Christmas Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Christmas in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: Eb – Gm – Ab – Bb7
Christmas sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Gm is G, Bb and D; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIGmiiiAbIVBb7V7
- EbEb · G · Bb
- GmG · Bb · D
- AbAb · C · Eb
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
17 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Climb-and-jump
Up the chord one note per beat, then a big jump back to the bottom. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8-1 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 146 songs of the library.
Climb-and-jumpBroken chord · BalladLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Hopscotch chords
Chord, chord, skip beat 3, chord: hopping over a square. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Hopscotch chordsBlock chords · StrideRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 110 BPM
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: Ab – Bb – Eb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb
- BbBb · D · F

What chords are in Christmas?

The loop is Eb – Gm – Ab – Bb7 (I – iii – IV – V7) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.

What key is Christmas in?

Eb major, at about 110 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Christmas?

Climb-and-jump: broken chord 1-5-8-1, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Christmas easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.