If you want to hear these examples, here’s a video I did deconstructing the sound of Christmas. 🎄Happy Holidays!!!🎄

www.tiktok.com/t/ZTYpwSdDj/

🎺BRASS🎺 They roll out the horns. Examples can be heard in Andy Williams’ “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas,” Perry Como, The Fontane Sisters’ “It’s Beginning to Look at Lot Like Christmas” and on Michael Bublé’s “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”

…come from a bygone era of songwriting where that chromatic alteration device mentioned above was more common in songwriting. Sinatra, Crosby, Cole were bringing in orchestras for albums so it’s no surprise their Xmas songs have lush string sections.

🎻STRING SECTION🎻 As a conductor/arranger this is very close to my heart. With a lot of these classic songs, producers will pulling out all the stops. They brought in the strings, the brass, the choir, they wanted an extravagant production. Also, a lot of the most favorite, cherished Xmas songs…

🔔BELLS🔔 Tonal or pitched bells as opposed to sleigh bells (which are like a member of the percussion family). I’m talking about a church bell or glockenspiel.

🎼LOWERED 6th SCALE DEGREE🎼 this single alteration of the 6th scale degree gives songs a more melancholic feeling and can be heard in Bing Crosby’s White Christmas,” Nat King Cole’s “Christmas Song,” multiple times in Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas,” and countless others!

🛷SLEIGH BELLS🛷 Jingle bells or sleigh bells appear within seconds of the songs beginning. Examples can be heard in Frank Sinatra’s “Jingle Bells,” Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock,” Wham! “Last Christmas,” and Bruce Springsteen’s “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”

More here: www.tiktok.com/t/ZTYUouG8U/

watch the rest here: www.tiktok.com/t/ZTYkeQ4sp/