It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
by Jeff Troxel

This issue features a simple solo arrangement of the Christmas carol It Came upon a Midnight Clear. The lyrics come from a poem written by a Massachusetts minister named Edmund Hamilton Sears in 1849. While more than one melody is associated with the poem, the one presented here, composed by Richard Storrs Willis in 1850, is the most widely known version.

The following arrangement is meant to be played as an instrumental, but the poem is really quite wonderful. Knowing the words can help with the musical interpretation even when they're not being sung.

In order to play this arrangement effectively we'll need to use a classic guitar technique called the "rest-stroke." This technique is accomplished by pushing the pick down through a string and bringing it to rest on the adjacent string. The result is a fuller sound than if the pick were to travel in an outward (free stroke) trajectory, away from the guitar. Another benefit of the rest stroke is that it gives the pick a fixed resting place between attacks, making it easier to limit the distance the pick must travel to the next attack. It's important to allow the pick to remain at rest on the adjacent string as long as possible and not bounce off it.

Try the exercise in Figure One to get an idea of what I'm talking about. Play the half-notes by pushing the pick through the 2nd string and bringing it to rest on the 1st string. Allow the pick to rest on the 1st string until the last possible moment, and then lift it again for the next rest stroke. The audio example will illustrate how each note should sound until the inception of the next with no break in the sound.

This technique can also be applied to more than one string at a time, and that's where it's going to be useful in this arrangement. Playing solo guitar means that we'll be playing the chords and melody together (in what jazzers call a "chord-melody" arrangement), with the melody usually sounding as the top note in the chord. The rest-stroke makes the melody ring clearly above its harmony.

Figure Two uses the same rest-stroke technique as Figure One. The only difference is that the pick starts on the 4th string and pushes through three strings instead of one. Be patient while learning to control the motion of the right hand. Practice slowly and make each chord last right up until the next.

Finally, Figure Three shows how the rest-stroke can cleanly isolate different parts of a "C" chord by dividing it into three different triad inversions. Place only the fingers being used for each triad. When playing the triad where the highest note is on the 1st string, simply play as if you were resting on an imaginary string.

Now you're ready to tackle the song. Listen to the audio example to get a sense of how it should sound. Remember not to strum through the chords, but rather "push" through them with the rest-stroke.

I hope you enjoy playing this arrangement. Feel free to email me with questions and comments, and have a peaceful and happy Christmas.

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About the Author

Jeff Troxel is an award-winning guitarist, songwriter, and composer who lives and teaches in Cody, WY. He holds music degrees from Northwest College, Berklee College of Music and the University of Southern California. He has taught guitar at USC, the University of Laverne and Northwest College. Jeff is the 2003 National Flatpicking Champion and is currently on the faculty at Central Wyoming College. He divides his time between teaching and performing. www.jefftroxel.com

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