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Topic: Question about a Christmas Song |
Dom Franco
From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
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Posted 23 Nov 2019 9:02 pm |
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One note has always bugged me in "What Child is This" (Greensleeves) I cringe every time I hear it played during the Christmas season.
In the Key of "C" (Am) the first few notes are A C D E... it's the 5th note that bugs me. I hear it as an F natural but so many musicians play or sing an F# that seems so wrong to me. What do you guys think?
What Child is this WHO .....
Do you play A C D E F# E or A C D E F E...?
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 23 Nov 2019 10:31 pm
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I’ve seen it written both ways and heard it played both ways. I remember struggling with this when I wrote my arrangement of Greensleeves for my 25 Songs book. Either way seemed to work. I listened to as many versions as I could find, checked the sheet music in books I have, and I even went to the local library and checked the song books there. I finally settled on the way that makes you cringe, Dom!  The majority of books I checked showed it that way. I play the song in Em (G) so the note I play is C#, with a quick slide to B.
I notice that Jerry Byrd also plays it that way on his “Christmas in Hawaii†album. He plays that note and then a descending riff after it.
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 24 Nov 2019 2:29 am
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The tune dates back centuries to a time when the the distinction was not as important. The note in question is an ornament with no harmonic function and can be influenced by either the preceding or the succeding chord.
I've looked for a video of Henry VIII playing it but no joy.
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Last edited by Ian Rae on 24 Nov 2019 4:02 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Charlie McDonald
From:
out of the blue
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Posted 24 Nov 2019 2:59 am
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What sounds right to me is F in the first line of the verse,
and F# the next time around. Don't know if it's correct or if there is a right way.
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Those that say don't know; those that know don't say.--Buddy Emmons |
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 24 Nov 2019 4:03 am
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It's what you feel, Charlie, because you're a creative person. You have exploited the ambiguity to artistic effect.
_________________
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 24 Nov 2019 6:34 am
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I've heard it both ways too and I will play them interchangeably depending on - well, what I want to play. I honestly don't know which is "correct", if in fact there is any absolute standard.
In the key of C/Am, I assume the reason F# sounds "wrong" to some is that it is not in the A Aeolian (Am) scale. But I don't accept the idea that a melody can only have notes in the Ionian/Aeolian modal scale associated with the song key. But if it sounds wrong, I don't think there's any reason to play it that way. |
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Dom Franco
From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
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Posted 24 Nov 2019 8:11 am
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Thank you all for confirming what I suspected. Dave you are right about it being a "Scale" thing to my ears. For many years as a Church Music director, I developed a preference for certain harmonies and I taught all the parts to the singers/choir. I often deviated from the written music and changed chords and rhythm to make the songs "cooler."
Christmas Songs have tons of chords (many being written hundreds of years ago) and they were composed on a keyboard not guitar with multiple moving parts, counter melodies, rounds, etc. So over the years I dumbed down the chords to make them easier for the guitar players to follow. This of course changed the harmonies.
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Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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