A Christmas to Remember: Piano Book

Hartsell's arrangements give intermediate pianists immediate success. The big, resonant chords and reharmonized harmonies make these familiar carols sound lush and polished without requiring technical fireworks, which means students hear themselves playing "grown-up" music from day one. The balance work built into every piece teaches genuine voice-leading awareness in a musical context rather than through isolated exercises.

Warm, resonant, and generous. Each piece unfolds with the feeling of a familiar carol suddenly dressed in elegant clothes; there's recognition and comfort mixed with discovery. The harmonies sing beneath the melodies, creating a sense of fullness that makes students feel capable and expressive.

Intermediate pianists who are ready to explore arrangements with real musical substance. These pieces reward students who can manage two-hand independence and sustain attention across full chord voicings without getting overwhelmed by complexity.

• Listen to how the accompaniment figures support or complement the melody line; Hartsell layers these deliberately, so resist the urge to play them at the same dynamic level as the tune.
• Experiment with voicing the chord blocks before you start learning the full piece. Understanding where the sonority comes from (bass, middle register, or both) helps you execute the balance he's designed.
• Lean into the lush reharmonizations by allowing the sustain pedal to bloom between chord changes. These arrangements reward a thoughtful, unhurried approach to color.

Perfect for a holiday concert where you want to feature strong intermediate soloists without the burden of concerto-level technique. You could also pair these pieces with younger students' simpler arrangements of the same carols, or slot them into a winter recital program where they'll stand out for their harmonic interest and polish.

• Balancing melodic prominence with accompanying figures
• Voice leading through reharmonized passages
• Executing full chord voicings across the keyboard
• Managing harmonic color with pedal and dynamic control
• Phrasing and musicality in familiar melodies