🎹 About the First Christmas Pop Solos songbook series:
The holiday season tends to sneak up on teachers and students, especially those who start lessons at the beginning of the new school year. Finding great secular holiday music for beginners beyond the usual traditional favorites (looking at you “Jolly Old St. Nicholas” and “Jingle Bells”!) is especially challenging.
I created this series to satisfy the needs of first and second year beginning level students so they can play all the pop Christmas favorites with a little backup from you (or a capable parent or sibling) in the form of duet accompaniments. All of the student parts can stand-alone and are written in a five-finger, one-note-at-a-time format with no shared keys and no key signatures. Add in the duet part and you have a lot of extra pizazz in the mix making these pieces perfect for holiday recitals and performances.
🎶 First Christmas Pop Solos: Volume 1 Songbook
The following ten songs are included in the First Christmas Pop Solos: Volume 1 songbook.
These are all available as separate singles, but you get the most value (50% off 😱) by purchasing the whole collection. All of these arrangements are appropriate for beginners of any age. The duet parts are at an intermediate level.
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Last Christmas
- The Little Drummer Boy
- Christmas Time Is Here
- Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
- I’ll Be Home for Christmas
- Caroling, Caroling
- Silver Bells
- We Need a Little Christmas
- Wonderful Christmastime
🎹 Watch a performance of the entire volume:
⭐ Featured Favorites
Let’s dive deeper with some more details about a few of my personal favorites from First Christmas Pop Solos: Volume 1 songbook.
1. “Last Christmas” by Wham!
An 80s classic that seems to just float in the air during the holiday season!
🔎 Sheet music sneak peek:
2. “Christmas Time Is Here” by Vince Guaraldi
The timeless charm of this classic from “A Charlie Brown Christmas” in a hand-friendly version for beginners with all the lush jazz chords provided by the duet part.
🔎 Sheet music sneak peek:
3. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”
Many of your students will know this song from “Home Alone,” and all of them will love playing it!
🔎 Sheet music sneak peek:
🎶 First Christmas Pop Solos: Volume 2 Songbook
The following ten songs are included in the First Christmas Pop Solos: Volume 2 songbook.
These are all available as separate singles, but you get the most value (50% off 😱) by purchasing the whole collection. All of these arrangements are appropriate for beginners of any age. The duet parts are at an intermediate level.
- A Holly Jolly Christmas
- Do You Hear What I Hear
- The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)
- All I Want for Christmas Is You
- (There’s No Place Like) Home for the Holidays
- Jingle Bell Rock
- Skating (from “A Charlie Brown Christmas”)
- Frosty the Snowman
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
- Little Saint Nick
🎹 Watch a performance of the entire volume:
⭐ Featured Favorites
Let’s dive deeper with some more details about a few of my personal favorites from First Christmas Pop Solos: Volume 2 songbook.
1. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey
This song may drive me nuts, but it turned into a fun little bluesy romp for beginners with the duet!
🔎 Sheet music sneak peek:
2. “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms
Students always want to play this tune in year one of lessons, but it’s a tough climb due to the range of hte melody. This arrangement takes care of the “moving around” issue by dividing the melody work between the two hands.
🔎 Sheet music sneak peek:
3. “Skating” (from “A Charlie Brown Christmas”)
I’m pretty proud of this easy version of a tough tune. There’s some “compromises” made in the student part, but when the two parts are put together it’s really close to the original version!
🔎 Sheet music sneak peek:
🎶 First Christmas Pop Solos: Volume 3 Songbook
The following ten songs are included in the First Christmas Pop Solos: Volume 3 songbook.
These are all available as separate singles, but you get the most value (50% off 😱) by purchasing the whole collection. All of these arrangements are appropriate for beginners of any age. The duet parts are at an intermediate level.
- The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
- Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town
- Christmas Is Coming (from “A Charlie Brown Christmas”)
- Blue Christmas
- Here Comes Santa Claus
- Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
- Feliz Navidad
- Winter Wonderland
- I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
- White Christmas
🎹 Watch a performance of the entire volume:
⭐ Featured Favorites
Let’s dive deeper with some more details about a few of my personal favorites from First Christmas Pop Solos: Volume 3 songbook.
1. “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Andy Williams
I adore this joyful holiday romp!
🔎 Sheet music sneak peek:
2. “Blue Christmas” by Elvis Presley
A lanky, bluesy favorite!
🔎 Sheet music sneak peek:
3. “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”
Always a favorite with students!
🔎 Sheet music sneak peek:
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