It’s sometimes overwhelming to sift through all the Christmas repertoire out there because there are so many options! If you are like us, you probably want to find motivating repertoire that is well-edited and arranged but also don’t want to drain the bank by purchasing a lot of mediocre books.
We’ve put together a list of our favorite Christmas collections that we use again and again. Whether you are a new teacher or have taught for many years, we hope you’ll discover some new music to unlock the magic of the season!
1. Christmas Extravaganza Books 1–3 Arr. by Robert Vandall (Early Intermediate to Late Intermediate)
Each holiday season, we come back to Rober Vandall’s Christmas Extravaganza. These pieces are always a hit with students because they sound big, the harmonies are unexpected, and they fit nicely in the hands. Basically, every piece in this collection is a winner. Here is a compilation of some favorite moments in this series. Take a listen!
2. Famous and Fun Christmas Books 1–5 Arr. by Carol Matz (Early Elementary to Intermediate)
Carol Matz’s Famous and Fun Christmas books are another solid choice when stocking up on Christmas books. This book series spans several genres including Famous and Fun Christmas (with traditional carols), Famous and Fun Pop Christmas, and Famous and Fun Christmas Duets. There’s also a Famous and Fun Jewish Songs collection.
Carol Matz is a whiz at arranging music so that it feels good in the hands while still sounding great, and many of the solo books include easy-to-play optional teacher duets. The music engraving and layout of the books are also top-notch. When we look for basic arrangements of Christmas tunes, we often start here.
3. In Recital Christmas Series, FJH Arr. by Various Composers (Early Elementary to Advanced)
This leveled series includes imaginative arrangements for students beginner to advanced. There are three different collections for Christmas in the In Recital series: In Recital with Christmas Favorites and In Recital with Popular Christmas Music (both early elementary to late intermediate in six books) and In Recital for the Advancing Pianist, Christmas. One of our favorite arrangements from the Advanced collection is Jingle Bells arr. by Robert Shultz. Check out this sample.
4. Christmas Medleys: Beloved Songs of the Season by Phillip Keveren (Late Intermediate)
Phillip Keveren is a masterful arranger and many of his books feature medleys. We are huge fans of his book Christmas Medleys: Beloved Songs of the Season. These are especially great for you or your students if you need a longer piece. Students often enjoy the energetic piece called “A Christmas Celebration” which includes well-known favorites like “Joy to the World.”
5. Emmanuel: Artful Piano Solos for Christmas by Mark Hayes (Late Intermediate to Early Advanced)
Emmanuel: Artful Piano Solos for Christmas is particularly well-known in church pianist circles. These late-intermediate/early-advanced arrangements are some of the most dazzling settings of Christmas tunes you will find. One of the things we love about this book is that it features many lesser-played carols like Wexford Carol, Gesu Bambino, In the Bleak Midwinter, Fum, Fum, Fum, and others. Hayes also produced a recording of these pieces, so you can listen to his interpretation of these arrangements.
6. Grand Solos for Christmas Books 1–6 by Melody Bober (Early Elementary to Late Intermediate)
We love that this series has such a wide range of styles for every student! There are beginner levels (just like her other “Grand Solos” collections) all the way up to early advanced. The earlier arrangements are straightforward and often a quick study, so students can learn them in time for Christmas recitals. One arrangement that our students have LOVED playing over the years is the Ukrainian Bell Carol found in Level 3.
7. The Best in Christmas Music Complete by Dan Coates (Early to Late Intermediate)
We’ve used this collection for decades… literally! One of our teachers recommended this book many, many years ago, and we’ve enjoyed playing from it ourselves and have given it to many students. The arrangements are early to late intermediate in level but never seem to get old. And, with only one verse, or possibly an optional repeat, they are the perfect length for a short solo. Our favorite selection from this book is “O Holy Night.” We pull this arrangement out whenever we need a short but grand solo in a pinch!
8. Christmas Silhouettes by Dennis Alexander (Intermediate to Late Intermediate)
This is a lovely lyrical collection with rolling left-hand accompaniment patterns that feel very pianistic to play. It also blends traditional harmonies with some contemporary sounds for a fresh take on Christmas classics. We always put a checkmark next to the pieces we like in the table of contents of our music books, and this book has almost every song checked off! Christmas Silhouettes is a strong choice for your Christmas music library.
9. A Dave Brubeck Christmas by Dave Brubeck (Late Intermediate to Early Advanced)
Dave Brubeck AND Christmas music in the same collection? Yes, please! We love that this book is the perfect combination of some of our favorite stylings with Christmas songs that we love. Plus, this set of pieces is a legitimate part of Brubeck’s repertoire, and you can listen to his Christmas album with these arrangements in their exact printed form. This edition is for late intermediate to early advanced and contains more sophisticated sounding arrangements, so it would be great for older students, collegiate students, or even yourself. If you’ve not checked out A Dave Brubeck Christmas, be sure to give it a try!
10. The Reader’s Digest Merry Christmas Songbook (Intermediate)
Although out of print, this book was iconic for many of us growing up in the 80s and 90s. It is still our preferred book for playing Christmas carols because the selection of tunes is so awesome, and the arrangements sound so creative despite them being fairly easy to play. Perhaps there is something nostalgic about this collection, but it really does feel gratifying to use this book. You can still find many used copies of it on eBay and a few new copies on places like Amazon for a hefty price tag, but we still recommend it!
These are just a few of our favorite collections, but there are many more great options out there! If you have a favorite book of Christmas arrangements you use in your teaching, let us know below in the comments. We want to know!
Want more repertoire ideas? Check out our 25 Favorite Teaching Pieces for Piano Students or this post on repertoire ideas to prepare students for Impressionism.
A passionate music educator, presenter, and author, Davis spends his days empowering music students through creative teaching and music education resources. He is a frequent presenter at conferences and workshops across the nation and is co-author of the Easy Piano Lead Sheets and Chord Charts series. He currently lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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