A la nanita nana
José Ramón Gomis
A Spanish Christmas lullaby in three-four time: a verse in D minor, then a refrain that brightens into D major, over a rocking left hand of one bass note and two chords.
D major · 3/4 · 106 beats per minute · 24 bars · 40 s · intermediate level
The form
The sections of the piece and their chords: the map you learn before playing a single note.
A B C C' D E
| Section | Bars | Chords | Phrase ending |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1–4 | Dm · Dsus4 · D i · Isus4 · I |
— |
| B | 5–8 | Gm · Faug · C7/E · Dm iv · ♭III+ · ♭VII7 · i |
— |
| C | 9–12 | D · A/E · Em7 · A/E I · V · ii7 · V |
Half cadence |
| C' | 13–16 | D · F♯m6 · B/D♯ · Em I · iii6 · V/ii · ii |
— |
| D | 17–20 | Gm7 · D7 · G · D iv7 · V7/IV · IV · I |
Plagal cadence |
| E | 21–24 | B♭6 · G♯m7♭5 · A7 · D/A ♭VI6 · ♯ivø7 · V7 · I |
Authentic cadence |
The key
- D major
- 2 sharps in the key signature: F♯, C♯
- Scale
- D · E · F♯ · G · A · B · C♯
- Pillar chords
- I = D · IV = G · V7 = A7
The tricky passages
- Bars 5–6: notes outside the key
- Bar 7: notes outside the key
- Bar 17: notes outside the key
The plan: 13 days
Half an hour a day. First I help you understand the map of the piece, then we lay down the chord framework, learn each section phrase by phrase, work on the tricky passages, put it together and bring it up to tempo, until you can play it from memory.
More pieces from the library
- Silent Night · Franz Xaver Gruber
- O Holy Night · Adolphe Adam
- O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles) · John Francis Wade
- The First Noel · Traditional English carol
- Joy to the World · Lowell Mason, after Handel
- Hark! The Herald Angels Sing · Felix Mendelssohn