Below is the lesson for “Deck the Halls”.

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A unique take on a classic Christmas carol. For the most part, this fingerstyle arrangement stays true to the traditional way the carol is typically performed. But, something very interesting happens in the first two bars of Theme 2. In this section, a chord is borrowed from the parallel minor which pulls on the heartstrings of our ear and really makes this arrangement unique to itself.

Now I know that the above sentences are quite vague in its explanation from a music theory perspective. So be sure to watch the intro of the lesson video as Andrew explains and demos what’s happening in greater detail. And if that peaks your interest in studying music theory, then the best place to start is with our introductory course to understanding and applying theory.

Last but not least, this piece is also a great study for working on fast hammer-ons and pull-offs. If you need a refresher course on how to do this technique, check out this lesson.

P.S. This arrangement is a condensed version of the studio recording of ‘Deck the Halls’ from Matt’s Christmas Album: “A Few Merry Melodies”. Click this link to stream the album on Spotify.

Part 1 – Performance & Free Lesson

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