45 PM

Again not my best playing probably because I should practice these more

Anyhow Silent Night. Both this version and the Jingle Bells in the post above were played on my then new Tele which I didn't like too much. After a good set up she plays much better but I'm not confident on going for harmonics as opposed to my Ibanez hollow body where they ring each time.

Anyway enough waffle I better get to work. Have a great day or evening wherever you are.

**Bop Head** · 12-11-2023, 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by Liarspoker

Again not my best playing probably because I should practice these more

Anyhow Silent Night. Both this version and the Jingle Bells in the post above were played on my then new Tele which I didn't like too much. After a good set up she plays much better but I'm not confident on going for harmonics as opposed to my Ibanez hollow body where they ring each time.

Anyway enough waffle I better get to work. Have a great day or evening wherever you are.

"Stille Nacht" (a.k.a. "Silent Night") for me, having grown up with classical music and real traditional bavarian folklore, is one of those tunes that do gain nothing at all from reharmonization. For me its attraction lies in its simplicity and modesty.

A good friend once said to me that there is no word in another language that is able to adequately translate the German noun "Innigkeit", meaning something in the direction of "intimacy" and "heartiness".

Maybe the original version(s) can illustrate what I mean:

The first two verses are played in the version of the original autograph of 1820, the next two are played in the "version from Hallein" of 1840 and the last two in a orchestral version of 1860.

**ragman1** · 12-11-2023, 03:57 PM

Bop Head -

I appreciate your respect for the traditional rendering of Silent Night but I had the desire to reharm it and see what I could do. Probably because I'm playing here on a jazz forum. This is the reharm, not copied from anywhere else, plus the melody, of course, and with one of the solos in a jazzy vein. It just about works but maybe you have to be in the mood. I hope it doesn't offend your sensibilities :-)

GM7 - Em7 - GM7 - Em7
Am7 - Ab7b5 - GM7 - G7

CM7 - C#o - GM7 - G7
CM7 - C#o - GM7 - E7b9

Am7 - Ab7b5 - Em7 - A7
GM7 - D7b9 - G - %