Guide

Easy Christmas songs on guitar

The easiest Christmas songs on guitar are Jingle Bells and Away in a Manger: three chords each, C, F and G7. Below are eleven carols, easiest first. Every one plays in your browser, so you can hear it, slow it down and play along.

Christmas songs, easiest first

Each card shows how hard the song is and every chord it uses. Tap a card to open the song.

The chords you need

C×321EADGBeF134211EADGBeG7321EADGBeG213EADGBeD7××213EADGBeEm23EADGBe
With these six you can play Jingle Bells, Away in a Manger and Silent Night. Tap a chord to open its page.

In words: C major is x 3 2 0 1 0. F major is 1 3 3 2 1 1 (finger 1 flat across fret 1). G seven is 3 2 0 0 0 1. G major is 3 2 0 0 0 3. D seven is x x 0 2 1 2. E minor is 0 2 2 0 0 0. Numbers are frets, thick string to thin, and x means do not play that string.

Tip

F is the hard one

F needs one finger pressing several strings. If it will not ring yet, start with Silent Night in G, which uses G, C and D7 and no F at all.

Which carol to start with

  • Jingle Bells: the chorus repeats the same note, so your left hand barely moves.
  • Away in a Manger: a slow lullaby in three beats, with three chords.
  • Silent Night: three chords in G, and a gentle rocking strum.
  • Then We Wish You a Merry Christmas and Deck the Halls, which change chords more often.

Christmas songs in a minor key

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, What Child Is This and Carol of the Bells sound darker because they are in a minor key. They lean on Em and Am, two of the easiest chords there are, so they are not harder to finger, only harder to keep steady.

Get ready before December

  1. 1

    Start now, one carol a week

    Four weeks gives you four songs by Christmas. One a week is easy to keep up.

  2. 2

    Play along at 60 percent

    Use the speed control. Strum once on the first beat of each bar until the changes feel easy.

  3. 3

    Add the full strum

    Then fill in the strum pattern and raise the speed a step at a time.

  4. 4

    Try the melody

    Each song has a Melody mode. Playing the tune on its own is a nice way to lead a sing-along.

Play your first carol now

Try it now

Jingle Bells, chords mode

Jingle Bells in Chords mode: C, F and G7. Set the speed to 60 percent and strum once per bar.

Open the song

Questions people ask

What is the easiest Christmas song to play on guitar?
Jingle Bells or Away in a Manger. Both use only C, F and G7, and both are slow enough to change chords in time.
Can I play Christmas songs on guitar without F?
Yes. Silent Night uses G, C and D7, and God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen sticks to open shapes: Em, B7, Am, C, G and D. Neither needs F.
Are these Christmas songs free to play and record?
The tunes are all public domain, so anyone can play them. Carol of the Bells is here as a melody only, because its English words, written in 1936, are still under copyright.
How long does it take to learn a Christmas song on guitar?
A three-chord carol takes most beginners about a week of short daily practice. Start in November and you will have several ready for December.

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