Jingle Bell Rock is an annual holiday tradition heard on radio programs and featured in popular holiday films, covered by artists such as Brenda Lee and Hall & Oates.
Bobby Helms first recorded it as country music singer and had initially expressed reservations about mixing rock’n’roll and Christmas music together.
1. Bb Major
Bb Major is a major scale with two flats. This key can often be found in classical music as well as some Romantic forms.
An upbeat scale and chord progression that’s often heard in Christmas songs. It has a much livelier sound compared to other major scales or chord progressions.
As with other major scales, it consists of seven notes with unique names that should help you gain an understanding of its structure and chord progressions. Learning these notes is essential in developing musical proficiency.
Start slowly and gradually increase the tempo as you become more familiar with B Flat Major scales and arpeggios, practicing different rhythms to develop flexibility and expressiveness in your playing. A metronome will help to establish a rhythmical pulse to help develop rhythm.
2. C Major
Beginners seeking to expand their chord repertoire should consider starting off with “Jingle Bell Rock”. C major chord is an easy and straightforward starting point that provides full sound as well as an easy transition between different chords.
This chord is extremely useful, as it is featured in nearly all types of music imaginable – from classical rock songs performed by Bob Marley & The Wallers and the Beatles to upbeat dance rhythms in today’s hits.
This specific C voicing, commonly referred to as C/G, is popularly utilized in pop and rock music to add depth and richness to progressions. Furthermore, its compact feel makes it particularly convenient when switching chords in similar fret areas.
3. D Major
D Major chord is one of the most widely utilized in guitar music. Consisting of root note, major third and perfect fifth from D major scale, this chord often pairs up with other major chords to form more intricate arrangements.
Beginners often find the D chord to be difficult, requiring all three fingers to remain still while strumming only four thin strings. If this proves challenging for you, try simplifying its form by playing Dsus2 which uses similar fingering but leaves out playing of low E string altogether.
Another frequent problem is when finger 3 on fret 3, string 2 has an inclination to mutes string 1. To remedy this, slightly lowering your thumb can provide more leverage and allow more string 1 mutes.
4. E Major
Use this chord when performing any version of “Jingle Bells.” Experiment with different rhythms – whether bouncy, swinging, stomper or anything that might remind you of racing sleigh music! Your chosen tempo depends entirely upon yourself and any instruments playing alongside.
Learning all the various voicings of an E major chord will open up many doors for your guitar playing. Some inverted chord voicings may also present themselves, as can experimenting with its minor seventh scale to add blues or jazz flavoring to songs.
5. F Major
Jingle Bell Rock is one of those classic songs that is often performed at different tempos depending on your personal singing comfort levels, though its chord progression will remain the same regardless of tempo selection.
This chord progression contains several suspensions – regular triads wherein either third has been moved up or down by half or whole steps for an entirely different sound – to create a distinct chord voicing.
F Major is known for supporting many 7th chords, created by adding an additional note seven notes above the root note of a chord – these dominant chords can be difficult for beginners guitarists to play; here are a few tips for successfully creating them.