UD#105 Christmas Uke Duet: Coventry Carol

Posted on December 21, 2022 by guido

UD#105 Christmas Uke Duet: Coventry Carol
from Ukulele in the Dark with Guido Heistek

One of my students suggested that we learn this carol. I have created a little two part ukulele arrangement that is loosely based on the traditional harmonization of the song.


Have a listen!

For those of you who are interested, let’s learn the main melody by ear! Here are the notes involved. They come mostly from the G harmonic minor scale. 

There are some notes that are altered in the song. This creates a really cool affect. On a couple of occasions, the Bb note is changed to a B natural which gives the melody a sudden major tonality. This note is taken from the G major scale. Interesting!

Also, at one point, we play the F natural instead of the F#. This note comes from the G natural minor, and G dorian minor. Cool!

Here, I’ve inserted the changed notes in red so you an hear how they sound. Your ears may be surprised!

Okay! Here is a recording of the UKE 1 part all on its own. You can have a go at learning it by ear. 

Nice work! Here is the song sheet for UKE 1, so you can check your work. Click the image to get a printable version. 

In the recording, I play the B section only once. The sheet music calls for it to be played 3 times because the B section has three sets of words. One typical vocal arrangement is to do the A section once, then the B section 3 times and then finish with the A section again. Feel free to create your own arrangement any way you like! Try singing the parts in harmony. That’s big fun. 

Here is what you will need:

SONG SHEETS:

Uke 1 -CLICK HERE-

Uke 2 (LOW G) -CLICK HERE-

RECORDINGS:

Uke 1

Uke 2

Uke 1 and 2 Together!

You can use the recordings to support your practice in various ways. For example, you can play Uke 1 along with the recording of Uke 1 or the recording of Uke 1 and 2 together. Then, when you are ready, you can play Uke 1 along with the recording of Uke 2 and play a duet with me! Also if you have a buddy or uke group that you play with, you can try it with them!

Also, please note that not all arrangements of this carol are the same. If you find yourself at odds with any of my note choices please make adjustments as necessary!

All the best,

Have a great holiday!

See you in 2023…

Guido

Tags: christmas ukulele, Coventry Carol, uke, ukulele, ukulele duet

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