Hello and welcome. I'm Joseph Hoffman, and in this piano lesson you'll learn how to play my intermediate version of "Silent Night",
Which will be perfect if you're a more experienced pianist with three or more years of piano experience.
If you're looking for an easier version of "Silent Night", check out my easy or super easy level tutorials.
Alright, let's get started by checking out the sheet music.
Here's the sheet music for this intermediate level version of "Silent Night".
Let's start by checking out the time signature. When you see 6/8 in a piece of music, what does that mean?
Well, the 6 tells you how many beats per measure. That's the top number, so we know we have 6 beats,
and the bottom number tells you that we have eighth note beats.
8 for eighth notes. So we have six eighth note beats per measure.
Every eight note will count as 1 beat. So we have beat 1, but that's a dotted eighth note which means it's going to get half of beat 2,
and this little sixteenth note gets the & of beat 2. 1 2-&
Here's beat 3 on that eighth note, and this dotted quarter note gets 4 5 6.
It's equal to 3 beats when we have 6/8 time.
So that rhythm is 1 2-& 3 4 5 6 Can you clap that rhythm with me? Ready, go: 1 2-& 3 4 5 6
Then we have that rhythm again let's clap it, go: 1 2-& 3 4 5 6,
and then when you have a quarter note, again with an eighth note as the beat, that means a quarter note gets 2 beats, 1 2.
Here's beat 3. 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
Played on the piano we get: 1 2 3 4 5 6, 1 2 3 4 5 6. Now let's try to play it.
All right, let's start by tackling the right hand first.
What's our position? We've got finger 3 starting here on treble G.
Now, if you feel confident in your sight reading skills, I would encourage you to pause the video and try and figure out as much as you can on your own.
You can do that right now if you like, otherwise let's take a look at it together.
We've got finger 3 here on G, and the first two measures we get, let's count the beat as we go. 1 2-& 3 4 5 6
1 2-& 3 4 5 6, then finger 5 has to shift up to this high D, 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
Then we have 1 2 3 4 5-& 6, 1 2-& 3 4 5 6
So notice that I had to shift my finger 1 down there to hit that E, then finger 3's back here on the A. 1 2 3 4 5-& 6
1 2-& 3 4 5 6 All right now,
we've looked at the first two lines, the first eight measures. I'd like you to pause now and make sure you've got that really solid
so that you can play on your own measures one through eight right hand alone really confidently,
and I encourage you to count the beat out loud as you play. 1 2-& 3 4 5 6 Remember to keep it steady,
and that will help you get all the rhythms correct.
Pause to work on the first two lines on your own right hand alone, and then press play and we'll look at the last line.
All right now we're ready for 'sleep in heavenly peace'. Finger 3 has to come up to D.
1 2, then we get a chord, ♫heavenly♫ finger 3 shifts to C 2 3 4 5 6, and notice there's a fermata on this chord so you can hold it extra long.
And then we'll go on. Now here's perhaps, actually before we go on, let's let you practice that. Pause the video,
and just practice these two measures. ♫Sleep in heavenly peace♫ hold it extra long.
Pause to work on that on your own, then press play to go on.
Now for these last two measures, I want you to be very careful of the fingering. If you follow these finger numbers it will help.
We have this C with finger 3, then finger 1 plays G.
Finger 2 is going to glide over. See while your finger 1 is holding that G, your other fingers are to glide over. 2 plays E.
Let's just practice those three notes. Watch one more time. 'Sleep in' Now you try, go:
One more time let's do it together finger 3 on C. ♫sleep in♫
Pause if you need more practice on that, otherwise let's keep going. Then we have 'heavenly'. So notice we have a chord C and G for 'heav-',
and then 'enly'. ♫heavenly peace♫ So we land on that C.
So all together we get 'sleep in heavenly peace', and you'll hold that for 6 beats.
Pause the video to work on those last two measures right hand alone, then press play to go on.
Now let's try putting the entire right hand part together from the beginning.
Pause if you'd like a little practice time on your own, otherwise let's try it together.
I'll count 6 beats, and then we'll start. 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2-& 3 4 5 6, 1 2-& 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6, 1 2 3 4 5 6
Finger 3, 1 2 3 4 5-& 6, 1 2-& 3 4 5 6, finger 3 again, 1 2 3 4 5-& 6
1 2-& 3 4 5 6, finger 3 shifts way up, 2 3 4 5-& 6, 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5-& 6 1 2 3 4 5 6
Good, now if that's all you want to tackle today great, you know the melody,
but if you want to keep going let's tackle the left hand,
and once again if you feel confident in your sight reading skills you can pause it right now,
try and learn as much as you like on your own, and when you're ready you can keep going, or if you'd like to just
hang in there with me and check it out together that's great too.
So let's go ahead and look at the left hand part.
We start with a finger 5 and a finger 3 on C and E, and we go 1 2-& 3 4 5 6, and because our left hand is the accompaniment part,
meaning it's not the melody. The melody is the part that we would sing,
and the accompaniment supports the melody.
So we want the left hand to be very gentle.1 2-& 3 4 5 6, don't bang those notes you're going to wake up baby Jesus, right?
You want to play it gently like a lullaby.
All right now let's try this first measure together, go: 1 2-& 3 4 5 6, 1 2-& 3 4 5 6
I went ahead and went on to measure two because it's the same as measure one.
Okay, pause the video and work on those first two measures on your own left hand alone until you feel confident, and then press play to go on.
Now let's look at measure three for the left hand. We have 1 2 3 4 5 6, 1 2 3 4 5 6, finger 1 comes up to that B-flat.
Now, pause the video and work on measures three and four on your own, then press play to go on.
Good, now let's look at line two. We've got this
chord. What is that chord by the way? It's an F major second inversion chord.
Look at that. So 5 2 and 1. 5 2 and 1 is the correct fingering. 1 2 3 4 5-& 6
Let me do that again. 1 2 3 4 5-& 6, 1 2-& 3 4 5 6
Now pause the video and work on those two measures on your own until you feel confident, then press play to go on.
Next up we've got this F major second inversion chord again, 1 2 3, now a cool chord--
the D-sharp diminished chord. D-sharp, F-sharp, A. Use fingers 4 2 1.
So watch: we go from this F major second inversion chord 1 2 3, to this D diminished, 4 5 6,
and then we shift to this two note chord, just an E and a G, and then we finish with 4 5 6. Let's put that all together. 1 2 3
4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 Now pause the video and work on those two measures until you feel confident, then press play to go on.
Now, let's look at the next two measures. We have 1 2 3 then finger 2 is going to cross over to that G-sharp. Notice we have B F G G-sharp.
5 6, then 1 2 3 4 5 6 fermata. You'll hold it extra long. So watch that one more time. 1 2 3 4 5 6, 1 2 3 4 5 6.
Pause the video to work on those two measures by yourself, then press play to go on.
All right, after that fermata now finger 1 is ready on that G, 1 2 3. Then here finger 2 is going to cross over just a little bit to get up to that A-flat
which makes a really cool sounding chord. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Now you try, go:
One more time, 1 2 3 4 5 6, and then we play this chord, 1 2 3 that's a D diminished chord. Try it, go:
1 2 3, and then we decrescendo very softly for a C major chord to finish it out.
Try it with me, go: 1 2 3
Isn't that a cool sound? There's D diminished, 2 3 and 4 5 6 This is a beautiful arrangement of "Silent Night". An arrangement means
a composer takes an original melody and adds some special chords to make it, well, special.
And this arrangement is by one of our Hoffman Academy teachers Aron Bernstein. We're really
grateful to have this beautiful arrangement. Listen to these last two measures with both hands.
Nice huh?
All right, now we've gone through the whole thing right hand alone, we've learned the left hand alone,
for the next few days on your own you can review the right and left hand alone, and then as you're ready tackle putting it hands together.
It may feel tricky at first, but just take it two measures at a time. Kind of like we were doing today,
and a little bit at a time you'll be playing the whole thing.
Let's listen to the entire arrangement of silent night played hands together.
Great work learning how to play "Silent Night" today. I hope you enjoyed playing it.
Merry Christmas and happy playing!
Mr. Hoffman, where did the song "Silent Night" come from?
Well, it was first performed on Christmas Eve in 1818 at the Saint Nicholas church in Oberndorf Austria.
The people of Austria had just lived through a terrible war, and when the war was finally over a young priest named Joseph Mohr was walking
late at night around Christmas time he was inspired by the peace he saw,
so he wrote a poem that began 'Stille nacht, heilige nacht'.
Uh what does that mean?
It's German for 'Silent night, holy night'.
Oh so the original "Silent Night is in German?
That's right! Joseph Mohr gave the poem he had written to his friend, a musician named Franz Gruber, who composed a melody for it.
Then on Christmas Eve in 1818 just over 200 years ago, "Silent Night" was performed for the very first time.
As these two friends sang it together in harmony while Joseph played the guitar.
Do you know what I learned about "Silent Night"?
What Princess?
During World War I on Christmas Eve, many soldiers from both sides completely stopped fighting with each other.
They sang silent night and other Christmas carols. They even came out on the battlefield to play games and trade things.
I love that story.
Is it a true story?
Yes!
Princess is right, it is.
Wow, Christmas was able to stop a whole war?
It did for a time.
I think Christmas helped to remind them that we're all brothers and sisters, and instead of fighting with each other,
we should be sharing with each other,
and playing games,
and singing!
That's right. We should do more of all of those things, and not just at Christmas time, but all year long.
Thanks for sharing that story Mr. Hoffman, and you too Princess!
You're welcome Scuba, and Merry Christmas to everyone at home, and Merry Christmas to you too.
Merry Christmas Mr. Hoffman!
And Happy New Year!