Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
November 26, 2010 12:35 PM
An arrangement for solo electric guitar.
posted by gallus (20 comments total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
posted by gallus (20 comments total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
Very nice! And no, it's certainly not too soon for those of us making party playlists or mixes for gifting. Thank you!
posted by Miko at 10:56 AM on November 27, 2010
posted by Miko at 10:56 AM on November 27, 2010
Very well done! Love the pauses. It's got a sort of profound pace.
posted by edlundart at 9:31 PM on November 27, 2010
posted by edlundart at 9:31 PM on November 27, 2010
Miko, I guess I don't see the point of gifting someone a song from a genre that can really only be listened to for a few weeks during the year and really only for a day after you intend to give it to them. Plus by the time people give gifts holiday music has been force fed for months by every store in the country and the last thing I'd EVER want is to hear more of it.
But well done song.
posted by reklus at 6:46 AM on November 28, 2010
But well done song.
posted by reklus at 6:46 AM on November 28, 2010
But well done song.
Ha - the afterthought made me smile! Maybe it depends whether you see something like this as a disposable Christmas novelty or a mildly diverting interpretation of a well-known tune and something of musical value/interest in those terms. Maybe it is both. I give an appropriate Gallic shrug - I had interest working up the arrangement and it's nice that a few other people like it, c'est tout. Have a happy Xmas when it eventually arrives.
posted by gallus at 10:35 AM on November 28, 2010
Ha - the afterthought made me smile! Maybe it depends whether you see something like this as a disposable Christmas novelty or a mildly diverting interpretation of a well-known tune and something of musical value/interest in those terms. Maybe it is both. I give an appropriate Gallic shrug - I had interest working up the arrangement and it's nice that a few other people like it, c'est tout. Have a happy Xmas when it eventually arrives.
posted by gallus at 10:35 AM on November 28, 2010
Well, reklus, then your experience of music and your experience of the holidays are clearly different from mine and my friends'. If you don't like holiday music, it will probably always be "too soon" for you, but not for me or many others. The world is full of a wonder of things! Have a great holiday season.
posted by Miko at 9:01 PM on November 28, 2010
posted by Miko at 9:01 PM on November 28, 2010
Wow, what a great classic Christmas feel and sound! This is what I'll be listening to while tree trimming!
posted by snsranch at 4:41 PM on November 29, 2010
posted by snsranch at 4:41 PM on November 29, 2010
Miko, obviously you don't notice that all of the stores, offices with PA music and telephone hold music become "Holiday" music around September.
That's offensive to those of us who enjoy holidays for something other than a commercial thing forced on us by Home Depot and Clear Channel. I love "Holiday" music WHEN IT IS APPROPRIATE.
BTW-This is NOT a "holiday" song-it's a Christmas song like EVERY song you hear on every stupid radio+pa out there and there's nothing wrong with saying what it is.
There are songs for other holidays too, but you don't really hear them.
For the 90% of people who understand that something is special only when its not ubiquitous and forced on you or hijacked by corporations that want to make you associate THEIR company with Christmas spending, the pre-December music selections make for an uncomfortable time.
posted by reklus at 8:41 PM on November 29, 2010
That's offensive to those of us who enjoy holidays for something other than a commercial thing forced on us by Home Depot and Clear Channel. I love "Holiday" music WHEN IT IS APPROPRIATE.
BTW-This is NOT a "holiday" song-it's a Christmas song like EVERY song you hear on every stupid radio+pa out there and there's nothing wrong with saying what it is.
There are songs for other holidays too, but you don't really hear them.
For the 90% of people who understand that something is special only when its not ubiquitous and forced on you or hijacked by corporations that want to make you associate THEIR company with Christmas spending, the pre-December music selections make for an uncomfortable time.
posted by reklus at 8:41 PM on November 29, 2010
But again, despite being a week or so too early, this is a nice arrangement.
posted by reklus at 8:45 PM on November 29, 2010
posted by reklus at 8:45 PM on November 29, 2010
As a musician myself, I don't find that Christmas and Christmas music carry that kind of baggage for me. I stay out of retail stores as much as possible and am not bothered by commercialization - it's not a big part of my life. Sorry you find Christmas music so grating, but perhaps this isn't the place to have this discussion.
posted by Miko at 5:57 AM on November 30, 2010
posted by Miko at 5:57 AM on November 30, 2010
but perhaps this isn't the place to have this discussion.
I don't mind so long as no-one starts throwing crockery, huh? I'll throw both of you out if that happens. ;-)
Thank you for the additional comments from snsranch and uncleozzy - the guitar, for information, is a Fender Telecaster. Pick-up selector in the mid position. Fender Twin amp. SM57. Focusrite preamp. A soupcon of Lexicon reverb. Et.....voilà! No artificial ingredients.
posted by gallus at 11:23 AM on November 30, 2010
I don't mind so long as no-one starts throwing crockery, huh? I'll throw both of you out if that happens. ;-)
Thank you for the additional comments from snsranch and uncleozzy - the guitar, for information, is a Fender Telecaster. Pick-up selector in the mid position. Fender Twin amp. SM57. Focusrite preamp. A soupcon of Lexicon reverb. Et.....voilà! No artificial ingredients.
posted by gallus at 11:23 AM on November 30, 2010
Ah, yeah, I was thinking Twin all along, but something about the guitar didn't make me think Telecaster right away. I oughta get me a real Tele someday.
posted by uncleozzy at 11:30 AM on November 30, 2010
posted by uncleozzy at 11:30 AM on November 30, 2010
I love listening to Christmas music year-round, because it makes me feel happy and reminds me of my family. Which is weird, because my family is Jewish. So I'm not sure my opinion is worth anything.
Anyway, this is a gorgeous arrangement. I'd kill to be able to make clean jazz chords like that - such beautiful voicings. When you use some gentle vibrato on held notes, my heart melts a little. Recording is excellent too.
posted by jake at 8:04 PM on December 1, 2010
Anyway, this is a gorgeous arrangement. I'd kill to be able to make clean jazz chords like that - such beautiful voicings. When you use some gentle vibrato on held notes, my heart melts a little. Recording is excellent too.
posted by jake at 8:04 PM on December 1, 2010
Thanks all. I think though that, for me, there is room for improvement. The guitar is in places just a little out of tune - enough to be annoying and disappointing. When you do something as naked as this, every little flaw, buzz or glitch is starkly on display and there's no hiding place. Very difficult to get that perfect take. This is not it - but it is acceptable.
posted by gallus at 1:26 AM on December 2, 2010
posted by gallus at 1:26 AM on December 2, 2010
I have no clue why reklus is doing what he's doing in this thread (seriously, wtf?), but I wanted to say this is really lovely.
posted by ORthey at 8:33 AM on December 3, 2010
posted by ORthey at 8:33 AM on December 3, 2010
I'm a guitarist, I just listened to it 3 times in a row, and I don't know what glitches you're referring to. Seems just about perfect for what it is. At first I wished the tone were less trebly (I like subdued guitar tones, especially in jazz), but it's growing on me. Christmas music should be sparkly, after all.
posted by John Cohen at 8:45 PM on December 10, 2010
posted by John Cohen at 8:45 PM on December 10, 2010
Thanks for the comment John. Yes - I agree the Telecaster is a little sharp. I was a bit concerned about that from the first playback, but I also liked the fact that it's not your archetypal jazz guitar sound (which, personally, I don't like at all - that "dust on the needle" sound doesn't do much for me). I rolled off some high-mid EQ to damp things down a little, but one can't really disguise that Telecaster signature. I was going to re-record on my ES-175 but...well.....hhhmmmm
Should add that me tagging this piece as jazz is stretching credibility and is tongue in cheek - it's just a straight run down of the melody with very little improvisation going on. Not jazz at all, not really.
posted by gallus at 10:26 AM on December 11, 2010
Should add that me tagging this piece as jazz is stretching credibility and is tongue in cheek - it's just a straight run down of the melody with very little improvisation going on. Not jazz at all, not really.
posted by gallus at 10:26 AM on December 11, 2010
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Well done.
posted by Zenabi at 6:54 AM on November 27, 2010