Christmas collaboration – Jingle Bell Rock!

This year’s Christmas collaboration is Bobby Helms’ Jingle Bell Rock!

*Please check Zoom suppression settings if you can’t hear the student  – updated blog here! *

We are asking that you can offer this to all students, as it’s fantastic for retention while creating a nice bit of festive cheer! The results will be shared with every student, so please avoid disappointed students / parents by giving them the opportunity to be involved. You can also mention this in any absent videos you record. 

Here is last year’s efforts if you or your students / parents are unsure of the concept.

There will be 3 weeks to learn and record this within the lessons. Please note, they don’t need to know the whole piece, just a bar or 2 if that’s all they can manage (not all the first 2 bars of the song though, please!)

Week 1 (14th-19th Nov)

• Mention to your students / parents and see if they are interested in the project
• Show them part of the previous years if unsure
• Use the resources provided (make sure you add these to the students practice folders by downloading and uploading if necessary!)
• If the student has audio issues where you can’t hear them very well, it is most likely a suppression setting which can easily be resolved. Please let SAM know about this.

Week 2 (21st-26th Nov)

• Review the practice for the song
• Speak to the student / parent about prepping for the performance in the lesson the following week:
  • Playing / singing along to a backing track or click (121bpm) with headphones (or accapella) where possible for next week.
    • This can be on a separate device i.e a parents phone and a set of headphones to make it easier.
  • Making sure they have their Christmas jumper / decorations available where possible for next week.
  • As you can’t screen share – ask the student to print out the sheet music, or they can open it up on their screen for the performance, they just won’t be able to see you with this method)
• You could attempt a performance recording this week as a trial run or if they are ready.
• If the student has audio issues where you can’t hear them very well, it is most likely a suppression setting which can easily be resolved. Please let SAM know about this.

Week 3 (28th Nov-3rd Dec)

• Make sure the student is wearing Christmas clothing or has decorations if possible – Please also dress festively this week yourself!
• Sound check that they can hear the music in their headphones (or accapella) – most importantly that you cannot hear the backing track.
• Student performs in lesson. Please ask the student to say ‘Merry Christmas’ with a smile at the end of their recordings
• Add ‘Jingle Bell Rock Performance’ comment to mySAM lesson report (as seen below) to notify us to edit the lesson recording. Please add any other comments, such as if they say Merry Christmas or have a cuddle with the family pet on screen – this always goes down well!
• Please turn your camera off for the recording if you can, unless they need to see you (so they can fill the screen for better quality video).

Resources: (It is imperative that they learn the resources provided (tempo 121bpm / key D major etc). Failure to do this will result in some very unhappy students and parents if we can’t use the recordings!

Drums (Feel free to work on more interesting drum fills with your more advanced students!)

• Full backing track and 2 versions without the drums, one with and one without a click.
• Tabs of the groove used throughout, a simpler version without the additional high hats and the drum fill.

Guitar (Please attempt the lead solo guitar parts with your more advanced students!)

• Full backing track with 1 version without the guitar using a click, and 2 bass guitar versions, one with and one without a click.
• Several tabs; guitar vocal melody, full chords, simple (less) chords version, rhythm guitar, lead (solo) version and a bass tab.

Piano (Please feel free to add your own dynamics etc as this is just a basic version)

• Full backing track with 1 version without the vocal melody so the piano can be played instead. If playing chords, this can be along with the original when practicing. 
• Piano full chords, simple (less) chords version, both hand arrangement, vocal lead part in original and an octave higher pitch

Vocals (Please feel free to sing at normal pitch, octave higher or harmonys)

• Full backing track with 1 version without the vocal melody.
• Lyrics sheet including YouTube backing track (ideally use mp3s if possible however) + vocal melody written out in normal and one octave higher in pitch.

Performance / Recording tips:

• When they do their performance, do not share your sound, this will take over all audio and you won’t be able to hear the student at all.
• Do not screen share when they are performing, or you won’t be able to see them clearly enough.
• Please get your students learning different parts of the song so there is content for the whole video!
• Ideally, the student will be playing or singing with headphones or accapella to avoid any spill of backing tracks into the audio. You can practice this in the 2nd week also.
• Please try to make this a fun experience for the children, wear Christmas clothes and make sure they are smiling, happy and dancing around enjoying the process!

Student performances that will not be used for the final edit (so please avoid the below!):

• If you cannot hear the student (for example, the backing track is audible).
• If you cannot see the students’ instruments (for example, they are playing piano but you can only see the students’ faces).
• If you cannot see the student (for example, the camera is just pointed at the top of their head or the room is too dark and they aren’t illuminated enough).
• You are screen sharing and taking up the entire video with your image, meaning the student is tiny and the video not usable.

FAQs

• • If my student is ill, away or doesn’t manage to record anything in the lessons, can they submit the recording after the deadline or via another device?

• No, everything must be through Zoom in the lesson within the 3 weeks allocated. Please let SAM know as we can reach out to the parents and offer another lesson before the deadline.

 

• • What if my student doesn’t have headphones?

• You can get them to play a click track very quietly to keep time or get them to play accapella aslong as it’s in time (and in the right key of D major) we can use it.

 

• • Does it matter if they don’t have any Christmas decorations or clothing?

• No, but please encourage this where possible, even if it’s just a bit of tinsel!

 

• • My student really wants to be involved but is struggling at speed, what can I do?

 

• In this case, please try just a few notes or a single chord – otherwise get them dancing, smiling and wishing the camera Merry Christmas with a big smile!

 

If you have any questions about this project, please let us know!

Seasons greetings!