Jolly Old St. Nicholaus
- Level: Early Elementary
- Pages: 5 pages, 3 pages of music, cover included!
- Style: Happy
- Series: Rote and Reading®
- Bonus: 2 free mp3 downloads to send to students to remind them how the piece sounds.
- Format: PDF instant download
Jingle Bells
- Level: Early to Mid Elementary
- Pages: 5 pages, 3 pages of music, cover included!
- Style: Excited
- Series: Rote and Reading®
- Format: PDF instant download
Away in a Manger
- Level: Mid Elementary
- Pages: 5 pages, 3 pages of music, cover included!
- Style: Peaceful
- Series: Rote and Reading®
- Format: PDF instant download
Black Key Jingle Bells
- Level: Early Elementary
- Pages: 5 pages, 3 pages of music, cover included!
- Style: Spirited
- License: Studio license – reproducible for students you directly teach
- Bonus: Mp3 recording to help remind students how it sounds
- Format: PDF instant download
Joy to the World
- Level: Elementary
- Pages: 5 pages – 3 pages of music, cover included!
- Style: Confident, Stately
- Series: Rote and Reading®
- Format: PDF instant download
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
- Level: Elementary
- Pages: 5 pages – 3 pages of music, cover included!
- Style: Bouncy, Mysterious
- Series: Rote and Reading®
- Format: PDF instant download
What level are these Rote and Reading® Holiday piano pieces?
All of these pieces are very pattern-based and very easy to teach. They range from early to mid elementary.
Black Key Jingle Bells: Early Elementary
Jingle Bells – White key elementary
Away in a Manger – Mid to late elementary
Jolly Old St. Nicholaus – early elementary
Joy to the World – Elementary
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Elementary
What are Rote and Reading® Holiday Piano Pieces?
We want all of our students to be able to read music. But we also have to admit that those early level pieces where they just play the melody are not very motivating to any age of student, unless it might be kindergarten. Students want to play big sounding music even when they are beginners. But they can’t read music that looks complicated and sounds more mature.
Enter rote teaching. When we combine rote teaching with the power of teaching students to learn to read, we end up with more motivated students who are excited about learning to play the piano and even run to the piano to practice because their pieces make them sound so wonderful!
These Rote and Reading® Holiday Piano Pieces are designed to give students more than just a one note melody to play for the holidays. These are carefully composed to give students interesting pattern-based introductions and endings and special touches in the middles to make them sound more advanced than they can read.
Tell me more about rote teaching. It scares me a bit!
Remember that children learn to speak before they ever learn to read. And in the same way, it is quite natural to expect that children learn to play things on the piano before they ever learn to read them. Parents don’t restrict their children from talking just because they can’t read! As a matter of fact, more words and talking in the home can actually help children learn to read.
So let’s not be scared of combining some rote teaching while we are also teaching our students to read. You’ll find that you end up with students who are waaaayyyyy more motivated to practice because the they can sound much more mature and advanced with this kind of music. The more they practice, and the more excited they are about piano, the better you’ll be able to teach them to also read music!
Read this article about how long it takes for children to learn to read music.
Kathy –
i LOVE using Wendy’s pieces with my beginners! They get the students out of the middle of the keyboard and sound amazing!! These 3 Christmas tunes are no exception ????????????????
Sherryl Rampton –
My students are loving the Christmas pieces for elementary students. Just enough of a challenge without being overwhelming. Thank you, Wendy–I’m so glad I found your website!
Sherryl Rampton –
My students are loving the Christmas arrangements for elementary students. Just enough challenge without being overwhelming. Thank you, Wendy–I’m so glad I found your website. (If this review comes thru with only 1 star, ignore that because I didn’t realize I needed to highlight the number. Definitely 5 stars!)
Rachael –
Love love love these! Perfect for my beginners who feel like they are playing such big and impressive songs. So thankful for this resource. Highly recommend!!
Nina DeKock –
I love these pieces! I used Jingle Bells and Jolly Old St. Nicholaus for our recital on December 2nd. I’ll have other students learn them as well. 🙂
Pamela Dennen –
These pieces are wonderful! They made the Christmas season so much fun for my students. I’m so glad to have found this resource!
Emily Morgan –
Great for beginners! I am enjoying teaching these new arrangements, and my students love playing the “big” chords.
Karen Anderson –
I LOVE these arrangements. Not the same boring same old same old. No! These make students sound so advanced and they love playing them!
Rebecca –
Jolly old St Nicholas and Jingle Bells are great for beginners, easy to teach by rote and they love it.
It sounds good played on its own without an accompaniment, just what I’m looking for. Thanks Wendy
Molly –
I’m enjoying teaching these pieces to many of my students. Wendy answered my questions promptly in an email when I wasn’t sure how to move forward with one of my students. I highly recommend these pieces and really respect Wendy for her expertise and friendliness.
Diana Turner –
This “Away in a Manger” version was a home run in my studio! I have two ambitious beginner students who loved working on this arrangement because it gave them a mature sound while being within their scope of ability. I can’t wait to get more rote + reading pieces!
Kelly Jenkins –
I purchased this bundle and several other Christmas bundles and they were a smashing success this year! These were fantastic! And I loved not having to buy new books, but instead buying studio licenses so I can easily send them to my students.