White Christmas

I embarked on learning this song back in December 2022, approaching it one phrase at a time and at a very gradual pace. In hindsight, I may have chosen a particularly difficult arrangement, but after dedicating so much time and effort to it, I feel like I’m too far in to abandon it now—almost as if the sunk cost has locked me into seeing it through to the end.

Song Structure

A1 (8 measures): Phrase 1 - Phrase 2 - Phrase 3
A2 (8 measures): Phrase 1 - Phrase 2 - Phrase 4

Phrase 1
Bar 1: C∆7 Dm7 F♯13
Bar 2: Dm7 D♯ø Em7

Phrase 2
Bar 3: F∆7 G9
Bar 4: C∆7 E♭7 Dm11 G9sus4 G9
Bar 5: C∆7 C7

Phrase 3
Bar 6: F6/9 Fm6
Bar 7: C∆7 Dm7 G9
Bar 8: Dm7 G7

Phrase 4
Bar 6: F∆7 B♭7 B♭9
Bar 7: C∆7 C♯ø F∆7 A♭ø
Bar 8: D♭∆13 C6

Study Guidelines

I’m focusing on the sound my instrument makes and how it feels, following The Art of Practicing (Bruser & Menuhin, 1999):

• Stay relaxed—tension is your enemy.
• Listen to the music you’re playing.
• Be gentle with yourself.
• Short, focused practice is better than long, exhausting sessions.

And don’t be a perfectionist, it’s a deadly weakness. (Denk, 2022)

Learning the Song

To ensure I stay on track and maintain my motivation, I’ve decided to document each of my practice sessions, starting with past sessions and continuing from now on. By doing this, I hope to monitor my progress more effectively and keep myself accountable.

Tutorial

References