Using Christmas Guitar Chords to Play Festive Songs

Christmas guitar chords lesson show us how to build and play these festive guitar chords.

For this exercise, you need to download the guitar chords for Deck the Halls which you should have downloaded already in the previous lesson. If not just click on the above link to download it and print out for reference as you go through the steps below.

In the song Deck the Halls, the key is in C Major and we do have some interesting chords in the arrangement. This melody uses basic Diatonic chords to support the melody.

Let's begin playing our first Christmas guitar chords melody, Deck the Halls.

In the 1st measure we have a V7 chord or Dominant structure type triads. The F triad/G bass chord is built from the C major scale the notes used are: C, D, E, F. G, A, B, C the notes used to form the F chord are F, A,and C and the bass note is G, hence the chord F/G.

The G is the V or Dominant chord of the key of C Major. E/G is taken from the G Christmas guitar chords and the Symmetrical scale. Big word but if you look at the scale it would help you with forming it.

Notes forming G Symmetrical scale: G, G#, A#, B, C#, D, E, and F. Notes forming the chord E/G G#, E, and B form the basic triad and a G note is used in the bass.

In the Db/G or C#/G the notes used are- F,C#, and G# to form the C#/Db triad.

Moving to the next measure 2 look at the G7#5 chord, the G whole tone scale is used. The notes G, A, B, C#, D#, F form the scale. To form the G7#5 chord use the G, B, D#, F of the scale. In measure 3 we have the C and G7 chords. The notes come from the C scale: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Use C, E, G to form a C chord and G, B, D, F for G7 chord.

In Christmas guitar chords we do come across some diminished chords. Measure 4 skip to the 2nd chord Bdim. It is taken from the Bdim scale: B, C, D, D#, F, F#, G#, A, and B to form the Bdim use B, D, F, and G# notes. The Ami chord comes from the C scale the notes A, C, and E form the Ami chord.

The F#mi7b5 chord is also much used in Christmas guitar melodies it comes from the GMaj scale: G, A, B, C, D, E, F# and G. To form the F#mi7b5 chord use the notes F#, E, A, C, and E from the G scale.

Measure 5 the C/G chord comes from the C scale, the notes used are C, E, G and a low G in the bass. Measure 6 chords have already been explained. In measure 7 note the B/G chord, this is an interesting chord, it is taken from the E Melodic minor scale. This E Melodic minor scale is another much used chord in Christmas guitar chord charts.E Melodic minor scale: E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D# and E. The notes F#, D# and B form the B triad and the G note is used in the bass. If you have any problems with the scales refer back to the top of the lesson.

These Christmas guitar chords will help you to build a vocabulary of chords for your playing. Try to commit them to memory for it will be useful when you learn other songs.

In measure 8 the Ami, Bb/A derives from the A Phrygian mode. The Phrygian scale is much used in popular music and also in Christmas guitar chords and melodies. It functions as a IIImi.The notes A, Bb, C, D, E, F, G, and A forms the scale.F, D, and Bb form the Bb chord with an A in the bass. The E7b9b5 chord comes from the F Melodic minor scale. F Melodic minor scale: F, G, Ab, Bb, C, D, E and F. The notes E, Ab, Bb and D form the chord. All the chords in Measure 9 come from the C Major scale.

In Christmas guitar chords, we are also using the 6th and 9th chords. In measure 10 the D69 and D7 chord are derived from the G Major scale, the G scale: G, A, B, C, D, E, F# and G. The D69 chord uses the F#, B, E and A notes of the G scale and the D7 the D, A, C and F# notes.

Christmas Guitar Chords and the Whole Tone Scale

G7#5 uses the G whole tone scale. The C#7b5 chord comes from the C# whole Tone Scale.The notes C#, D#, E#, G, A, B, and C# make the C# whole tone scale. The notes C#, B, D# and G form The C#7b5 chord. Measures 11,- 16 have already been explained. In measure 17 the C#7#9#5 chord comes from the D Melodic minor scale and the notes are: D, E, F, G, A, B, C# and D.

Christmas Guitar Chords and the Melodic Minor Scale

The notes C#, F, B, E and A notes to form the C#7#9#5 chord, easy right! when you know what scales to use. The B7#9#5 comes from the C Melodic minor scale. C Melodic minor scale: C, D, Eb, F, G, A, B and C. To form the B7#9#5 use the B, D#, A, D and G of the C Melodic minor scale.

Now let's sum up these Christmas guitar chords. The melody and the chords are pretty challenging and does require that you put some time into practicing these songs. The whole gist of Christmas is to share your love to others and having one of these melodies under your belt is an advantage for you.

Christmas Guitar Chords Using Triads Over Bass Notes

If you find the four or five note chords difficult to play break them down to three notes and as you get comfortable try adding more notes to the chords. Note in measure 1 the use of the F, G and E triads over a G bass note. These triads help move the melody and creates a nice line in the melody.

Note the bass note G used in measures 1 and 2,it is used as a pedal point over the triads. The triad E/G comes from the G Symmetrical scale and the scale is: G, Ab, Bb, B, C#/Db, D, E and F. The notes Db, F and Ab are taken from the scale to form the basic triad chord and the G note is used for the bass.The Db/G triad chord shape also derives from the G symmetrical scale and the notes Db, Ab and F are used to form the basic triad and the G note is used for the bass note. The B diminished chord derives from 1/2, whole note scale. Example of Bdim scale: B, C, D, Eb, F, F# G#/Ab, A.

Christmas Guitar Chords - the Bdim Scale

In the B dim chord the notes of the scale are:

B - C is a 1/2 step

C - D is a whole step

D - D#/Eb is a 1/2 step

D#/Eb - F is a whole step

F - F# is a 1/2 step

F# - G# is a whole step

G# - A is a 1/2 step

A - B is a whole step

Understanding the use of these scales will give you much opportunity in substituting chords. the same principle can be applied to the E7b9b5. In the C#7#9#5 chord a D Melodic minor scale is used. the D melodic minor scale: D, E , F, G, A, B, C# and D.

In The C#7#9#5 chord the note E forms the #9 and the A note is the #5 of the chord. In the B7#9#5 chord the C melodic minor scale is used. The C melodic minor: C, D, Eb, F, G, A, B and C notes form the scale.

In the G7#5 chord the G Whole tone scale is used. G whole tone scale: G, A, B, C#, D#, F and G notes are used to form the scale. In the C#7b5 chord the C# whole tone scale is used. The C# whole tone scale. C#, D#, E#, G, A, B and C# notes are used.

In measure 8 the Ami, Bb/A chords come from the Phrygian mode and the Bb/A is from the bII of the Phrygian scale. The A Phrygian is the IIImi in the key of F. The scale for the A Phrygian is the F scale. The A Phrygian scale consists of the A, Bb, C, D, E, F, G and A notes of the key of Fand its chords are Ami, Bb, C, Dmi, Edim, F, G and Ami.

Wow! You sure are going to have some fun with this material and its chords and if you spend the time you will really be smoking.

Just in case you need to refresh this lesson, just click here to go to top of Christmas Guitar Chords .

Here's wishing you the best for the Festive season. Go play your favorite songs and have fun.

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