Christmas songs are not only fun to sing with friends and family, they’re great to work out on the guitar.

There’s something comforting about sitting around the fireplace, having a glass of eggnog (OK maybe not that), and singing carols with friends and family.

To help keep the guitar in your hands this holiday season, there is a collection of easy Christmas songs arranged for guitar, with lyrics and chord changes.

Each of these classic Christmas songs comes with the following items to give you everything you need to play and these songs this holiday season.

Lead Sheet With Lyrics

Open Guitar Chords

Barre Guitar Chords

Jazz Lead Sheet

Jazz Guitar Chords

Solo Guitar Arrangement

Transposition Chart

Now, enough preparing, time to dig into these easy Christmas songs in the practice room.

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Easy Christmas Songs (Click to Jump to a Song)

12 Days of Christmas Guitar Chords

One of the most popular songs to sing around the holidays, the 12 Days of Christmas is quickly learned on guitar as it contains only 4 chords.

Though the chords aren’t difficult, it depends on what key you’re in, as some keys require all barre chords, no open chords, to sound the changes.

Because of this, if possible, make sure to learn the barre chords below so that you can quickly transpose the song if needed.

12 Days of Christmas Lyrics

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me,

A partridge in a pear tree.

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me,

Two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fourth day of Christ

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me, five golden rings

Four calling birds, three french hens,

Two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree

On the ninth day of Christmas, (on the eighth day of Christmas)

My true love gave to me (my true love gave to me)

Nine ladies dancing (eight maids a milking)

Eight ladies dancing (seven maids a milking)

Seven ladies dancing (six maids a milking)

Six ladies dancing (five)

Better not shout, you better not cry,

You better not in a pear tree

On the ninth, no!

On the eighth, come on!

On the seventh day of Christmas (deck the halls)

My true love gave to me (with boughs of holly)

Seven swans a swimming (here we come a wassailing)

Six geese a laying (among the leaves so)

Five golden rings (Fa-la-la-la-la)

Four calling birds

Three french hens

Two turtle doves (here we come a wassailing)

The boar’s head in hand bear I (among the leaves so green)

Bedeck’d with bays

And partridge in a pear tree

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Eleven pipers piping (ding)

Ten lords a leaping (dong)

Nine ladies dancing (ding)

Eight maids a milking (dong)

Seven swans a swimming (ding)

Six geese a laying (dong)

Five golden rings

Four calling birds

Three french hens

Two turtle doves

And Rudolph the red nosed reindeer!

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

I have a little dreidel, I made it out of clay,

And when it’s dry and ready, my dreidel I shall play

Oh dreidel dreidel dreidel (hey, 12 days of Christmas)

(what? 8 days of Hanukkah. It’s a Christmas medley)

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Do do do do doot do (do de do de do de do de do de)

Do do do do doot do (do de do de do de do de do de)

On the twelfth day my true love gave to me

Twelve drummers drumming like Olympus above the Serengeti

Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba oh

Eleven pipers piping, ten lords a leaping (Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba oh)

Nine ladies dancing they were dancing for me

Eight maids a milking they were milking just for me

I had Christmas down in Africa

I had Christmas down in Africa

I had Christmas down in Africa (five golden rings)

I had Christmas down in Africa (five golden rings)

I had Christmas down in Africa (five golden rings)

Couldn’t take the halls into the things we never had

Do do do do doot do (do de do de do de do de do de)

Do do do do doot do (do de do de do de do de do de)

Partridge in a big pear tree (do de do de do de do de do de)

Partridge in a big pear tree

12 Days of Christmas Easy Guitar Chords

With four chords, and a ton of repetition, the 12 Days of Christmas is a favorite for both guitarists and singers around the holidays.

Because there are so few chords, it’s easy to move the key if needed when playing behind a singer or group of carolers during the festive season.

Here are the four chords for this song so you can transpose them easily to other keys if needed.

C = I

F = IV

G7 = V7

D7 = V7/V

Here are those chords in a lead sheet with the first five verses included.

Notice the repeat signs, and D.S. sign to help you get through the form, as there’s so much repetition it’s easier to write the chart this way.

To help you play this song, here are open chords for the changes in 12 Days of Christmas.

As well, here are the barre chords so that you can transpose the song to a different key if needed.

12 Days of Christmas Jazz Chords

If you’re looking to jazz up this holiday tune, here are jazz chord changes for the 12 Days of Christmas to learn and add to your repertoire.

And if these chords are new to you, here are grips that you can learn and use for the jazz changes in the chart above.

12 Days of Christmas Chord Melody Arrangement

If you want to learn this tune as a solo guitar arrangement, here’s a chord melody version to learn.

The repeats are left out here, as there are no lyrics, so feel free to repeat sections as much as you like with this version.

Click to hear 12 Days of Christmas CM

12 Days of Christmas in 12 Keys – Transposition Chart

To help you transpose this song to all 12 keys, if needed to accommodate singers, here are the chords written in every key to make that easy for you.

Auld Lang Syne Guitar Chords

Sung at midnight on New Year’s Eve, Auld Lang Syne is one of the classic Christmas songs that people love to sing.

There’s something about ringing in the New Year that feels great, and Auld Lang Syne is the soundtrack to that moment for many people.

It’s an easy song to play, which makes it fun and quick to learn.

Check out these standard chord changes, jazz changes, and chord melody arrangement of Auld Lang Syne.

Auld Lang Syne Lyrics

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

and never brought to mind?

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

and old lang syne?

CHORUS:

For auld lang syne, my dear,

for auld lang syne,

we’ll take a cup of kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup!

and surely I’ll buy mine!

And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have run about the slopes,

and picked the daisies fine;

But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,

since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream,

from morning sun till dine†;

But seas between us broad have roared

since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand my trusty friend!

And give me a hand o’ thine!

And we’ll take a right good-will draught,

for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

Auld Lang Syne Easy Guitar Chords

With only three chords, and a slow tempo, Auld Lang Syne is a easier than most of the classic Christmas songs you’ll learn in this lesson.

As well, because it only has a few chords, moving it to other keys is quick and easy, making it ideal for impromptu singing sessions.

There are three chords in Auld Lang Syne, which you can see written here as Roman Numerals to make it easy to transpose using the chart below.

G = I

C = IV

D = V

If you’re new to any of these chords, here are the Auld Lang Syne guitar chords in open position.

As well, if you want to move this song around the fretboard, here are Auld Lang Syne guitar chords in barre form to learn.

Auld Lang Syne Jazz Chords

If you’re working on jazz guitar chords, or just want to breathe new life into a song you’ve sung a million times, here are the jazz chords to Auld Lang Syne.

If you’re new to any of these chord shapes, here are fingerings that you can use for any of the changes in the jazz Auld Lang Syne arrangement.

Auld Lang Syne Chord Melody Arrangement

Though it’s normally sung at midnight on New Year’s Eve, you can also work out Auld Lang Syne for solo guitar.

Here’s a chord melody version of Auld Lang Syne that you can learn and play around the holidays.

Click to hear auld lang syne chord melody

Auld Lang Syne in 12 Keys – Transposition Chart

Though it only has three chords, making it easy to transpose to other keys, it’s nice to have a reference to ensure you’re correct when moving Auld Lang Syne to other keys.

Here’s a transposition chart you can use to play Auld Lang Syne in all keys.





Away in a Manger Guitar Chords

With only four chords, a memorable melody, and a fun, 3/4 time signature, Away in a Manger is a favorite to sing around the holidays.

Though it only has a few chords compared to some other Christmas songs, Away in a Manger can be tricky to strum, sing, and keep the flowing 3/4 time signature all locked in at the same time.

So, go slow if needed, and have fun learning this holiday favorite.

Away in a Manger Lyrics

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,

The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.

The stars in the sky looked down where he lay,

The little Lord Jesus asleep in the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,

But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.

I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky

And stay by my cradle ’til morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay

Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.

Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,

And take us to heaven, to live with Thee there.

Away in a Manger Easy Guitar Chords

Played in a 3/4 time signature, Away in a Manger is a nice change to the standard 4/4 time that you find with many Christmas songs.

There are four chords in Away in a Manger, written here as Roman Numerals to help you transpose them easily to other keys.

G = I

C = IV

D = V

Am = ii

The lyrics to the first verse are included below.

To help you nail the changes to this song, here are the chords for Away in a Manger in open position.

Here are the barre chord shapes that you can use to play Away in a Manger, and that’ll make it easier to transpose to other keys if needed.

Away in a Manger Jazz Chords

If you’re looking to jazz up your Christmas songs, here’s a jazzy arrangement of Away in a Manger that you can learn and jam on with friends.

Though the chords have been altered, they still fit the melody line perfectly.

So, you can play these changes with an instrumental jazz combo.

Or, you can use them with a vocalist, or even with a choir.

Both will work out fine from a harmony-melody perspective.

If jazz chords are new to you, here are sample fingerings that you can use when playing the jazz version of Away in a Manger.

Away in a Manger Chord Melody

If you want to play Away in a Manger for solo guitar, here’s a chord melody arrangement that you can work on in your jazz practice routine.

You can play this arrangement in tempo, or as a ballad with rubato tempo.

Both will work, so test them out and see what feels better for you.

Click to hear away in a manger chord melody

Away in a Manger in 12 Keys – Transposition Chart

To help you transpose Away in a Manger to other keys besides G, here is a quick reference chart that you can use when needed.





Deck the Halls Guitar Chords

One of the most classic Christmas songs to sing, are parody, around the holidays, anyone who wants to sing carols with friends or family will need to learn Deck the Halls guitar chords at some point or another.

With only a few chords, all of which can be played in open position, this song can be quickly learned when working up carols on guitar.

In this section, you’ll learn how to play Deck the Halls easy guitar chords, how to jazz up those chords, a solo guitar version of the song, and how to transpose this holiday classic to all 12 keys if needed.

So, grab your boughs of holly and great ready to learn the Deck the Halls guitar chords in your practice routine today.

Deck the Halls Lyrics

Deck the halls with boughs of holly

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

‘Tis the season to be jolly

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

Don we now our gay apparel

Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la

Troll the ancient Yule-tide carol

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

See the blazing Yule before us

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

Strike the harp and join the chorus

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

Follow me in merry measure

Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la

While I tell of Yule-tide treasure

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

Deck the Halls Easy Guitar Chords

If you’re looking to play the guitar chords for Deck the Halls in a traditional manner, here are the easy guitar chords in the key of C that you can use as a guide to play on guitar.

There are 6 different chords in Deck the Halls, which are listed here as Roman Numerals in the order they appear in the song to help you transpose those chords to other keys if necessary.

C = I

G = V

G7 = V7

Am = vi

D = II

F = IV

The first stanza of lyrics in included in this lead sheet.

If you’re new to any of these chord shapes, here are the Deck the Halls easy guitar chords using only open-position chords from the lead sheet above.

To challenge yourself further on the guitar, here are barre chords for each change in Deck the Halls that you can use to change the timber of the song.

Barre chords are harder to play compared to open chords, but they make it much easier to transpose the song if you choose to play Deck the Halls in other keys.

Deck the Halls Jazz Chords

If you’re looking to jazz up your classic Christmas songs, here’s a jazzy arrangement of Deck the Halls that you can sing and play on the guitar.

Though the chords are jazzier in nature, they all work perfectly with the melody line, so they will fit with the lyrics and music in a vocal situation.

If there are any jazz guitar chords on this chart for Deck the Halls that you aren’t familiar with, here are sample shapes that you can use to play these jazz chords on the guitar.

Deck the Halls Chord Melody Arrangement

As well as playing Deck the Halls with singers, always a fun time around the holidays, you can also learn a solo guitar version of this classic song.

Here’s a solo guitar version of Deck the Halls that you can use on your own, or it could also be played with a trio or other small jazz group if that is a group that you jam with in your playing.

Click to hear deck the halls chord melody

Deck the Halls in 12 Keys – Transposition Guide

Playing Deck the Halls with vocalists often means changing the key of the song to better fit their vocal range.

To help you quickly move the Deck the Halls easy guitar chords to any key, here’s a transposition chart that you can use as a reference.

The First Noel Guitar Chords

Played in 3/4 time, this holiday waltz is one of the most popular songs to sing with friends and family.

Because the song is in 3/4 time you need to be careful of where to place the chords over the lyrics.

Make sure you sing along, even if you’re not a singer, so get the placement of the chords correct before jamming it with other people.

The First Noel Lyrics

Noel, Noel

Noel, Noel

The First Noel, the Angels did say

Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay

In fields where they lay keeping their sheep

On a cold winter’s night that was so deep

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel

Born is the King of Israel!

Noel, Noel

Noel, Noel

They looked up and saw a star

Shining in the East beyond them far

And to the earth it gave great light

And so it continued both day and nightNoel, Noel

Noel, Noel

Noel, Noel

Noel, Noel

Noel, Noel

Noel, Noel

Born is the King of Israel! Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel

Born is the King of Israel!

Born is the King of Israel!

Noel, Noel

The First Noel Easy Guitar Chords

To begin, here is the first chorus of lyrics and the chords to the First Noel.

If you want to learn the rest of the lyrics, you can find them here.

This song contains a number of different chords, and they’re listed here with their Roman numerals to make it easier to transpose them to other keys.

D = I

F#m = iii

G = IV

A = V

A7 = V7

Now that you know what chords are used to build this song, you can take them onto the guitar.

Here are open position shapes that you can learn and use to play the changes to the First Noel.

Here are barre chord versions of those shapes to make it easier to transpose to other keys when playing this song.

The First Noel Jazz Guitar Chords

For those that want to jazz up this tune, here’s a jazzy arrangement of the chords, melody, and lyrics to the song.

Here are sample shapes for each of the chords in the jazz arrangement to learn and add to your vocabulary.

The First Noel Chord Melody Arrangement

If you want to learn a solo guitar version of this song, here’s a chord melody arrangement of the First Noel.

You can play this arrangement on your own, as an intro to a sung version of the song, or in a combo when playing in a band.

Click to Hear First Noel CM

The First Noel 12 Keys

To help you transpose this song to other keys, here’s a handy reference chart that you can use to move these chords to any key.

Good King Wenceslas Guitar Chords

A favorite to sing along to at carols and holiday concerts, Good King Wenceslas is fun to learn and play on guitar.

There aren’t a lot of chords in the tune, but it does have 17 bars, making it tricky to keep track of sometimes in regards to the form.

But, if you memorize the chords, get the lyrics down, and focus on the form, you’ll be playing this classic holiday song in no time.

Good King Wenceslas Lyrics

Good King Wenceslas looked out

On the Feast of Stephen

When the snow lay round about

Deep and crisp and even

Brightly shone the moon that night

Though the frost was cruel

When a poor man came in sight

Gathering winter fuel Hither, page, and stand by me,

If thou knowst it, telling

Yonder peasant, who is he?

Where and what his dwelling?

Sire, he lives a good league hence,

Underneath the mountain

Right against the forest fence

By Saint Agnes fountain. Bring me flesh and bring me wine

Bring me pine logs hither

Thou and I shall see him dine

When we bear them thither.

Page and monarch, forth they went

Forth they went together

Through the rude winds wild lament

And the bitter weather

Sire, the night is darker now

And the wind blows stronger

Fails my heart, I know not how

I can go no longer.

Mark my footsteps, good my page

Tread thou in them boldly

Thou shall find the winters rage

Freeze thy blood less coldly. In his masters step he trod

Where the snow lay dinted

Heat was in the very sod

Which the Saint had printed

Therefore, Christian men, be sure

Wealth or rank possessing

Ye, who now will bless the poor

Shall yourselves find blessing.

Good King Wenceslas Easy Guitar Chords

To begin, here is the first chorus of lyrics and the chords to Good King Wenceslas.

This song contains a number of different chords, and they’re listed here with their Roman numerals to make it easier to transpose them to other keys.

G = I

C = IV

D = V

Em = vi

Now that you know what chords are used to build this tune, you can take those changes onto the fretboard.

Here are open position shapes that you can learn and use to play the changes to Good King Wenceslas.

And, here are barre chord versions of those shapes to make it easier to transpose to other keys when playing this song.

Good King Wenceslas Jazz Chords

For those that want to jazz up this tune, here’s a jazzy arrangement of the chords, melody, and lyrics to the song.

Here are sample shapes for each of the chords in the jazz arrangement to learn and add to your harmonic vocabulary.

Good King Wenceslas Chord Melody Arrangement

If you want to learn a solo guitar version of this song, here’s a chord melody arrangement of Good King Wenceslas.

You can play this arrangement on your own, as an intro to a sung version of the song, or in a combo when playing in a band.

Click to Hear Good King CM

Good King Wenceslas 12 Keys

To help you transpose this song to other keys, here’s a handy reference chart that you can use to move these chords to any key.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing Guitar Chords

In this Christmas classic, you’ll be working on a few tricky chord changes, though all-playable in open position on the guitar.

With a 20-bar form, a few secondary dominant chords, and some 7th chords, Hark the Herald Angels Sing is not only a fun song to sing, but it’s a challenge on the guitar.

In this section, you’ll learn how to play the chords, learn jazz chords, and a solo guitar arrangement for this holiday song favorite.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing Lyrics

Hark! the herald angels sing,

“Glory to the new-born King!

Peace on earth, and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled.”

Joyful, all ye nations, rise,

Join the triumph of the skies;

With th’ angelic host proclaim,

“Christ is born in Bethlehem.”

Hark! the herald angels sing,

“Glory to the new-born King! Christ, by highest heaven adored:

Christ, the everlasting Lord;

Late in time behold him come,

Offspring of the favoured one.

Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see;

Hail, th’incarnate Deity:

Pleased, as man, with men to dwell,

Jesus, our Emmanuel!

Hark! the herald angels sing,

“Glory to the new-born King!

Hail! the heaven-born

Prince of peace!

Hail! the Son of Righteousness!

Light and life to all he brings,

Risen with healing in his wings

Mild he lays his glory by,

Born that man no more may die:

Born to raise the son of earth,

Born to give them second birth.

Hark! the herald angels sing,

“Glory to the new-born King !”

Hark the Herald Angels Sing Easy Guitar Chords

To begin, here are the lyrics and Hark the Herald Angels Sing easy guitar chords.

The first verse of lyrics is included on the lead sheet.

There are 7 chords in this song, written here in Roman Numerals to help you transpose them to other keys if needed.

G – I

D = V

C = IV

Em = VI

A7 = V7/V

E7 = V7/ii

Am = ii

If you’re new to open-position chords, here are shapes that you can use to play all of the Hark the Herald Angels Sing chords.

As well, to make it easier to transpose this song into other keys, here are the barre chords used to play Hark the Herald Angels Sing.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing Jazz Chords

Here’s a jazzy arrangement of Hark the Herald Angels Sing to work on in your practicing.

You can use these chords to bring new life into this classic Christmas song, or just use a few of these changes alongside the original changes.

If you’re new to jazz guitar chords, check out these shapes as they’ll help you play the Jazzy arrangement of Hark the Herald Angels Sing above.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing Chord Melody

If you want to push yourself a bit in the practice room, you can learn a solo guitar version of Hark the Herald Angels Sing.

Click to hear hark the herald angels sing chord melody

Hark the Herald Angels Sing in 12 Keys – Transposition Chart

To help you move this classic Christmas song around the fretboard, here is a transposition chart to play the chords in all keys.





Jingle Bells Guitar Chords

Another classic Christmas song, Jingle Bells features a simple chord progression that is fun to jam around the holidays.

In this section, you will learn how to play Jingle Bells easy guitar chords, with both open and barre chords, as well as explore how to add a jazz flavor to this holiday favorite.

Lastly, if you’re up for a challenge, or just want to breathe new life into this song in your playing, you can learn a solo guitar arrangement of Jingle Bells for guitar.

So, load up your one-horse open sleigh and learn how to play Jingles Bells on guitar.

Jingle Bells Lyrics

Dashing through the snow

In a one-horse open sleigh

O’er the fields we go

Laughing all the way

Bells on bobtails ring

Making spirits bright

What fun it is to ride and sing

A sleighing song tonight

Jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh what fun it is to ride

In a one-horse open sleigh, hey

Jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh what fun it is to ride

In a one-horse open sleigh

A day or two ago

I thought I’d take a ride

And soon, Miss Fanny Bright

Was seated by my side

The horse was lean and lank

Misfortune seemed his lot

He got into a drifted bank

And then we got upsot

Jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh what fun it is to ride

In a one-horse open sleigh, hey

Jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh what fun it is to ride

In a one-horse open sleigh

A day or two ago

The story I must tell

I went out on the snow

And on my back I fell

A gent was riding by

In a one-horse open sleigh

He laughed as there I sprawling lie

But quickly drove away

Jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh what fun it is to ride

In a one-horse open sleigh, hey

Jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh what fun it is to ride

In a one-horse open sleigh

Now the ground is white

Go it while you’re young

Take the girls tonight

And sing this sleighing song

Just get a bobtailed bay

Two forty as his speed

Hitch him to an open sleigh

And crack, you’ll take the lead

Jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh what fun it is to ride

In a one-horse open sleigh, hey

Jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh what fun it is to ride

In a one-horse open sleigh

Jingle Bells Easy Guitar Chords

To help you learn to play Jingle Bells on guitar, here are the easy guitar chords in the key of C that you can practice and jam with friends and family.

There are four chords in Jingle Bells, which you can use to help transpose the key if needed:

I = C

II7 = D7

IV = F

V7 = G7

The first section of lyrics are included in the chord sheet below.

If you’re new to these chords, here are the basic shapes for Jingle Bells, using only open-position chords in the arrangement.

To take it a step further, here are barre chords for each change in Jingle Bells that you can practice and play with friends.

Barre chords are more difficult to play compared to open chords, but they do make it easier to transpose the song when it comes time to play Jingle Bells in other keys.

Jingle Bells Jazz Chords

For those jazz fans out there, here’s a slightly jazzier version of Jingle Bells that you can learn, using more complex chords while still sticking to the melody line at the same time.

If you’re new to jazz, go slow with these chords, and refer to the shapes below as a reference, as it can take time to work out these changes when first practicing them.

But, with a bit of practice, you’ll learn to play a fresh approach to Jingle Bells that you can use to jam with friends and family during the holiday season.

To help you learn the chords in the jazzy arrangement of Jingle Bells, here are chord grids for each change in the tune that you can use as a reference.

Jingle Bells Chord Melody Arrangement

If you want to take Jingle Bells a bit further in your guitar practice, and performance, here’s a chord melody arrangement that you can work out to play in a group, or solo guitar, situation.

You’ll notice that the octave is adjusted here and there to prevent the song from getting too high or low on the fretboard.

Have fun with this arrangement.

It’ll challenge you, but when you have it down it’ll provide a fun solo guitar version of Jingle Bells that you can play around the holidays with friends and family.

The chord symbols have been left of this page to prevent the notes from becoming too congested.

You can refer to the jazz lead sheet changes to see what chords are being used here.

Click to hear Jingle Bells Guitar Chord Melody

Jingle Bells in 12 Keys – Transposition Guide

While learning the guitar chords to classic Christmas songs in one key will get you through some situations, if you’re playing with a carol group, or just around the table during the holidays, you’ll probably have to play in other keys besides C.

To help you quickly transpose Jingle Bells into any key, here’s a quick transposition guide for the chords to Jingle Bells in all 12 keys that you can use as a reference.





Joy to the World Guitar Chords

With only a few chords, and played in the key of C major, Joy to the World is one of those classic Christmas songs that everyone loves to play and sing around the holidays.

To help you work out this song on the guitar, you’ll find the chords, jazz arrangement, solo-guitar version, and chord fingerings for Joy to the World below.

Joy to the World Lyrics

Joy to the world

Joy to the world

Joy to the world, the Lord is come

Let earth receive her King

Let every heart prepare Him room

And Heaven and nature sing

And Heaven and nature sing

And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing

Joy to the world

Joy to the world

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!

Let men their songs employ

While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains

Repeat the sounding joy

Repeat the sounding joy

Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy

Joy to the world, now we sing

Let the earth receive her king

Joy to the world, now we sing

Let the angel voices ring

Joy to the world, now we sing

Let men their songs employ

Joy to the world, now we sing

Repeat the sounding joy

Oh oh

He rules the world with truth and grace

And makes the nations prove

The light of His righteousness

And wonders of His love

And wonders of His love

And wonders of His love

And wonders, wonders, of His love

And wonders, wonders, of His love

Joy to the world, now we sing

Let the earth receive her king

Joy to the world, now we sing

Let the angel voices ring

Joy to the World Easy Guitar Chords

To begin, here’s a Joy to the World lead sheet with easy guitar chords and lyrics.

If you need to transpose this song, here are the Roman Numerals for each chord.

You can use them in conjunction with the reference chart below to quickly play Joy to the World in any key.

C = I

G = V

F =IV

G7 = V7

The first stanza of lyrics is included in the lead sheet.

If you’re new to any of these Joy to the World guitar chords, here are all of the chord shapes used to play this song in open position.

As well, when transposing this song to other keys, barre chords will come in handy.

To help you get those chord shapes under your fingers, here are barre chord shapes for every chord in Joy to the World.

Joy to the World Jazz Chords

For the jazz guitarists in the room, or those looking to explore jazz guitar, here is a jazzy arrangement of Joy to the World that you can learn on guitar.

Though the chords are different from the original changes, the melody line will still fit over each chord in this arrangement.

If you’re new to jazz chords, see the chord diagrams below for sample fingerings.

For those that need a bit of help with jazz chords, here are sample fingerings for each chord used in the Joy to the World jazz lead sheet.

Joy to the World Chord Melody Arrangement

Learning classic Christmas songs is always fun when working with singers.

But, they’re also great for learning solo guitar arrangements.

Here’s a jazz version of Joy to the World arranged for chord melody, which can be played in a combo or solo-guitar setting.

Click to hear joy to the world chord melody

Joy to the World Transposition Guide

When playing Joy to the World with singers, solo or choir, you’ll probably have to change the key.

To help you move this classic Christmas song to other keys, here’s an easy to reference transposition guide.





O Come All Ye Faithful Guitar Chords

A crowd favorite to sing along to at carols and holiday concerts, O Come All Ye Faithful is a fun to learn and play ballad.

Though there are a lot of chords, often one per beat, the slow tempo makes this song manageable for most guitarists.

But, if you’re stuck on those fast-moving chords, it will take some time in the practice room to get the song ready to play with friends and family.

O Come All Ye Faithful Lyrics

O come, all ye faithful,

Joyful and triumphant,

O come ye,

O come ye to Bethlehem;

Come and behold Him

Born the King of angels;

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

Christ, the Lord.

Sing, choirs of angels,

Sing in exultation,

Sing, all ye citizens

Of heaven above;

Glory to God,

Glory in the highest;

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

Christ, the Lord.

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,

Born this happy morning,

Jesus, to Thee be

All glory given;

Son of the Father,

Now in flesh appearing;

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

Christ, the Lord.

O Come All Ye Faithful Easy Guitar Chords

To begin, here is the first chorus of lyrics and the chords to O Come All Ye Faithful.

This song contains a number of different chords, and they’re listed here with their Roman numerals to make it easier to transpose them to other keys.

G = I

A = V/V

A7 = V7/V

B7 = V7/vi

C = IV

D = V

D7 = V7

Em = vi

Now that you know what chords are used to build this tune, you can take those changes onto the fretboard.

Here are open position shapes that you can learn and use to play the changes to O Come All Ye Faithful.

And, here are barre chord versions of those shapes to make it easier to transpose to other keys when playing this song.

O Come All Ye Faithful Jazz Chords

For those that want to jazz up this tune, here’s a jazzy arrangement of the chords, melody, and lyrics to the song.

Here are sample shapes for each of the chords in the jazz arrangement to learn and add to your harmonic vocabulary.

O Come All Ye Faithful Chord Melody Arrangement

If you want to learn a solo guitar version of this song, here’s a chord melody arrangement of O Come All Ye Faithful.

You can play this arrangement on your own, as an intro to a sung version of the song, or in a combo when playing in a band.

Click to Hear O Come All Ye Faithful Chord Melody

O Come All Ye Faithful 12 Keys

To help you transpose this song to other keys, here’s a handy reference chart that you can use to move these chords to any key.

O Holy Night Guitar Chords

The most difficult song to play in this collection, the O Holy Night guitar chords are plentiful, colorful, and all over the fretboard in many keys.

As well, the form is longer than other classic Christmas songs, making it hard to keep track of where you are in the song.

Because of this, it’ll take more time to work out this song on guitar.

Be sure to practice it ahead of time before taking it to a vocal rehearsal or carol concert.

Many classic Christmas songs can be sight read as they only have a few chords.

But, O Holy Night has 9 chords, with barre chords, and therefore needs more study to master on the fretboard.

O Holy Night Lyrics

Oh, holy night! The stars are brightly shining

It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth

Long lay the world in sin and error pining

Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices

Oh, night divine

Oh, night when Christ was born

Truly He taught us to love one another

His law is love and His gospel is peace

Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother

And in His name, all oppression shall cease

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we

Let all within us praise His holy name

Christ is the Lord! Oh, praise His Name forever

His power and glory evermore proclaim

Oh, night divine, oh, night when Christ was born

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices

Oh, night divine

Oh, night when Christ was born

Oh, night divine, oh, night when Christ was born

Christ is the Lord! Oh, praise His Name forever

His power and glory evermore proclaim

Oh, night divine, oh, night when Christ was born

O Holy Night Easy Guitar Chords

To begin, here is a lead sheet for O Holy Night in the key of G major.

There really is no key for O Holy Night that uses only open-position guitar chords.

So, this is as close as you can get, one barre chord, to all open chords.

Keep this in mind when transposing the song, as you’ll end up using more barre chords than in other Christmas songs on guitar.

There are 9 chords in O Holy Night, listed here to help you transpose them with the chart below if needed.

G = I

C = IV

D7 = V7

G7 = V7/IV

Bm = iii

F# = V7/iii

Em = vi

Am = ii

D = V

Here is the O Holy Night lead sheet with the first stanza of lyrics.

To help you get these chords under your fingers, as there are a few non-open chords in this key, here are chord shapes that you can use when playing this version of O Holy Night on guitar.

O Holy Night Guitar Jazz Chords

Moving on, here’s a jazzy arrangement of O Holy Night that you can use to spice up this song when playing it with a combo, solo, or choir situation.

There are a few tricky chords in the arrangement, so be sure to refer to the chord shapes given below if you get stuck.

To help you learn the jazz chords in this version of O Holy Night, here are sample shapes that will work over the entire tune.

O Holy Night Guitar Chords Chord Melody Arrangement

Here is a solo guitar version of O Holy Night that you can learn and play around the holidays.

To make things easier to play, since there are no vocals, you’ll learn this arrangement in the key of C major.

As well, to make it easier to read, chords are only written once over each bar when possible.

Then, you can check the recording to hear how to keep those chords moving in each bar.

Or, just experiment with your picking hand to explore those chords over the melody further in your playing.

Click to hear o holy night chord melody

O Holy Night in 12 Keys – Transposition Chart

To finish up your study of O Holy Night, here’s a transposition chart that will help you learn this classic Christmas song in all 12 keys.

There are a lot of chords in this song, so having a chart will make it easier to move this song around as compared to other, easier, classic Christmas songs.





Silent Night Guitar Chords

An all-time favorite of many folks around the holidays, Silent Night is a fun to play and easy to learn holiday tune written with a Waltz feel, 3/4 time.

With only 3 chords in the whole tune, you’ll quickly be able to get this song up to speed on the fretboard, allowing you to jam it along with friends and family around the holiday season.

As well as presenting the Silent Night easy guitar chords, there’s a jazzy arrangement with some extended chord shapes, and a solo guitar version of the song included in this lesson for those that want to spice up the tune a bit in your playing.

Silent Night Lyrics

Silent night, holy night!

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child

Holy Infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace

Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night!

Shepherds quake at the sight

Glories stream from heaven afar

Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!

Christ the Savior is born

Christ the Savior is born

Silent night, holy night!

Son of God, love’s pure light

Radiant beams from Thy holy face

With dawn of redeeming grace

Jesus Lord, at Thy birth

Jesus Lord, at Thy birth

Silent Night Easy Guitar Chords

If you want to learn Silent Night easy guitar chords, here’s a lead sheet featuring the traditional chords to this holiday classic.

It’s written in the key of C, which you can use to play and sing with friends and family around the holidays.

The first stanza of lyrics is on the lead sheet.

There are three chords in Silent Night, which you can use to help change the key of the song if needed:

I = C

IV = F

V7 = G7

As well, there’s a transposition chart at the bottom of this lesson that you can use a reference to move Silent Night to other keys when playing it with singers, as it can often fit better for vocalists in other keys depending on their range.

If you’re new to the chords presented in this arrangement, you can use these open-position chord grids to help you get these shapes under your fingers.

To make it easier to transpose Silent Night to other keys, and to push your technique a bit further when strumming these chords, here are the barre chord shapes for each chord in the tune.

These chords are more difficult to finger on the guitar, so if they’re beyond your technical ability at this point, no worries, just play the open chords above.

With time, barre chords will be within your reach on the fretboard.

Silent Night Jazz Chords

For those who want to jazz up your Silent Night chords, here’s an arrangement that you can learn and play with yourself or others singing the lyrics.

Each chord may have a jazz slant to it, but the chords will all fit with the melody, making it easy to “jazz up” your next classic Christmas songs carol session.

If you’re new to reading Jazz chord charts, here are some chord voicings that you can use for each chord in Silent Night, the jazz arrangement .

Take your time with these changes if they’re new.

With practice, they’ll become comfortable and you’ll be able to apply them in real time to any new tune you learn on the guitar.

Silent Night Chord Melody Arrangement

As well as playing Silent Night with a vocalist, either yourself or others singing, you can learn to play a solo guitar version of this traditional holiday song.

Here’s a chord melody arrangement of Silent Night that uses the jazz chord changes that you learned above.

The song can be played in time, or rubato (no tempo), either will work well with this arrangement.

Have fun learning this chord melody, as it will push your chops on the guitar and give you a fun solo guitar song to play around the holidays for friends and family.

Click to hear Silent Night Chord Melody

Silent Night in 12 Keys – Transposition Guide

Though playing Silent Night in C sits comfortably on the guitar, it isn’t always the best key for any vocalists that are singing along with your guitar playing.

Because of this, you might have to change the key for your Silent Night guitar chords when comping behind singers around the holidays.

To help you quickly change the key to Silent Night, here are the chords in all 12 keys for the song.

Once you know the key, you can just replace the chords in C from the chart above with the new chords and you’re all set to go in that new key.





We Three Kings Guitar Chords

One of the most commonly sung holiday songs with a 6/8 time signature, We Three Kings is a fun and sometimes challenging song to play on guitar.

When learning the We Three Kings guitar chords, you’ll have to navigate a few 7th chord shapes, as well as find a 6/8 groove that fits the vocal line.

This can take some time to work out, but once you get the feel for the groove and the changes in the song, it’ll all come together to be one of your favorite classic Christmas songs to play this season.

In this section, you’ll learn We Three Kings easy guitar chords, a jazz arrangement of those chords, as well as solo guitar version of the song to play with friends and family.

We Three Kings Lyrics

We three kings of Orient are

Bearing gifts we traverse afar.

Field and fountain, moor and mountain,

Following yonder star.

O star of wonder, star of night,

Star with royal beauty bright,

Westward leading, still proceeding,

Guide us to thy perfect Light.

Born a king on Bethlehem’s plain,

Gold I bring to crown Him again,

King forever, ceasing never

Over us all to reign.

O star of wonder, star of night,

Star with royal beauty bright,

Westward leading, still proceeding,

Guide us to thy perfect Light.

We Three Kings Easy Guitar Chords

To help you learn to play We Three Kings guitar chords, here are the easy guitar chords, with lyrics, in the key of G that you can learn how to play

I’ve included the first section of lyrics on the chart.

There are 7 chords in We Three Kings that you’ll need to learn when playing the song on guitar.

You can use the Roman Numerals to help transpose the chords if needed, and refer to the transposition chart at the end of the lesson if you need any help.

While the first half of the song can be thought of in the key of Em, you’ll find that it’s easier to quickly transpose the chords if you relate them all to the tonic key of G major, as you’ll see here.

vi = Em

III7 = B7

V = D

I = G

ii = Am

V7 = D7

IV = C

If you’re new to these chords, here are the basic shapes for We Three Kings, using only open-position chords in the arrangement.

To expand upon these chords on guitar, here are barre chords for We Three Kings that you can practice and play with friends around the holidays.

Barre chords are more challenging to finger compared to open-position chords, but they will make it easier to transpose the song when it comes time to jam We Three Kings in other keys.

We Three Kings Jazz Chords

If you’re looking for a different approach to playing We Three Kings this holiday season, you can learn the following jazz chords that’ll fit with the melody to the song.

Sometimes adding a bit of a twist to classic christmas songs can help breathe new life into a song that’s been sung with family and friends for years.

As well, you can use this arrangement to challenge yourself in the practice room by expanding your chord voicings and jazz harmony this season.

If you’re new to jazz guitar, but want to explore this arrangement, here are sample chord voicings that you can use to play the We Three Kings jazzy changes.

We Three Kings Chord Melody Arrangement

The last version of We Three Kings in this lesson is a chord melody arrangement, which can be played on a gig with a band, or as a solo guitar arrangement on your own.

As well, you can play this version in tempo, with the 6/8 feel this song is famous for, or you can play it out of time to slow it down and let each chord breathe alongside the melody.

However you choose to perform this arrangement will be cool.

Just take your time learning the chords, and most importantly, have fun with it in your practicing and playing.

Click to hear we three kings chord melody

We Three Kings in 12 Keys – Transposition Guide

If you’ve ever played Christmas carols with vocalists, you’ll know that they don’t always sing the chords in the original key .

To help you quickly find the We Three Kings guitar chords in any key, here’s a transposition chart that lays out each chord in all 12 keys to use as a reference.





We Wish You A Merry Christmas Chords

One of the most popular songs to sing and play around the holiday season, We Wish You A Merry Christmas poses a challenge for many beginner guitarists.

This challenge comes from the 7th chords that you may or may not have seen yet in your playing.

But, it’s a fun song to sing, which makes it worth spending the time to learn some of these tougher chords in the practice room.

Check out these standard chords, jazz chords, and chord melody arrangement of We Wish You A Merry Christmas.

We Wish You A Merry Christmas Lyrics

We wish you a Merry Christmas

We wish you a Merry Christmas

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Good tidings we bring to you and your kin

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Now bring us some figgy pudding

Now bring us some figgy pudding

Now bring some out here

Good tidings we bring to you and your kin

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy new Year

We won’t go until we get some

We won’t go until we get some

We won’t go until we get some, so bring some out here

Good tidings we bring to you and your kin

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

We wish you a Merry Christmas

We wish you a Merry Christmas

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

We Wish You A Merry Christmas Easy Guitar Chords

To begin learning We Wish You A Merry Christmas on guitar, here are the open position and barre chords for the traditional arrangement.

With a number of 7th chords, including the tough B7, these chords will take some practicing for beginner guitarists to get them smooth.

Take you time with these chords, and focus on the space between chords, shrinking that space down, as you connect each chord smoothly on the fretboard.

There are a number of chords in this tune to learn, here they are in Roman Numerals to make it easier to transpose when needed.

G = I

C = IV

A7 = V7/V

D = V

B7 = V7/vi

Em = vi

Am = ii

D7 = V7

A = V/V

Here are the We Wish You A Merry Christmas chords with lyrics.

If you’re new to any of these chord shapes, here they are as a reference in open position.

As well, you can play these chords in barred position to make it easier to transpose them to other keys down the road.

We Wish You A Merry Christmas Jazz Chords

If you’re a jazz guitarist, or want to jazz up We Wish You A Merry Christmas, here’s a jazz version of the song to learn this holiday season.

If you’re new to any of these chord shapes, here are fingerings that you can use for the changes in the We Wish You A Merry Christmas Chords jazz version.

We Wish You A Merry Christmas Chord Melody Arrangement

Though it’s normally sung, but one or more people, during the holiday season, you can also play this song as a chord melody.

Here’s a solo guitar version of We Wish You A Merry Christmas that you can learn and play for family and friends around the holidays.

Click to hear Wish You A Merry Christmas Solo Guitar

We Wish You A Merry Christmas in 12 Keys – Transposition Chart

With a number of chords to memorize, it can be tough to quickly change this song into other keys when playing with singers.

To help you change We Wish You A Merry Christmas into any key on guitar, here’s a transposition chart you can use as a reference.





What Child is This Guitar Chords

One of the most popular classic Christmas songs, What Child is This has been a staple of any carol or holiday sing along for many years.

Also referred to as Greensleeves, the 3/4 time feel and minor key of What child is This combine to create a haunting chord progression and vibrant melody line.

Though it’s often sung during the holidays as What Child is This, learning the chords and solo guitar version will allow you to play Greensleeves all year round.

In this section, you’ll learn how to play the What Child is This guitar chords, how to jazz up those chords, and study a solo guitar version of this holiday song.

What Child is This Lyrics

What Child is this

Who laid to rest

On Mary’s lap is sleeping?

Whom Angels greet with anthems sweet,

While shepherds watch are keeping?

So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,

Come Peasant, King to own Him

The King of Kings salvation brings,

Let loving hearts enthrone Him.

This, this is Christ the King,

Whom shepherds guard and Angels sing

Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Oh, raise, raise a song on high,

His mother sings her lullaby.

Joy, oh joy for Christ is born,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

This, this is Christ the King,

Whom shepherds guard and Angels sing

Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,

The Babe,

The Son,

Of Mary.

What Child

Is this

Who laid

To rest

On Mary’s lap

On Mary’s lap

He is sleeping

This, this is Christ the King,

Whom shepherds guard and Angels sing

Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,

The Babe,

The Son,

Of Mary

The Babe, the Son of Mary

The Son of Mary

What Child is This Easy Guitar Chords

To help you learn how to play What Child is This on guitar, here are the easy guitar chords along with the lyrics so that you can sing along with your guitar if needed.

This song is in the key of E minor, and it starts and ends on that tonic Em chord.

There are six chords in this song, which you can see written here as Roman Numerals to make it easier to think about when transposing this holiday song to other keys.

Im = Em

bIII = G

bVII = D

v = Bm

bVI = C

V7 = B7

Now that you know about the What Child is This chord progression, you’re ready to learn it on the guitar.

I’ve included the first section of lyrics for What Child is This in the lead sheet below.

If you’re new to these chords, here are the What Child is this guitar chord shapes, using only open-position chords to begin.

To expand on these guitar chords, here are barre chords for What Child is This that you can practice and use to play the changes to this holiday song.

Barre chords can be more of a challenge to play compared to open-position chords, but they will make it easier to transpose What Child is This when it comes time to strum the song in other keys.

What Child is This Jazz Chords

For those guitarists that want to jazz up this holiday song, here’s a What Child is This lead sheet with jazz chords replacing the original chords in the song.

While these chords may not be the originals, each chord works with the melody and so you’d be able to use this arrangement with a vocalist or choir if you wish.

If these types of jazz chords are new to you, here are sample voicings that you can use to play the chord progression above.

What Child is This Chord Melody Arrangement

Though it’s always fun to play and sing carols around the holiday season, sometimes you just want to relax with your guitar and play these songs by yourself.

To help you build your chord melody chops and repertoire, here’s a solo guitar version of What Child is This that you can learn and play for friends and family around the holidays.

Click to hear what child is this chord melody

What Child is This in 12 Keys – Transposition Guide

To finish learning how to play What Child is This on guitar, here’s a reference guide that you can use to quickly transpose this holiday song to any key.

Sometimes singers aren’t comfortable singing in the original key, and so being able to move keys quickly will make it easier when playing What Child is This with a vocalist.