Christmas Violin Play-Along Books – Part 3

Summary: 

There is a real violin playing the melody on the demonstration tracks. The backing track is synthesizer, but the melody is played by a violin. There are no written piano accompaniments. So this is truly just a play-along book. It is more than just the melody, but really only the left hand technique is challenged. The right hand is all legato detaché.

Titles:

1. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing – G Major; First stanza – melody; Second stanza – harmony part; 3rd Stanza – melody in upper octave; 3rd position with a 4th finger extension for E, or you could shift into 4th position; Some ties over the bar line in harmony part; 2 note slurs, hooked bowing; 
2. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear – G Major; Play the melody 2 times through; Violin has melody on the first stanza; first half of the second stanza is a harmony part and the second half is the melody; The harmony part includes notes in 5th position for 3 measures; harmony part uses simple rhythms so the player would be able to focus on the position work; 
3. O Come All Ye Faithful – G Major; First stanza – melody; Second stanza – harmony part; 3rd Stanza – melody in upper octave; 3rd position; 2 note slurs, hooked bowing; 
4. O Come, O Come Emmanuel – E Minor modulating to A Minor; 3 eighth note slurs; first stanza is the melody; second stanza begins with harmony then takes over the melody; 2 measures of 3rd position; because of key signature A minor – low 1 F natural on the E string. 
5. O Holy Night – C Major; 6/8 time signature; mostly in 1st and 3rd position; Some 6th position but optional notes are included an octave lower; first stanza is the melody; second stanza is a harmony part; the harmony part has 3 measures of steady eighth notes with several accidentals – this could be a practice spot depending on the student. 1 run of stepping sixteenth notes that are slurred;  
6. Silent Night – A Major; First stanza – melody; Second stanza – harmony part; 3rd Stanza – weaves in and out of a harmony part and the melody; Uses 1st and 3rd position; 
7. We Three Kings of Orient Are – E Minor; 3/8 time signature; first stanza is in lower octave; second stanza up an octave and then the third stanza the violin plays a harmony part; Harmony can be played all in first position; There is some shifting into third position but it is in the melody part of the second stanza; This is probably my favorite arrangement in the collection. I feel like technical skills used match the arrangement.
8. What Child Is This? – E minor; First stanza melody part; second stanza harmony using pentatonic scales in lower octave and then repeated up an octave; 3rd stanza melody in upper octave; 1st and 3rd position for the last stanza;