Printable Sheet Music
When Christ was Born
Printable sheet music When Christ is Born is haunting and gentle. (The kind of piece students' parents tend to appreciate!)
This free piano sheet music is a beautiful piece for early intermediate pianists, with a flowing left hand using broken chords.
Please scroll down the page for the links to the free printable PDFs.
A closeup of page 1
Two ways to do the left hand accompaniment
The first version of When Christ was Born has a rocking feeling, due to the left hand back-and-forth chords.
The contrast when the broken chords begin on page two is very nice, and makes the piece sound harder than it really is, and very full.
Please scroll down the page for the download links.
What's hard about this piece?
There are two primary difficulties learning this piece, whether you choose the simpler version above or the harder version, shown below, of the two free Christmas songs.
Finger substitution
First, the melody calls for lots of finger replacement. LOTS.
Fortunately, it so happens that finger number 3 is the usual finger called upon, so that there seems almost to be a pattern.
When I teach this piece, I usually have a red pen ready, for me or the student to circle all the finger replacements.
This is an opportunity to work on a skill
It hasn't proven to be an issue; rather, students have found this song to be a learning experience. When the fingering is good, the right hand just falls into place!
A different approach with the 2nd arrangement
Here is the longer version, starting with just the melody. Use lots of pedal, to give it atmosphere:
Another difficulty: Grace notes
Secondly, piano students who have never used simple grace notes such as the ones found in this piece find them enchanting!
Learning to use them, however, and planning the attack, is a whole new skill, and one which will encourage creativity in your students' own composing and arranging.
I suggest learning the first phrase of the melody without the left hand, until the grace note feels natural.
If your student struggles with left/right hand coordination...
For tips on how to put the right hand together with the left-hand with eighth notes for students who are just learning these skills, see my page Holly and Ivy.
I hope you enjoy using these free Christmas songs!
The links to the piano music:
Download free piano printable sheet music When Christ was Born
Download free piano music When Christ was Born long version
Dianna:
Your website is a light in the darkness. THANK YOU for all you do in helping to spread the love of music. It matters!
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All the first-year material I give my beginner students.
Piano keyboard sheets, scales, chords, note-reading exercises, and over 256 pages of music!
This beautiful song book for piano & voice "Esther, For Such a Time as This", available as a digital download, tells the riveting story of the time when Jews in ancient Persia faced a foe named Haman, and how a brave young queen risked her life to save her people.
A good choice for a singing story-teller, an operatic group, a short theater production, or a class of children!
This book is also available from Amazon as a paperback.
This book is available as a digital download from this site. Visit this page to see some free examples from the book.
It is also available from Amazon as a paperback!
This is the perfect easy start for little pianists.
And when they start reading white-key notes on the staff, this is a fun easy resource to say each week, "Choose a new black-key song at home this week and figure it out to show me next lesson!" They will be spending more time at the piano.
A perfect read aloud storybook
for little boys or girls.
The Adventures of Tonsta highlight the travels of a very young boy with a good heart, who goes about helping folk in trouble.
With a red cap on his head and a sack of tools slung over his shoulder, Tonsta seems to meet people in distress wherever he goes.
Lots of trolls in this book - including one who gives him a Christmas gift!
Kitana:
Hi! I'm teaching my little brother to play the piano and this is really helpful.
Krista:
Thank you thank you thank you!! I have recently started my own vocal studio, and though I have studied music education for years in college, a private studio is a daunting task for me.
Your site has made everything seem so simple and straightforward and has helped me to really get started. It is so comprehensive and well put together. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge so that music can be shared everywhere. :)
Dana:
Good for you! Yes, I know just what you mean. Every new endeavor requires a little bit of chutzpah -- not to say just brazening it out a bit, because you just can't be an expert at anything until you've done it for a while. We teachers have to learn how to teach... and you have to start somewhere.
About the Author
Hi, I'm Dana! (Say that like "Anna".) I'm the owner of Music-for-Music-Teachers.com, and a newer site, SingTheBibleStory.com.
Like some of you, I've been playing the piano since early childhood, and have added a few other instruments along the way, plus an interest in arranging and composing music.
You can find out more about me and the reason for this website at my About Me page.
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