Intro
Christmas time is here! In honor of all that is calm and bright, we’ll be diving deep into the classic, “Silent Night”. In addition to an examination of the history and meaning of the song, I have arranged two original versions for both beginning and intermediate guitarists that will be available for download (plus a YouTube demonstration, linked below).
History and Meaning
“Silent Night” is the result of a collaboration between Father Joseph Mohr and Franz Xaver Gruber on Christmas Eve of 1818. The song was first performed at St. Nicholas Parish Church in Oberndorf, a village in Austria. Mohr wrote the original lyrics as a poem approximately two years before the music was composed by Franz Gruber.
The story goes that Father Joseph Mohr witnessed a Christmas play and was inspired to match his poem with a melody to create a carol for his congregation on Christmas Eve. It is said that Gruber composed the melody for Silent Night the evening before Christmas Eve on his guitar.
In the years after “Silent Night” was first sung, the song spread throughout Northern Europe as performed by the Strassers and Rainers, two prominent families of singers at the time. The Rainer singers brought the Christmas Carol to the United States 20 years after its inception.
“Silent Night” was originally written and performed in German, and wouldn’t be translated into English until 1863. Today, the song is translated into more than 300 languages and enjoyed around the world!
Dylan’s Intermediate Arrangement Instructions
I would advise you to play both the melody and chords individually before playing the chord-melody arrangement. It’s helpful to understand the melody and harmony individually before combining them. I always learn more from songs I’m working on when I see the interplay between melody and harmony.
Dylan’s Beginner Arrangement Instructions
If you are new to guitar or playing fingerstyle guitar, I recommend practicing this beginner arrangement by playing the upper melody voice first. After you can play the melody, try strumming the chords separately (the chords are written above the staff).
Once you can play both the melody and chords separately, try playing the fingerstyle arrangement I wrote out.
Music Theory of “Silent Night”
Both the beginner and intermediate pieces of “Silent Night” are arranged in the key of G major. The main difference between the two is that the intermediate piece is written in 6/8 time, while the beginner piece is written in 3/4 time.
In addition to the different time signatures, there are significantly more chord changes and an original intro composed for the intermediate piece. Differences between the arrangements were made as a primarily creative decision.
Conclusion
“Silent Night” was originally composed with such effortless peace and grace, that it’s not surprising that this 19th century carol has stood the test of time, remaining as an iconic fixture to the holiday season. I hope you enjoy practicing and playing this arrangement for you and your family.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!