So you want to do something different and spice up an old song. You’ve heard all of these old Christmas songs a million times and now you need to play one yourself. Going with the traditional arrangement is a safe bet when leading a sing-a-long but where’s the fun in that? I just finished watching Adam Neeley’s video, Christmas Songs, but they’re in a 15/16 time signature, and was inspired.
Not everyone is ready to use 15/16 on tried-and-true Christmas songs. You can still have some fun with much easier and common adjustments. For example, I played Silent Night in 4/4 for years before I found out it is actually in 6/8. My favorite version of that song is the Simon and Garfunkel version from the album, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme – 7 O’clock News / Silent Night. I thought it was in 4/4 and learned it that way. It works rather well slowing it down for a more pensive feel.
A fellow musician friend of mine, Karen England, who helped review my latest video creation, was surprised to hear Silent Night in 6/8. She expected to hear O Holy Night. She is used to hearing that song in 6/8 and not Silent Night. I expect to hear O Holy Night with a lot of swing, as in Brian Setzer Orchestra kind of swing 😉
How to spice up an old song
Now that you are inspired, let’s get down to brass tacks. Before you can effectively mess with the timing of any song, you need to work on your own sense of timing as I explain here. Getting good and comfortable with counting and proper timing is crucial to success here.
Break the habit
Old songs are like old habits: difficult to break. The tendency will be to pop back into the familiar rut you’ve been in for all of these years. To break that cycle, get the melody and a metronome that will accent the first beat. Sing along if you can or play the melody while the alternate rhythm is playing. Going from 3/4 to 4/4 may sound easy but it can be tricky as you figure where to lengthen notes or cut measures up to fit.
Go with the Feeling
Another good way to start getting out of the rut is think about the words and where you would place accents if actually speaking them. Natural speech has pauses and lengthened syllables to provide emphasis. Go with the feeling! Play as if you were speaking the words. The verses may lead you in different rhythmic directions as the natural fluctuations of what is being said arise.
And finally
Don’t be such a tight a$$! Loosen up and let the music flow through you. The first time through may feel a bit clunky and things may fall apart but that’s good! Go back and try it again correcting the things that got you too far off course. Playing music instrumentally will give you freedom that you may have never known. That will be a bit strange at first but is a doorway to creativity on your instrument. That is what we are after.