I have to admit that when I came up with my first instinctive
rendition of this piece, it was intended as a joke. I had been
asked to play a wedding for a friend and when the bride came
walking down the aisle I was supposed to play the traditional
"Here Comes the Bride". I joked with my friend that
I would probably burst into "Jingle Bells" by mistake.
We both laughed about the idea until the moment came and I accidentally
did!
Actually, this well-known American Christmas tune was written
by a Boston minister for his children's Sunday school class
in celebration of Thanksgiving. James Pierpoint composed the
song in 1857 with lyrics depicting the snow, laughter, and family
gatherings during the holiday. "Jingle Bells" was
so well liked that it carried over into the Christmas season
and has become a standard for both children and adults. The
cheerful melody and sound effects using sleigh bells have become
synonymous with the arrival of Santa Clause or Father Christmas.
Over time I added my own flourishes to "Jingle Bells"
and at this point this arrangement seems to have a happy bounce
to it with a subtle sense of humor. The left-hand 3rd finger
constantly jumps back and forth between the 3rd fret of strings
5 and 6. The right hand on occasion produces a roll with a thumb
drag where the 'p' finger (thumb) plays strings 5 and 4 immediately
followed by i, m, and a in quick succession. The first time
this occurs is in measure 2.
The arrangement makes frequent use of a series of 16th notes
creating the impression of a rapid tempo and syncopated feel
which contribute to the bounce (there's that word again!)...keep
it in mind.
I hope you have fun with this arrangement but use it to jumpstart
your own creativity. I myself spontaneously insert minor alterations
each time I play the piece as I did in the companion recording
to this article. Be careful not to lose the melody (as I originally
did until my friend at Mel Bay, Stephen Rekas, batted me back
into place). Feel free to experiment and come up with your own
version of "Jingle Bells".
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Richard Gilewitz
The entire tune "Jingle Bells" played by Richard Gilewitz
can be heard by clicking here.
Printable
version 
