If you are looking for easy Christmas music for a student, look no further. Here are some resources that will get your kids practicing! Who can resist playing Christmas music?
First Year Players
For my new beginners, I use easy piano music. Piano music at this level has teacher duet parts that work just as well for accompanying bassoonists. The solo part is usually a simple melody line. You can use most any level 1 or 2 Christmas collection. I happen to have Famous & Fun Christmas Book 1 and Book 2 by Carol Matz. I put the melodies into Finale in the octave that best suits the student, and that’s it. Piano accompaniments may also be moved to a different octave if you find that they drown out the solo line.
To download a ree PDF of the melodies I have already transcribed:
For the duet parts, you’ll have to buy the books.
Second Year Players and Above
I recommend Christmas Solos from Hal Leonard. It was originally written for trombone, but the range is very accessible for a second year player or above (lowest note is Bb in the staff and the highest is the G above the staff). Piece length ranges from 1:30 to around 5 minutes. Song list includes:
- Angels We Have Heard On High
- Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella
- The Coventry Carol
- God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
- The Holly and The Ivy
- O Holy Night
- Silent Night
- What Child in This?
- O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
This book comes with sheet music for the bassoonist and an accompaniment CD (or more vintage audio cassette). There is no actual sheet music for the piano accompaniment, but the CD is a recording of an actual pianist. I feel like the pianist’s tempos are a little fast, but maybe that’s just me being picky. I like these recordings mainly because their existence means that I don’t have to play all of the piano accompaniments this year!
I will be using this book with my studio this Christmas season. I live in a large Mormon community and many of my students have family members serving as missionaries all around the world. We will be recording these Christmas pieces and sending them out as electronic Christmas gifts to those who live overseas.