The BEST Charlie Brown Song Isn't The One You Think

[@CharlesCornellStudios]

Which of Vince Guaraldi's incredible tunes has always been your favorite?? The following link will take you directly to this year's MASSIVE Black Friday sale which will be live in just a few hours!! If you click before the sale is live, you can plug in your email to get a few free sneak peeks at the course material! cornellmusicacademy.com/blackfriday

[@shloakmehta]

The OG theme 100%

[@xandercorp6175]

Charles, does your $99 Black Friday Sale on your "ENTIRE library" count as your "Lifetime All-Access Bundle" where you "Pay once. Get everything we make now and in the future! This bundle includes ALL 8 courses we currently offer as well as automatic updates with all upcoming courses AND resources like e-books and other downloads"?

[@scottdotjazzman]

Everything you're describing in this video is the reason why the great pumpkin waltz is my favorite out of all of Vince's pieces. You might want to check out David Benoit, who is kinda his spiritual successor, and has done a lot of the music for peanuts since Vince passed.

[@kyleclair41]

I've never heard this Halloween stuff before (although it sounds fantastic), but the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack will always be my all-time favorite, with Christmas Time is Here (Instrumental) being my #1 favorite song EVER.

[@suburbanindie]

Christmas Time Is Here (piano instrumental)

[@blackbeardsghost6588]

I COMPLETELY AGREE with you on this song! It has "haunted" me my entire life. So simple, and yet so complex, and beautifully laid back.

[@jakespeaks6095]

Vince's music lives rent free in my head every fall and winter. One of the reasons I love the season so much.

[@ricksanford3381]

This reply is to add another Like to you post.

[@Sjguitarpnw]

great way to put it! same here.

[@dennisveazey4469]

💯 lives rent free in my head 24/7/365! 🎹 ❤️

[@KrepsyK]

Definitely has that mood to it. Makes me want to decorate for Christmas

[@tararosabelle7368]

Facts. Something about the music is just so ethereal and nostalgic feeling. Very comforting, I enjoy it a ton

[@majorwilkesjr.5827]

Vince Guaraldi and the Mr. Rogers Neiborhood music had me loving jazz at an early age.

[@scalderiso]

Sammmmmmme

[@iloveshoes6127]

Vince was one of the greatest musical masterminds out of there

[@houseofhigherself]

Guaraldi's style of piano playing is dynamically nourishing thru & through....he was definitely in his own lane imo

[@Phi1618033]

Guaraldi's "Christman Time Is Here" is one of the greatest Jazz tunes ever written. I love to play it.

[@spencercook4857]

I was playing it the other day as an older student walked in. Now we are talking about jazz harmony and it warms my heart.

[@ShouldHaveBeen]

My favorite. So sad for a Christmas song.

[@michael_mcgowan]

Same

[@markcrochet2423]

We ALWAYS decorate our tree to the music of Charlie Brown Christmas!!! It is our family tradition. Nothing feels so much like Christmas than this music!!

[@KanawhaCountyWX]

Vince was a musical mastermind, and in my opinion should be ranked up there with some of the jazz greats.

[@emanuellandeholm5657]

This is a beautiful song.

[@maggie3371]

AGREED

[@descendingforth]

What a masterpiece of a track. Truly something special!

[@FreshTillDeath56]

HOW DID YOU KNOW?! I am madly in love with the Great Pumpkin Waltz and Vince is my mother's favorite pianist. So many warm nights by the fire as a child listening to his piano.

[@sus-kupp]

He probly didnt

[@randall6188]

Same!

[@Bashanvibe]

Same here bro at 44 years old I act like a 12 year old kid!!!

[@MarkTurner-vs7uc]

Lucky you.

[@FreshTillDeath56]

@@MarkTurner-vs7uc My mother has a wonderful ear for music.

[@moodindigo445]

2nd chord = Gadd9/B

[@alphageek101]

Gadd2/B. A Mu chord!

[@plastickkerorolm4889]

Thanks! This is my litteral favorite melody!!! Ever

[@billedwards3546]

Dude - I was in front of a television in 1966 as a piano-curious seven-year-old and saw that show. This piece dug deep inside of me that very night, and I have not missed it since. As a professional I have been playing it since the late 1970s, but you solved one chord problem for me (I did an incorrect analysis), and your breakdown brought me goosebumps and tears and deep emotion. I have most of Vince's recordings from the 1950s to his death, but this is my favorite piece of all of his (I even play it when doing my copious Christmas gigs), and somehow always makes me seven years old again. Glad we are on the same page with the authentic beauty of just a chord progression. (Short of Beethoven's Seventh, second movement, which I do as a light Samba as per Jon Batiste) I will dig into this channel for sure.

[@ClintAshlock]

Man, I’m arranging this for the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra as part of a Charlie Brown holiday concert, and I actually thought about you when diving into the voice leading of this tune. It’s just gorgeous. He was so amazing at finding throughlines in the harmony. Thanks for this (and all of your) videos.

[@clarkesinspace]

Hey! Great to run into another KC musician here! I was popping in to say always look to dominant or sub dom function when figuring out the roll of an anomaly chord. VG is the GOAT!

[@trevorsmith2006]

Welp. Guess I'm heading to the Kaufman center next week.

[@ClintAshlock]

Whoo!!! Come say hi!@@trevorsmith2006

[@colourtones]

I would dig checking your arrangement out with the Modern Oklahoma Jazz Orchestra. Let me know if you would sell a copy of all the parts and conductors score. Thanks!

[@kpdelaney6460]

That’s so cool! Will there be a recording of your performance anywhere? I won’t be able to make it next Tuesday

[@jeffbranch8072]

I'm not a musician, I'm just someone who loves this music. In particular I love listening to this song in Autumn. It sounds like leaves falling, and there's a sweet note of quiet sadness. Summer is past, days getting shorter, weather getting cooler and cloudier, but I love Autumn for all that it is and this song to me is Autumn set to music.

[@jodiwolf7192]

"sounds like leaves falling" ... love that 🍃🍁🍂

[@okamiseven]

"a sweet note of quiet sadness" is the whole vibe of Vince's music for me

[@Nclght]

Add to that the beautiful yet haunting sound of that flute is absolutely perfect for Halloween

[@jazzyjoints7081]

"Skating" from the Christmas album is my all time favorite ❤❤❤❤❤ Snoopy expressed it best in the movie 😅😅😊😊

[@dancegregorydance6933]

I just realized Charlie Brown’s music is the reason I’ve always associated jazz (particularly jazz piano) with fall and the holiday seasons.

[@bootsarmstrong8421]

I love the "Great Pumpkin Waltz." Love the cartoon, too. One of my most cherished childhood memories.

[@ChristianHegele]

That beautiful Gadd9 first inversion is a prime example of the "mu major" chord that Steely Dan made a career out of. (cf. Deacon Blues, et al.)

[@RhymesWithCarbon]

I Said the same thing. “That’s a Mu Major”, so glad others recognized it too!

[@ThomasJLarsen]

That’s what I heard from the beginning. A Gadd9 chord. Dominant to the Cm. I don’t know the expression “mu major”. Can you explain that shortly please? Yeah, I do hear Steely Dan in that chord progression.

[@ChristianHegele]

@@ThomasJLarsen It's just a nickname Donald Fagen used for the band's use of add9, especially where the second and third scale tones occur in the same octave so as to "rub" against each other.

[@ThomasJLarsen]

@@ChristianHegele Ahh, I see. A delightful dissonant. Thanks for explaining. :-)

[@lupash]

That chord comes from classical music way before the so called "mu chords". They're a thing in Bach already, and for example Puccini used them extensively in opera. It's important to note how functionally they're not minor chords like Charles say, but they're in fact first inversions with an add9. In classical music you often find them after a dominant third inversion (i.e. D/C - Gadd9/B), where the add9 on G comes from the suspension of the fifth of the dominant triad as the bass resolves downward. That's a V-I functionally, not a V-vi, and from there you can go again for ii-V-I if you keep descending straight on Am7 for example.

[@DebbieDenkeMusic]

2nd chord, I might call it a G2/B...Appreciate your enthusiasm Charles over the composer's ideas! (Mom told me Vince Guaraldi used to come over to the house to take piano lessons from my father Frank Denke. When I asked Dad about that he whispered "Harmony lessons" then quickly changed the subject, not wanting to boast.) Vince was known as a jazz pianist in the San Francisco Bay Area, mostly self taught - and when he was suggested to be the composer for Charles Schultz cartoons, it took some convincing because he didn't really like jazz! But soon the artist/creator saw how perfectly Guaraldi's music fit the Charlie Brown characters.

[@aarontuchardt7540]

I was just coming to say this. Definitely feel like the second chord has more of a sus sound than a major or minor sound!

[@vlong7112]

I recently found an hour loop of this song and it's been playing all autumn 🧡

[@teachertrx1204]

Yep, I found it too. I've been going for long walks under the autumn trees listening to it

[@bjdela]

Gives me chills everytime I hear it.

[@jiunjuan]

Every time I hear those first couple of chords brings such a feeling of beauty into my life. Great tribute. Thanks for sharing with us.

[@christrejo1736]

Beautiful

[@oatmilkandcoffee]

Great Pumpkin Waltz is hands-down my favorite followed by Skating . Reminds me of cold and cloudy days in July (winter here in southern hemisphere), reminds me of childhood, watching Peanuts after school, reminds me of better, simpler times. This song is freaking timeless

[@Julia29853]

Yes! I think Guaraldi is so under appreciated and not analyzed often enough!

[@MarkTurner-vs7uc]

Just incredible

[@kpdelaney6460]

I think he did do a video on Skating last year if I’m not mistaken

[@atlasatlasatlas333]

My god heartburn waltz is so pretty

[@79Tomasso]

I knew this would be it!!!!!! 😍 I've played the piano for 30 years and this is one of my absolute favorites. Sick progression and the little B section melody tugs at your heart strings. After my first breakup in college I listened to George Winston's slowed down version in the car and had one of the best cries of my life. People think of Linus and Lucy and haven't a clue how utterly sweet and profound some of Vince's other pieces are. Hymn to Grace, Love Will Come, and My Little Drum will be getting all kinds of play this December in my house. Great vid, thank you for having such good taste.

[@Pattern51lover]

I used to listen to this song all the time on walks with my dog through these fields near where I lived. It was perfect.

[@125southernnh2]

Skating, Christmas is Coming, Linus and Lucy. All amazing jazz tunes. This stuff has resonated through my bones since I was 3 years old.

[@spurfan76]

The Peanuts soundtracks were always my favorite growing up due to their music. I even learned how to play their classic theme! I still watch the cartoon whenever it airs for the holidays!

[@appoloniasigg29]

this is my FAVORITE ONE! It makes me cry while I smile. I casually clicked on the video and when you said "Halloween" I got SO excited!!! now I'm gonna watch the rest of the video. hahaha

[@appoloniasigg29]

Wow...I'm back and, well...I cried and smiled watching your video as well. It made me appreciate this beautiful song so much more. What a gift, thank you so much! It truly made my night. :)

[@timportwood191]

This song, to me, is the perfect fall after noon. The afternoon/evening sun beaming through a red oak, or some other beautiful tree. A chill is coming in the air. Falling leaves twirling in the air.A fragrant pinion wood fire going on. And this song. Absolute comfy, cozy, fall perfection. I absolutely love this song.

[@majorwilkesjr.5827]

Let's take time to show respect to artists , performers , producers , and composers while they are alive to hear the appreciation.

[@GrotrianSeiler]

Charles’ analysis is so cool and so enlightening. His enthusiasm and enjoyment for music is why all of us are so alike. Thanks man, your channel is great.

[@bluestreakbthr]

I’m glad someone else had the same thought. So great.

[@ingridfong-daley5899]

When ii was 10 yrs old, i fell in love with this entire score such that i begged for (and received) piano lessons--the beauty of those 'autumnal' chords, the haunting Debussy-esque flute passages, the darkness of close intervals in the bass, a colourful assortment of elements of homophonic style and structure were on parade during Snoopy's "emotional interpretation" of Schroeder's playing at the Halloween party... i wanted to be able to paint music that way. I didn't pursue it professionally past a point, but i played daily as my kids grew up so it became a language they could speak comfortably. My son found this channel for me when you did the Sesame Street Pinball song, and this is exactly why i had kids! :) Music truly is a gift that keeps giving--thank you for your hard work to make this channel's content available for free. It is genuinely appreciated.

[@SurferJoe1]

So beautifully expressed; I loved reading this. And I feel the same way about those 'autumnal' chords, and that's what I'll call them now.

[@ryanweaver3910]

You had kids just so they could find cool KZbin videos for you?

[@SurferJoe1]

@@ryanweaver3910 I'd like to rent them for tomorrow. Gutters need cleaning.

[@ingridfong-daley5899]

So they could find me the best 'media' as such, yes. Give your kids good taste, and as you age, your kids bring the new substance of quality to you :) (their childhood was a Peter Sellers, Bernard Herrmann, and Beck wonderland)@@ryanweaver3910

[@Julia29853]

@@ryanweaver3910of course! Why else?! 😂😉

[@bkelly5570]

I recorded this on a cassette player off TV when I was a kid in the 70's. This tune and also the WW1 Flying Ace bit when Snoopy was snooping around in the cartoon. Thanksgiving Theme is also something it took me forever to learn. Beautiful stuff. I used to go to sleep to it.

[@Polo-ul6mk]

That chord is also a moo mayor chord and i think that that's why it is so good!!

[@KentIII799]

11:00 “it’s kind of hard to improvise over this” proceeds to flawlessly and beautifully improvise

[@MarkTurner-vs7uc]

Masterpiece. Timeless. Heard it every year since it first came out. Still knocks me out. I love it so much. Masterpiece

[@Benisuber1]

Nothing gets me in the spirit of the season like Vince Guaraldi. Shoutout to Lee Mendelson for seeing the genius in Guaraldi and meshing that with the iconic Peanuts movies.

[@FreshTillDeath56]

Lee's choice was incredibly forward-thinking.

[@nicholegates1723]

I literally listen to this daily. It’s on every work playlist I’ve created!

[@gentlespirit4]

OMG!!! I play this on my iTunes playlist literally once a day, at least! Been listening to this exact piece since I was a little girl in the 70s. I've played it on vinyl, cassette tape, CD, and now on my iPhone via a download from iTunes. Love love love it!!! It just makes me smile from deep within my soul. Thank you, C.C., so much for covering this timeless classic! Please stay healthy and take care.

[@pascalrouen]

"Cast Your Fate to the Wind", "Monterey" and "Theme to Grace" are amazing Guaraldi pieces that I love as well, though "Skating" and "The Great Pumpkin Waltz" are probably my favorites overall.

[@TheRodge2112]

Easily my favorite of the tunes from the Charlie Brown specials. I love this one.

[@lopezmotorsports]

Take away the fact that it's for a children's TV special, Vince's music is just pure jazz. I know my love of jazz started here, I have no doubt so many other's love started here too. He has created generations of jazz lovers, and Peanutscfans alike.

[@sramredd9856]

One of my favorite Charlie Brown songs. Used to watch Charlie Brown shows a lot when I was a kid. I can probably say it was my gateway to jazz. That Ebmaj7 chord makes that part sound so emotional. Beautiful.

[@Radi0Wires]

I love you Charles. Thanks for music lessons and for sharing your passion with us! Happy thanksgiving!

[@emberflame8396]

This progression was likely based off of Duke Pearson’s “Chant” which used a very similar progression and was composed a few years earlier

[@ssnoc]

Yes you’re right, it instantly brings me back in time with a melancholy that is super powerful - incredible emotionally moving music.

[@katrinabrown3561]

I put it on for my second graders and I heard this song and I was hooked. On Friday I put it on full blast in my classroom for Halloween all day. So fun!

[@jayducharme]

I’m glad you brought attention to this soundtrack, one of my all-time favorites. The flute is hauntingly beautiful.

[@sitarnut]

Man, your "knocked out" expressions over Vince's brilliance are worth this entire presentation..... we looked like that for the first year after we first heard Wes Montgomery.

[@Sunflower-td6cb]

The Great Pumpkin Waltz is my favorite from all the Peanuts music. I listened to this over and over again when fall came around this year. Vince Guaraldi is one of my favorite 20th century composers. I grew up watching these movies and the music is so nostalgic to me

[@tomreingold4024]

You point out how brilliant it is, and it is. And in a way, you point out how beautiful it is, as well.

[@Heylomusicmusic]

Loved this! The harmonic changes over a repeated same note always amazes me! 💕

[@peteywheatstraws4909]

"Great Pumpkin Waltz" is the jam. Also, when Snoopy gets shot down behind enemy lines, with the train whistle in the background.

[@piplup10203854]

I haven't a single clue what you're talking about but I can appreciate Charlie Brown and I definitely love what I am hearing, it's very pretty :)

[@jfrancis6191]

One of my favourite songs of all time. I feel like it perfectly captures my attitude toward life. So fun to hear you break it down!

[@Noe2iq]

What a great comment. At one point as an adult, I realised that my entire sensation of life was deeply influenced by the music of Charlie Brown.

[@jfrancis6191]

@@Noe2iq Thank you! Yes it’s as a friend of mine says a ‘core memory’. I think Vince introduced an entire generation to wistfulness.

[@randallknapp7528]

I was in choir as a child, played violin in orchestra for 8 years. I never had the dexterity for it, but it trained my ear. My father is a versatile musician, far better than I. Vince is amazing.

[@thesugarwitch_co]

I genuinely enjoy your delight and expression when certain chords or their progressions garner a "woohoo!" It's exactly how I feel about those things and never really expressed because my family already thinks I'm crazy. 😂

[@ilanpenkower]

This song has been in my playlists forever, and even without technical music knowledge i always knew it was magical. one of my all-time favorites from this general genre and it never fails to calm me down no matter what, even managing to be one of the very few songs that actually get a real emotional reaction from me. Thanks for this video and for showing the technical beauty of this song in addition to its beauty in general :)

[@clurkroberts2650]

This song has always been my favorite.

[@tobyjay5999]

i'm so happy you made this video. Vince Guaraldi is my favorite artist ever, and This is (no exaggeration) my FAVORITE song of ALL TIME. #1, hands down. I've always been absolutely blown away by it's chord progression without actually understanding what's going on beneath the surface so I'm glad you've given it a proper deep dive. I'm also just so glad this song is getting the recognition and appreciation it deserves, because it truly is amazing.

[@MarkTurner-vs7uc]

Masterpiece

[@twilight7721]

this is one of my favourite songs ever! as my intro to jazz vince’s music holds a really special place in my heart

[@pandoranbias1622]

I have been obsessed with his work for years.

[@yankees2655]

So beautiful. There are a few chords towards the end of the riff that sound just like the end of the main riff in Christmas is Coming, it might even be almost the same figure (naturally since he wrote 'em both)

[@chriscoleman8303]

There’s an absolutely gorgeous arrangement of this tune featuring Chick Corea on the Happy Anniversary, Charlie Brown album. It’s the soundtrack of holiday winter.

[@Ivanhoenn]

THANK YOU, this is by far my favorite Vince Guaraldi song, maybe my favorite jazz song. It's just so atmospheric and smart.

[@freemanmanfree5719]

Chills... most beautiful song ever written by VG.

[@jazzpianosista]

Just was shedding this tune yesterday! This is one of my favorite songs and the chords are so fiyah!!!!

[@sammcdermott9210]

Vince has become one of my all time favorite pianists, but not just because of the incredible Peanuts music. all his other recordings are stellar, he doesn’t get enough love.

[@PlaybyHear]

My favorite also. It’s not the Christmas season in my mind until I hear something from this album.

[@michaelwilliams-owolabi8365]

i'm loving the new style, a lot more of a teacher vibe instead of just reacting. great job as always!

[@henrymattei4886]

The chords are giving straight neo-soul. I wonder if that’s why I like neo-soul so much since the Charlie Brown music was my introduction and favorite jazz music.

[@jpsned]

First, let me say that I love your playing and enthusiasm. I love this tune and was happy to see it analyzed. I'm a sax player who is currently developing a duo gig with a guitarist friend. We've had many discussions of how chords and melody aid and abet each other. One tune that I wanted him to learn was music I've always loved: the theme from the TV show "The Flying Nun." At first he balked, saying it was silly and too ridiculous to take seriously. But I kept on insisting we try it. After working on the chords for a week, he told me that musically, they made absolutely no sense to him. So finally we rehearsed it together, and he said all of a sudden, the chord progression made sense. Just because we added the melody notes.

[@isaiahbaggett5014]

I play this all year long in my classes here in Kazakhstan. It's so cool seeing my students bop their heads along.

[@corystajduhar]

2:36 When I use this type of voicing, I just call it what it looks like to me which in this case is a Gsus2/B. It's a G with a suspended 2 (no third) with a B in the bass. I didn't call the 2nd an add9 because there is no 7th and there is no 3rd, but that's just my perspective. I think Gsus2/B encompasses all of chord tones as well as the bass note.

[@Godsmusikluvr]

That's a beautiful song. Definitely a favorite of mine

[@StrifeGarza7777]

I'm so glad someone brought this song to attention. I was floored by it the first time I heard and had to save it and really take it in. It felt like no one mentioned appreciation for it... but you have. Thank you. Cause this is some damn good music

[@emboldenedblue]

Absolutely love his What Child is This!! It’s very unique.

[@Rhekon]

How have I never heard this song??????? It's absolutely lovely.

[@MissGimpsAlot]

**I LOVE THE NEW PIANO ANGLE*** AHH! THANK YOU! It *always* messes with me to see the older style overlay while your hands on screen where going the "wrong" way. 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@SuchNick]

dude I have this song in constant rotation from September through October, it perfectly captures the vibes of early to mid fall!

[@williamanthony175]

Watching this at half speed to write the notes down sounds like you have a drink into you and you're having a great time. I love your videos, keep up the good work

[@MrHyytelokala]

2:09 When I heard that, it reminded me of G major. I don't hear it as B minor. I would say it is Gsus2/B but you can call it B minor.

[@jamisonescott2300]

Fascinating dissection of these beautiful chords.

[@jonathanhape]

This is my favorite song of all time. My music taste skewed Jazz about 10 years ago and when they finally released the cuts from this sound track some time ago I absolutely gushed over this tune. It’s my #1 played, both streaming and vinyl. :) :) :)

[@benedictbranca-on4ug]

I'm grateful for your appreciation of Vince's compositions. He's written some of the most beautiful music. My favorite jazz pianist. Thank you.

[@KT-sq2ml]

His music is forever ingrained in the brains of people my age, I believe. I’m 58 and watched every Peanuts’ holiday special every year - along with my siblings, cousins and friends at school. I’ve always loved his music - his compositions are classic.

[@wdwnutjm]

I was born in '63- two jazz musicians for parents & I grew up playing the piano. even as a little kid, I always LOVED the music in these specials (& have since worked out how to play a bunch of them). GREAT video examining these details- and excellent descriptions

[@nickmatheos3689]

This is my favorite piece! I used to go to sleep to This as a kid (Charlie brown albums). It’s what got me into music

[@SwooshBear123]

I'm so happy to see The Great Pumpkin Waltz getting its flowers! One of my most listened to songs of all time!

[@willschneider4616]

Chick Corea did a version of this on an anniversary album that may be one of the best jazz piano works ever composed.Highly recommend giving it a listen.

[@sugrnspyce4]

*YES.* I LOVE that version.

[@ahirunakamura9592]

Great to see Guaraldi’s music analyzed once more!! Not only the Peanuts soundtrack was my introduction to jazz and classical, it introduced me to music in general, as far as I remember (as a 4yo) watching and humming to every and each song the cartoon had…

[@deionc]

This song is a thick, warm sweater you can listen to.

[@bjdela]

This and "skating" from the Christmas album are hardly ever talked about and are my personal faves.

[@jingleheimershcmidt2]

Love this song. Likely my favorite of Guaraldi next to Christmas time is here. Both those songs are such a release to listen to.

[@thisisreesespieces]

BEEN LISTENING TO THIS SONG ALL DAY

[@JohnInTahoe]

Yep. Not only is this the best Charlie Brown song ever, it’s one of the best songs ever.

[@Miketar2424]

Thanks for posting this. I studied Vince for a long time years ago when I was taking lessons. I played this tune as one of my staple tunes. Everyone know it and loves it.