Here is a fun instrumental duet arrangement (for BOWED PSALTERY solo with PIANO accompaniment) of the ever-popular Christmas tune Carol of the Bells by Mykola Leontovich. The psaltery part was designed for a beginning psaltery player and is written in the key of C major with no sharps or flats. The piano accompaniment is at the intermediate level.

To assist those new to reading music notation, two solo parts are included: one is the standard music notation (since the lyrics are still under copyright, they are not included). The second solo part is identical to the standard music except the note names are provided below each note (example A, B, C. . .).

The psaltery plays the melody for one verse. An optional repeat is included in case a longer selection is desired. A piano accompaniment and/or rehearsal track (MP3 format) is available for this arrangement as a separate purchase: Ukrainian Bell Carol (Piano Accompaniment Track for Easy Bowed Psaltery Solo).

The range of a typical soprano psaltery is two octaves beginning with the G above middle C (G4). However, since some psalteries have fewer than 25 strings, the range for this song is just over one octave. Also, the notes are written an octave lower on the staff to avoid the ledger line notes that would be required to notate the upper notes. The notated range for this song is A3 (first A below middle C) to C5 (one octave above middle C).

The purchase price includes a combined score (grand staff, 3-stave) with both parts (PSALTERY and PIANO) on each page, plus 2 options for the 1-staff solo part (one in standard notation, one with alphabetic note names).

This arrangement is one of the 10 songs in the collection Christmas Carols (A Collection of 10 Easy Bowed Psaltery Solos with Piano Accompaniment).

Visit Sharon Wilson's website: https://www.sharonwilsonmusic.com/
Subscribe to her YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@SharonWilsonMusic