Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Christmas Time on piano
- E major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1998
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Christmas Time in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C#m – G#7 – F#m7 – C#m – G#7
How it goes
Christmas Time sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 5 chords: C#m is C#, E and G#; G#7 is G#, B#, D# and F#; F#m7 is F#, A, C# and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C#mviG#7III7F#m7ii7C#mviG#7III7- C#mC# · E · G#
- G#7G# · B# · D# · F#
- F#m7F# · A · C# · E
- 2
Left hand: Walking roots
How it goes
One low note on every beat, steady as walking feet. Musicians call it root bass · quarters (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Running-late chords
How it goes
Misses beat 1, then hurries in with busy chords around the beats. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: A – B – E
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ABE- AA · C# · E
- BB · D# · F#
- EE · G# · B
Play next
Questions about Christmas Time
What chords are in Christmas Time?
The loop is C#m – G#7 – F#m7 – C#m – G#7 (vi – III7 – ii7 – vi – III7) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.
What key is Christmas Time in?
E major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Christmas Time?
Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Christmas Time easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 5 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Christmas Time?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.