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This Christmas season I've been working with students on Christmas Lead Sheets, which are really fun to teach how to read a melody in the Treble Clef and add or play suggested chord inversions. Two of the ideas are from myfunpianostudio.com, by Kristin. She created these ideas of Away in the Manger and Silent Night. She uses these activities for ear training, yet I help the students identify chord inversions for these songs.
Lead Sheets may not be utilized much, yet it's a great ear training skill, where students either have to figure out the chords like these examples or it provides a chord at the top.
Silent Night is in the key of C Major and Away in the Manger is in the Key of F Major. With each of these sheets, I teach the students how to play the melody first, making sure they are confident with that, then depending on the student, I give them 1-3 chord inversions in the left hand for them to play.
I've also taken Jingle Bells from Piano Pronto Prelude Book. This song is the in the key of C, with only C-G in the Treble Clef. I show them a C Major chord to play with the melody, which makes the students feel like they are playing a "fuller sounding song". Plus I worked with a student on doing 3 chords with the first three measures: C and G, D and A and E and Bb. The student loved the jazz feel of the song. I didn't want to overwhelm the student, yet the student really liked the idea.
Here is a link to topmusic.co where they created a free pdf of a variety of Christmas Lead Sheets.
You can find Christmas Lead Sheets on musicnotes.com that only have a treble clef melody and get the students to learn chords to go with it in the left hand. I've been have tons of fun with lead sheets recently and it's a hit with the studio. What are some of your favorite lead sheets? How much do you teach it? Would like to know. Thanks for your support. Blessings.
