Piano chords · Waltz garden
How to play Christmas Day on piano
Written by Burt Bacharach
- Bb major
- 3/4
- 135 BPM
- 1996
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Christmas Day in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Am – Bb – Am – Dm
How it goes
Christmas Day sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Am is A, C and E; Bb is Bb, D and F; Dm is D, F and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmviiBbIAmviiDmiii- AmA · C · E
- BbBb · D · F
- DmD · F · A
- 2
Left hand: Moon River roll
How it goes
A wide, flowing roll in three, the Moon River feel. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-10 (3/4) (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 441 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Waltz bells
How it goes
A single high note, then two chords: ding, dong, dong in three. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 135 BPM
How it goes
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: Eb – F – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
Play next
Questions about Christmas Day
What chords are in Christmas Day?
The loop is Am – Bb – Am – Dm (vii – I – vii – iii) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is Christmas Day in?
Bb major, at about 135 beats a minute in 3/4.
What does the left hand play in Christmas Day?
Moon River roll: open arpeggio 1-5-10 (3/4), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Christmas Day easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.