I've arranged “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" using my 2+2 chord-arranging method for solo piano.
In 2+2 chord arranging, the left hand anchors the harmony, typically playing root and 7th, root and 3rd, or root and 5th intervals on tonic chords. The right hand uses its thumb to complete the chord (with the 3rd or 7th), while the remaining fingers carry the melody above.
2+2 voicings are hand-friendly, balanced, and versatile. The left-hand notes can stand alone as a complete accompaniment, while the right hand adds fills or improvisation. With regular practice, the 2+2 system helps pianists move from guessing at chords to playing confident, expressive harmony in just a few weeks.
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is a beloved holiday song. Introduced by Judy Garland in Meet Me in St. Louis. Its gentle, slightly bittersweet lyrics offer comfort, hope, and togetherness, giving it a reflective mood unlike more cheerful Christmas songs. Over time, it has become a timeless standard, frequently reinterpreted in pop and jazz styles by many artists.
I’ve created over 1,400 solo jazz piano arrangements using the 2+2 method and produced 65 tutorials, all available at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas
I was also the technical editor for Mark Levine’s "The Jazz Theory Book" and a contributor to "The Jazz Piano Book."