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I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day- Mandolin

advanced mandolin

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Not the most common Christmas melody, but definitely one of the prettiest! On Christmas in 1863 by a heartbroken poet, Henry Longfellow, penned the words after losing his wife & his son near fatally injured in the Civil War. It wasn't until 1872 that the words were set to music. I call it an advanced lesson because of the challenging chord shapes & fingerings.

Key of C Tremolo

Lesson Discussion

6 replies Continue discussion
  1. Hollis Barnett ·

    Third time coming back to this lesson over two years. It's amazing what shows up when you're ready for it.

  2. Roy Ellender ·

    Count it out loud. Everyone says it and everyone's right.

  3. flatpick_dad ·

    There's a slower jam track under the resources tab on this lesson, worth grabbing.

  4. Ben Clark Instructor ·

    Memorization comes from playing it at a tempo you can think at. If you need the tab, you're playing it faster than you know it.

  5. Bill Threadgill ·

    Try it without the pick for a few passes. Sounds silly but it told me my right hand was doing too much.

  6. Curtis Rhodes ·

    Recording yourself is humbling but it's the fastest fix I've found.

  7. Theresa Nickels ·

    Same here at first. What fixed it for me was practicing that measure by itself for a week, no B part at all.

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