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God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen: guitar chords and tab for beginners

England, printed 1760

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

by Traditional

Tempo
104beats per minute
Count
4beats in each bar
Key
E minorthe home note
Level
1 of 3easiest
Bar 1:1 of 20Tap play to turn sound on
Key E minor
0
Higher or lower, to match a voice.
Tempo104beats per minute right now

Level 1. Strum one chord per beat. Start here.

Chord names above, strum arrows below. Down arrow = strum down toward the floor, up arrow = back up.

0102030405060708091011121314151617181920EmEmB7EmCCEmB7EmB7EmCCEmB7AmGGB7EmDD7EmGGB7EmD7EmGCGB7Em↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑
Where your fingers go● press here · ○ open · × skip · the number is which finger · next
EADGBeopen12345678910111223

Hold this chord

Em23EADGBe

How to read it

  • Red cross: don’t play that string. Skip it when you strum.
  • Green circle: play that string open, with no finger on it.
  • Number: press there with that finger. 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky.
  • Letters: the strings, thickest (low E) on the left to thinnest (high e) on the right.

Space bar plays and pauses. Left and right arrows jump a bar.

The chords

The chords in God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

7 chords, all open shapes: Em, B7, C, Am, G, D, D7. 4 beats in each bar, 104 beats per minute, in E minor.

In words: E minor is 0 2 2 0 0 0. B seven is x 2 1 2 0 2. C major is x 3 2 0 1 0. A minor is x 0 2 2 1 0. G major is 3 2 0 0 0 3. D major is x x 0 2 3 2. D seven is x x 0 2 1 2. Numbers are frets, thick string to thin, and x means do not play that string.

About the song

An English carol first printed around 1760, and one of the few well-known carols in a minor key. In E minor the melody lies under your fingers in the first position, played an octave down, and every chord is an open shape: Em, B7, Am, C, G and D.

Questions people ask

What chords are in God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen?
Seven chords: Em, B7, C, Am, G, D and D7. All of them are open shapes, so some strings ring without a finger on them.
What key is God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen in?
E minor. The key control on this page moves it up or down, and tells you where to put a capo so you can keep the same easy shapes.
Is God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen easy to play on guitar?
It is a step up from the first songs here: seven chords at 104 beats per minute. Slow it to 50 percent, and try Ode to Joy and Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star first if it fights back.
What is the strumming pattern for God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen?
Six strums in each bar: down, down, up, up, down, up. There are 4 beats in every bar. The arrows above the chord boxes move with the sound, so you can see the pattern as you hear it.
How do I play God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen on guitar?
Three ways on this page, all from the same arrangement. Chords mode strums one chord at a time, Melody mode picks the tune from the tab, and Fingerstyle mode plays the bass with your thumb under the tune. Start in Chords mode at 60 percent speed.
Who wrote God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen?
Traditional. England, printed 1760. The music is old enough to be in the public domain, so it is free to learn, play and record.

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