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The library · Christmas

Greensleeves (What Child Is This?)

Traditional English tune

The old English song that became a Christmas carol (“What Child Is This?”): an E minor that sways in 6/8 and keeps leaning towards G major.

E minor · 6/8 · 60 beats per minute · 16 bars · 48 s · beginner level

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The form

The sections of the piece and their chords: the map you learn before playing a single note.

A A' A'' A'''

SectionBarsChordsPhrase ending
A 1–4 Em · Dsus4 · Gmaj7 · D · Am7 · B
i · VIIsus4 · IIImaj7 · VII · iv7 · V		 Imperfect cadence
A' 5–8 Em · Dsus4 · Gmaj7 · D · Em · B7/A · Em/B · Em
i · VIIsus4 · IIImaj7 · VII · i · V7 · i · i		 —
A'' 9–12 Bm · G · D/G · D · Am7 · B/C · B
v · III · VII · VII · iv7 · V · V		 Imperfect cadence
A''' 13–16 Bm · G · D/G · D · Em · B7/A · Em/B · Em
v · III · VII · VII · i · V7 · i · i		 —

The key

E minor
1 sharp in the key signature: F♯
Scale
E · F♯ · G · A · B · C · D
Pillar chords
I = Em · IV = Am · V7 = B7

The tricky passages

  • Bar 2: fast runs (4.0 notes per second)
  • Bar 6: fast runs (4.0 notes per second)
  • Bar 14: fast runs (4.0 notes per second)

The plan: 10 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.

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