This is my arrangement of Howard Blake’s beautiful tune “Walking in the Air” from the film “The Snowman” on a classical guitar.
No Christmas is complete without this song but I’ve tried to give it a completely new feel. The opening few bars are meant to conjure up visions of snowflakes gently falling!
The Snowman is played on a classical guitar hand-made by Sheffield luthier James Lister. It’s a lovely guitar with a lot of natural sustain but I’ve added a little reverb to make the song sound more haunting and atmospheric.
The song is played in standard tuning with a capo at the 5th fret. A second capo is put on the third fret just to prevent the strings from moving as there are a lot of hammers-on and pull-offs used in the arrangement. This helps to keep the spacings between the strings constant.
Recording the “Walking In The Air” Video
For those interested in the recording process, the microphone is a Rode NT4 stereo condenser which picks up sound from both the fretboard and the soundhole. The two mono tracks produced by the Rode NT4 can then be mixed together. It was recorded at home in my office which doesn’t have any special acoustic treatment. When the mic is pointed away from the window, no traffic noise is picked up, and you can’t hear the dog barking in the next room!
The mic is plugged into a Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 audio interface, and mixed in Sonar X3 with a little Sonitus reverb.
A blackout blind was used to keep out the sunshine, and the backdrop was just a piece of black cloth. A couple of Neewar CN-160 lamps were used to light up the guitar.
The video was recorded with an old Sony HDR-SR1 camcorder and edited using Magix Video Pro 7, with the contrast adjusted to create the completely black background.
Other Guitar Videos
“Feelings” by Albert Morris
“Over The Rainbow” by Eva Cassidy
“All of Me” by John Legend
“Jingle Bells” Traditional Christmas jollity
It is a fantastic arrangement 🙂 Could you please let me know how I could find it?
Hi – I’m glad you liked it! It’s my own arrangement which just came about by messing around the chords – it hasn’t been tabbed. If time allows there may be a video lesson which will be posted on the website – hopefully in time for Christmas! 🙂 – Deb
I have fat fingers, and big hands that can stretch quite a few frets from the nut, so the lower neck is more comfortable for me in general. So I’m wondering, what’s gained and lost by using the capo at the 5th?
By the way, the second capo is a brilliant idea! Keep the strings and intonation under control!!
Hi Rob
Many thanks for your enquiry! There’s no particular reason for using a capo at the fifth fret – I just like the harp-like sound it produces in the higher keys! – it gives it more ambience. But it also sounds quite nice without any capo so it’s all down to personal preference. I think the Aled Jones version would have the capo at the fourth fret.
The second capo really helps – especially if you are doing a lot of pull-offs or bends which can sometimes move the strings out of position.
Best wishes – Deb
Deb,
I am a wannabe guitarist. Just a craggy old man that loves guitar. Your arrangement and your playing are both brilliant. Thanks for sharing. Happy holidays to you and yours.
I’m pretty craggy myself, Don! Thank you for your kind words and a happy festive season to you and your family too!
I first heard that song on a Kenny Loggins’ Christmas album and it’s a favorite. You play it beautifully and your arrangement is outstanding. Is it available for purchase (tab or sheet music)? I play and would love to learn your version. Thanks.
Thank you for your lovely comment. Unfortunately the song is copyrighted so I’m unable to provide a tab or sheet music. I just play what comes into my head.