Jingle Bells Rag Challenges

Whew. This piece has been harder than anticipated. (Aren't they always!)

True, it is easier than "Bare Necessities." I didn't expect to breeze through it, but I also didn't expect to still be struggling after six or eight weeks.

It doesn't sound bad. I can play through it pretty well. But it doesn't sound great. It doesn't sound polished. It doesn't sound professional. I don't feel confident about it, and confidence is key.

Some Changes

Granted, I've made some changes that have taken some time to learn.

I've replaced a few of the jumps with octave walkups/walkdowns--partly because I like the sound, but mostly because it allows me to focus more on some tricky jumps in the right hand.

I've also made a few fingering changes that I'm having to re-learn, and that takes time.

The High-Octave "Jingle-Bell" Section

I'm still trying to figure out what to do with the high-octave section toward the end. I go back and forth between playing all of it high, all of it an octave lower, or half low and half high. And I can't decide whether to play the one little dissonant part in the higher octave or the lower octave. As written, it's all in the higher octave, but I can't hear it due to my high-frequency hearing loss, and I'd rather play it low. Jingle-bell sound effects be darned.

At the same time, the jingle-bell sound effects are cool and fitting, so I go back and forth.

The Easy Part!

Here is the one truly easy part of the piece: the crossed-hands section. I won't say how many times I had to video this before I got through with no pauses and no missed notes. So frustrating that I freeze up every time I turn the camera on. Enjoy!

(To hear Jonny May playing this same piece, click here.)

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Picking Up the Pieces

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