From the sacred to the secular, 12 Songs of Christmas – Duets For 5-String Banjo and Guitar, will offer the musician a more challenging approach to these standard Christmas songs. The arrangements compliment each instrument by providing unique variations of well-known melodies without losing the sentiment of the basic song. Head to this link on Amazon to get your copy!
The songs included in the book are: Silent Night, We Three Kings, Up On the Housetop, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, Jingle Bells, The First Noel, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, Auld Lang Syne, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Deck The Halls, The Nutcracker March.
The songs are graded for their level of difficulty (Levels 1 through 4) from relatively easy, pre-intermediate, intermediate-advanced and advanced. Charts are included for both banjo and guitar that describe the skills needed for each level of difficulty.
This is a book that will grow with you from one holiday season to the next as your skills on your instrument improve and grow. The duet music is written in tablature form and presented on a double staff so each part can be read simultaneously.
A banjo notation key is provided to help banjoists understand the special tablature markings and notations that also appear in Jeff Belding’s first book, “New Techniques for 5-String Banjo, Volume 1, Beginner”, also available on Amazon. The guitar part is in standard tablature notation. Each song provides an opportunity for both instruments to play melody and accompaniment parts.
Read my blog related to this book:
https://jeffbelding.com/what-if-i-dont-have-someone-to-duet-with/
And – I made a YouTube video of all the songs for your listening pleasure while you relax to a crackling fireplace:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RiPPLCwSIg&list=PLLssIKFNTBOGJ5uARO0FLP_NI0LxHhBoY&index=1
Finally, I have MP3s of all the songs in the Christmas book. If you would like access to these for your own practice, please email me (Jeff.belding@yahoo.com) for the link.