A Jazz Piano Christmas
- Dr. Bob Lawrence
- Dec 27, 2025
- 4 min read
Discover . Learn . Play
Reflection, Music, and a Look Ahead to 2026
By Dr. Bob Lawrence
Merry Christmas from Jazz Piano Skills! With Christmas Eve just around the corner and the holiday season in full swing, this week’s podcast episode was designed to do exactly what music does best — bring joy, reflection, and inspiration. A Jazz Piano Christmas is both a celebration of the season and a meaningful look ahead at what’s coming next at Jazz Piano Skills.
Before diving into Christmas music, it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on where we’ve been.
Wrapping Up Christmas Time Is Here
Last week, we completed our three-week deep dive into Vince Guaraldi’s Christmas Time Is Here — a tune that has become a modern jazz Christmas standard. As with every Jazz Piano Skills tune study, we explored the music through three essential lenses:
Harmonic Analysis — form, changes, harmonic function, common motion, and voicings
Melodic Analysis — transcription, fingerings, phrasing, target tones, and treatments
Improvisation Development — using the tune as a framework for creative growth
This structured approach is intentional. Jazz piano skills don’t develop randomly — they grow when guided by a clear, simple conceptual process that allows physical technique to flourish.
Which brings us, of course, to the foundation of everything we do at Jazz Piano Skills…
The Seven Musical Facts — Always the Compass
Every lesson, every tune study, every exercise adheres to the Seven Musical Facts:
Music is the production of sound and silence
Sound is produced harmonically and melodically
Harmonic sound = chords and voicings
Melodic sound = scales and arpeggios
Scales and arpeggios move up or down
We camouflage this motion with chromaticism
Rhythm brings everything to life
These principles keep jazz piano logical, approachable, and musically meaningful — and they are the reason our tune studies work so effectively.
What’s New in 2026: Solo Piano Takes Center Stage 🎹
Starting in 2026, every monthly tune study will include a fourth week dedicated entirely to solo jazz piano.
After studying harmony, melody, and improvisation, we’ll turn our attention to applying those skills in a solo context — where the pianist becomes the entire ensemble. Bass, harmony, melody, rhythm, time — it’s all in your hands.
Most pianists spend far more time playing alone than with an ensemble. Learning how to translate ensemble skills into solo playing is essential — and the gateway to doing this successfully is ensemble experience, whether live or through backing tracks.
This new fourth-week focus will help pianists at every level build confident, expressive solo performances — whether that means playing an entire tune, a single section, or even just a few phrases. Every step forward counts.
Five Christmas Tunes — Five Solo Piano Approaches
To introduce this new direction, the episode featured five beloved Christmas tunes, each demonstrating a different solo piano concept.
🎄 O Christmas Tree (Vince Guaraldi Style)
We begin with simplicity — learning to represent harmony and melody clearly in time. Starting with chord “strumming” in the left hand and evolving into a gentle stride feel, this approach builds independence and groove while maintaining accessibility.
🌙 Silent Night
Sparse voicings, long tones, space, and reverence define this performance. Played rubato with emotional pacing, Silent Night reminds us of music’s profound power — especially when silence is allowed to speak.
🎅 Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
This tune begs to swing. Blues language, dominant harmony, and playful articulation bring this classic to life. Solo piano here becomes an ensemble — bassist, drummer, and pianist all rolled into one.
❄️ Let It Snow
A jazz standard through and through. Inspired by the legendary Dave McKenna, this rendition blends stride, rubato, and time feel into a relaxed, swinging solo performance that feels right at home in any jam session.
🔥 The Christmas Song
The closer — expressive, emotional, and spacious. This tune challenges pianists to slow down, breathe, and trust silence. One of the greatest lessons in solo piano playing.
No Backing Tracks — It’s Solo Piano Time
For this episode, the podcast packets include lead sheets only — no backing tracks. This is intentional. Along with the lead sheets, you’ll find a harmonic analysis template to encourage deeper study of these Christmas standards.
You’ll quickly discover that these tunes share many of the same harmonic characteristics found in the jazz standards we study all year long.
A Heartfelt Thank You ❤️
As we close out the year, I want to say thank you — to every Jazz Piano Skills listener and member. Your enthusiasm, commitment, thoughtful questions, and love for this music make this community truly special.
There will be no masterclass this Thursday (Christmas Day), but we’ll be back next Tuesday to wrap up 2025 and look ahead to an exciting 2026.
From my heart to yours, I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas, a joyful holiday season, and many blessings in the year ahead.
Enjoy the music. Enjoy the moment. And as always — it’s a great day to Discover, Learn, and Play Jazz Piano.
🎧 Listen Now: [Jazz Piano Skills Podcast: "Christmas Time is Here” – Episode] 📝 Become a Member: JazzPianoSkills.com 📺 Subscribe on YouTube: Jazz Piano Skills
Warm Regards, Dr. Bob Lawrence
Jazz Piano Skills
Comments