Hey guitar players! Ready to wrap up our festive tunes? As promised, we’re back with the complete guitar chords arrangement for “Jingle Bells.” If you enjoyed Part 1, get ready to play the entire song – and don’t worry, I promise this will be the last Christmas song for a little while!
In this lesson, we’ll dive into the rest of “Jingle Bells,” and I’m excited to share the full arrangement with you.
Jingle Bells Guitar Chord Melody Arrangement by Ed Sadler
As you look at the music sheet, you’ll notice I’ve swapped out a few chords – a common technique in chord melody arrangements to add some flavor. Two substitutions, in particular, add some interesting harmony. Instead of a standard F#m chord, I used a D9b5/F# (which is the same as a D9#11, but without the root note). Then, for the Emaj7 – C#m7 progression in bar 7, I opted for a descending chromatic line cliche: C#mmaj7/E – Cmmaj7/Eb – Bm/D – C#7. This creates a richer, more dynamic sound compared to the usual chords.
For those interested in a bit of music theory, the D9b5 chord can be analyzed as a bVIIdom7 chord. This approach, discussed extensively in Ted Greene’s fantastic book “Chord Chemistry,” helps in understanding how to use these kinds of chords in different keys and musical situations, especially if you’re coming from a rock guitar background and exploring jazzier sounds. The line cliche idea is all about using chromaticism and parallel motion to build tension, which nicely contrasts with the simple, single-note melody in that section of “Jingle Bells.” It spices things up and keeps the harmony interesting.
If you find these theory concepts intriguing or a bit confusing, remember I’m here to help! I can teach you these ideas in detail and show you how to use them to make your own guitar arrangements more exciting and unique. Just click the “Book Your Lesson Now” button you see on the page. I teach students worldwide via Skype, as well as in-person lessons right here in North Vancouver.
I truly hope you enjoy playing this full “Jingle Bells” arrangement. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season filled with music and joy!
Happy playing!
