Here's a first attempt at transcribing Christmas Time Is Here (Instrumental)

[michael_student]

I couldn't find an accurate transcription of the instrumental version of Vince Guaraldi's "Christmas Time Is Here" (from the 1965 Charlie Brown TV special) so I'm trying to make one myself.  I'm pretty sure I'm getting the notes right, but I'm not always sure the best way to represent the rhythm.  In some cases there are inconsistencies because he varied the way he played.

It's attached to this post in case anyone has suggestions to offer.

[bobert]

That's a good first attempt.  Rather than list discrepancies, I've transcribed and attached the same first 14 measures so you can see what's going on.  Good luck with your transcription effort.

[michael_student]

Bob, I'm studying your file now.  Thank you for the help.

[michael_student]

Here's my second attempt, using Notion 5.  It sounds somewhat right in the Notion 5 playback.

[dcstudio]

that's awesome --I transcribed  a lot of Guaraldi tunes when I was young because you couldn't buy them...  I love Vince...  all his stuff,  
Here's my arrangement-- a medley of Christmas tree and Christmas time.   This is not a transcription but I just thought I would let you know I like that tune, too..

[michael_student]

Here's my arrangement-- a medley of Christmas tree and Christmas time.   This is not a transcription but I just thought I would let you know I like that tune, too..

I enjoyed that.  One thing I'm excited about with piano is the complexity of chords that wouldn't be feasible on guitar.

My friend is supposed to be working on the bass, but if he flakes out I'll have to figure a way to cover both parts on the left, maybe doing what you did, or maybe working it into the chords the way Bobert did.

I found one spot in the recording (measure 17 on my score) where it became obvious Vince was playing the whole chord with his left hand and probably using right hand for melody only, as suggested by Bobert's transcription.  The C on top stops ringing, but not the other notes, when he grabs the high B-flat in the next octave.

I'm uploading today's revisions to this, including the second melody line, in case it's useful to someone someday.  I'm finally getting the hang of PreSonus Notation 5.  To break the chords down I'm using "Transcribe!" on my Mac and looping on the chords while I pick out the notes ... quite time consuming and would probably be unnecessary if I were further along in jazz theory.

The recording comes off like a live performance, but there's one spot I'm 60% sure I heard an overdub.  A note is still ringing in a chord and doesn't stop when it is played in the melody.

[dcstudio]

I spent hours listening to Vince and sitting at the piano trying to hear what he was doing.  That vid is about 8 years old...  What I play now is much closer to what he did.   Even with an exact transcription it's still hard to make it sound "right."    He had some unorthodox technique for sure.   Once you learn his "tricks" it gets easier.  He loved to use this descending chord progression:  Bm7b5--Bbm7b5--Am7--Abdim7--Gm7--C7--F.   In fact, a lot of his tunes are in F.  He also liked to use the bVII chord, EbMaj7--in this case. 

He had very short fingers--so he jumps.  He also used his fist to roll notes...  I could ramble on about Vince Guaraldi all day...    


Almost all of the Charlie Brown stuff is live with the trio...they did multi-track other stuff later on.  Keep in mind that recording music in 1965 was truly "old school."  The tracks have now been digitally re-mastered...

I am a huge Vince fan...  did you know he taught himself to play guitar?--some of the guitar tracks are his.  He also sang "Little Birdie" and "Joe Cool." 

If you get stuck--let me know--perhaps I can help.

here's me playing the transcription of "the Christmas Song"  - it was a while ago--but thought you might enjoy it.

CTrzg   

[michael_student]

If you get stuck--let me know--perhaps I can help.

I might be stuck now.  I started adding the chord notations and got stuck around the middle of page 2, as you can see from the attachment.

[dcstudio]

 m. 17 I would notate that as-- Ab7 alt/Gb 
same in m. 20 after the Am7--  Db alt/ Eb

handwritten chord symbols could be spaced a bit more legibly than computer notation.
most people who can read advanced chord symbols will understand..  it's close enough for jazz.

might want to notate the F aug or +--instead of F#5-- easier on the eye.

you know--I have never heard anyone play that intro from the instrumental version -- thanks to you--I have incorporated that into my version of Christmas Time...  don't know why I never thought to play that one... it's cool 

[bobert]

I might be stuck now.  I started adding the chord notations and got stuck around the middle of page 2, as you can see from the attachment.

The bridge:

1 DbMa9
2 Gb13#11
3 DbMa9
4 Gb13#11
5 Ami7 . Eb13#11
6 D7#9
7 Gmi7 . Db+7
8 C9(add13) . Gb

The bridge then resolving to FMa9(add13)

These first chords may be analyzed a couple of ways.  I like to think of the first two measures as bVIMa7 - bII7, i.e., Db = flat six, Gb = flat two) where the flat two dominant doesn't immediately resolve chromatically back to tonic on F as one would expect. 

Instead, we have a pair of ii-V's heading back to tonic:

Ami7 - D7#9, with Eb13#11 a tritone sub of Ami7 (or A7, if you want to get technical), resolving down to D7#9

Gmi7 - C9(add13), similar to above, with Db+7 a tritone sub of Gmi7, resolving down to C9(add13)

At the end of the 8th measure we have a simple Gb triad as a tritone sub of C9(add13), resolving down to tonic.

Typical, very nice jazz harmony. 

[dcstudio]

Bobert is right on the money.

I stand corrected.   

[richardb]

This piece is in a nice book called "The Peanuts Illustrated Songbook."  You may already know about this since you said you couldn't find an accurate transcription, but I think the transcriptions in this book are pretty well done. 

Anyway I thought it was worth mentioning.
https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/the-peanuts-illustrated-songbook-sheet-music/3997090
https://www.amazon.com/Peanuts-Illustrated-Songbook-Vince-Guaraldi/dp/0634030906/

 

[michael_student]

Thank you all for the help, and the detailed analysis.  Guaraldi's work is tough stuff for me.  I imagine I'll keep coming back to tackle more of this piece as my understanding improves.  Right now  I only have the first couple minutes -- the part in the transcription.  Even learning to play that much at tempo took much longer than I expected.  It's not fast, and it doesn't look hard, but somehow those chords don't fall under my fingers intuitively. 

I've started working on The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire), which does have a detailed transcriptions available.  But I'm radically simplifying it from the Vince Guaraldi version because otherwise I won't be able to play it by this Christmas.

[dcstudio]

lol... the solo section in The Christmas Song transcription is a bit tricky.  Don't feel guilty for simplifying it---Mel Torme wrote the tune and there are too many versions of it to count.

here's a vid of Vince playing live with guitarist Bola Sete...  it's only been available for the last couple of years on youtube but I was amazed by his hands the first time I saw it.  I think you will enjoy this--notice that his left hand has a splint on his 5th finger... the guy was just too cool.
Merry Christmas from a fellow Vince fan

[michael_student]

I hope that Mel Torme wouldn't be too embarrassed by the version we played at the Christmas party.  I've attached the piano + bass arrangement we came up with, with parts stolen from various sources.