Christmas Violin Play-Along Books – Part 1
Do you love violin Christmas Play-Along books? True confession: I used to have a very snotty attitude toward violin play-along books. Through the pandemic I began to see these violin Play-Along book were meeting a need. First, these books come with performance tracks and accompaniment play-along tracks. In a world where students live in earbuds. Sometimes creating your own live music is disappointing. These books give them a soundtrack to play along to. Which is really exciting and can be very fulfilling for the student. Second, many of these books have more popular titles from movies and artists that students like and know.
So, while there is a value of violin Play-Along books. Not all violin Play-Along books are good. And though they are marked as easy. These books can be technically tricky. Some of these books are arranged for band instruments and then just transposed for strings. They use the same background tracks for all the books which is very cost effective for the publisher. But keys that are good for brass students are challenging for beginning string players, keys like E-flat, B-flat, A-flat. Also these play-along books have none or very few fingering. There may be some basic bowings. And sometimes the bowing is really woodwind phrasing marks. I’ve also found that some arrangements are very easy and then will have a couple measures of technical challenges.
I know this sounds like I still have an attitude toward violin play-along books. And for good reason as you can see below. But I actually have found some that actually work for the student violinist.
Violin Christmas Play-Along Books
August and September is when I start looking for Christmas music for my students. I really want to capitalize on the fact that they love to play Christmas and holiday music. It often gives them the desire and motivation to get that instrument out and practice! So, I ordered 5 Violin Christmas Play-Along books and played through most of each book with the recording. Here are my thoughts. Hopefully this will give you insight into which of these Christmas Violin Play-Along books will work for your students.
Sensational Solos! Popular Christmas – Play-Along CD Included
Publisher: The FJH Music Company Inc.
Pros:
- There is a wide variety of stylings through this collection.
- The Play-Along tracks are well done and very creative.
- A written out piano accompaniment book is available making these recital options.
Cons:
- Main complaint – bad keys for string players!
- Minimal bowing – a few bow markings for the beginning of each piece and each section. At most 2 note slurs.
- No fingering for shifting – There was 1 finger numbers indicating low 4 (a-flat)
- The melody is played by a xylophone.
Summary: When I order this Holiday violin play-along, I had high hopes. I really like Brian Balmages compositions. His works written for for string orchestra are beautiful. So, I thought this was going to be a great collection. The arrangements are really interesting. I think these arrangements are for wind and brass instruments, and an editor it turned into a violin book. Unless you are looking to have your students play in B-flat in E-flat, this is probably not your best option for violin students. Because of these keys the arrangements won’t “sing” on the violin. The teacher or student will also need to add fingering in for shifting. While the marked bowing works additional bowing would make these more interesting to play.
Titles:
- It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – B-flat Major
- A Holly Jolly Christmas – B-flat Major
- Ding Dong! Merrily on High – E-flat Major to F Major (some 3rd position)
- I Saw Three Ships – F Major (some 3rd position)
- The Little Drummer Boy – E-flat Major to F Major
- I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus – B-flat Major (C6 happens 3 times – would recommend shifting not extending from a B-flat)
- Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree – B-flat Major (1 shift into 3rd position)
- O Holy Night – B-flat Major
- Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town – B-flat Major (lots of shifting into 3rd position)
- Angels We Have Heard on High – E-flat Major to F Major ( 3rd position)
- Christmas Bells Are Ringing – A-flat Major to B-flat Major (3rd position)
- Go, Tell It On the Mountain – E-flat Major (2 C6’s)
- Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer – E-flat Major to F Major (3rd position)
- What Child is This? – D minor
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – B-flat Major – uses swing rhythm (3rd position)
- Hark! The Herald Angels Sing – E-flat Major (3rd position)
18 Intermediate Christmas Favorites – Violin
Publisher: Carl Fischer
Pros:
- Download the mp3 Tracks from a code in the front of the book. (Half of my students don’t own a CD player anymore)
- Piano accompaniments are available to download from the publishers website the the code in the front. (The piano accompaniment keys match the violin book. See “con #1”)
- The keys are much better for string players.
- All in first position.
- Lots of jazz, rock and latin rhythm patterns that string players don’t play often. So this would be good for counting for a level 3 student
Cons:
- Main complaint – All but 2 of the accompaniment tracks are in different keys from the violin part!!!! What good is a play along book you can’t play-along with?!?!?
- The play-along tracks sound great! But it only the track, there is no demo with the solo.
Summary: I would NOT recommend this book because of the Play-Along track key problem. I like the variety in this book. There is a lot of different styles and variety. But since the play-along track is unusable it’s a no go!
Titles:
- Auld Lang Syne – G Major (Play-Along Track – F Major) ; March
- The First Noel – B-Flat Major; Traditional
- God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – E minor (Play-Along Track – D minor); Bright Jazz Feel
- Go Tell It On the Mountain – E Minor – to A minor (Play-Along track – D minor to G minor); Even eighths “Rock”
- Greensleeves (What Child is This?) – E minor (Play-Along Track – F minor); Jazz Waltz
- Hark! The Herald Angels Sing – G Major (Play-Along Track F Major); Traditional with synthesizer orchestra.
- Joy to the World – D Major (Play-Along Track E-flat Major) Traditional with synthesizer orchestra.
- Hey Man, Christmas Swings! – D Major (Play-Along Track E-flat Major) Big Band swing – There is no written piano accompaniment for this piece.
- Jingle Bells – G Major (Play-Along Track in F Major); Bright Jazz
- Jolly Old St. Nicholas – C Major (Play-Along Track B-flat Major); Hard Rock
- O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles) – B-flat Major; Light bossa nova
- O Little Town of Bethlehem – G Major (Play-Along Track F Major); Light bossa nova
- O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree) – D Major to E Major (Play-Along Track E-flat Major to F Major); Soft jazz style
- Silent Night (Inspired by Gymnopedie No. 1 by Erik Satie) – C Major to D Major (Play-Along Track B-flat Major – C Major)
- Waltz of the Flowers from the Ballet The Nutcracker – C Major (Play-along Track E-flat Major)
- We Three Kings – G Minor (Play-along Track F Minor) Jazz Waltz
- Up On the Housetop – D Major (Play-along Track E-flat Major) 50s style shuffle
- We Wish You A Merry Christmas – G Major to C Major (Play-along Track F Major to B-flat Major) Latin style
Pros:
- Download the mp3 Tracks from a code in the front of the book.
- 2 recordings of each piece. The demo recordings with solo part played by xylophone. Then another track with just the accompaniment.
Cons:
- No bowing or fingering marked in music.
- No piano accompaniment
Summary: If you have heard Mannheim Steamroller’s Christmas album, these sound exactly like the album. These are very playable for level 3 with the one exception of Carol of the Bells. With the position work that piece would be a level 4 or 5. The demo tracks and Play-Along tracks are easy to follow. As a teacher I would want to add in some fingering and bowing for students. But several of these could be played all in 1st position and a student who is a good reader could figure these out on their own.
Titles:
- Bring A torch, Jeanette Isabella – D Major; 1st position
- Good King Wenceslas – C Major; 1st position
- Carol of the Bells – E minor; Shifting between 1st and 3rd and some 5th position on the E string; duple rhythm in 6/8 time.
- Christmas Lullaby – C Major; 1st position
- Deck the Halls – F Major; time signature changes throughout; 1st position
- God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – G Minor; Position work: there are 2 – C6’s. With a good fingering this would be easy.
- Greensleeves – G Minor; 1st position. Accidentals used from melodic minor.
- Hark the Herald Angels Sing – C Major to F Major; some 3 measures of 3rd position; time signature changes 4/4 to 3/4 to 5/4. Music is marked to switch from swing rhythms to straight back and forth;
- Joy to the World – F Major to A-flat Major (16 measures) to F Major (does these modulation pattern 2 twice.); 1st position.
- Pat A Pan – A Minor to C Minor (19measures) to A Minor; 1st position
- Silent Night – C Major; time signature changes 2/4 to 3/4
- Traditions of Christmas – C Major; 1st position
Of these 3 Violin Christmas Play-Along Books in this post, the Mannheim Steamroller book is the only book I recommend for students!
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