Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Happy Christmas, Little Friend on piano
Artist unknown
- G major
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- ii–V7–I–ii loop
- 1952
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Happy Christmas, Little Friend in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Am – D7 – G – Am
How it goes
Happy Christmas, Little Friend sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Am is A, C and E; D7 is D, F#, A and C; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmiiD7V7GIAmii- AmA · C · E
- D7D · F# · A · C
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Three-step climb
How it goes
Root, fifth, octave, then let it ring. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
How it goes
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 80 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: G – C – G
How it goes
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GCG- CC · E · G
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Questions about Happy Christmas, Little Friend
What chords are in Happy Christmas, Little Friend?
The loop is Am – D7 – G – Am (ii – V7 – I – ii) in G major, and the song ends on G – C – G.
What key is Happy Christmas, Little Friend in?
G major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Happy Christmas, Little Friend?
Three-step climb: broken chord 1-5-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Happy Christmas, Little Friend 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.