Piano chords · Slow dance ’50s
How to play Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas on piano
By Eric Clapton
- A major
- 12/8
- 88 BPM
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – F#m – Bm – Esus4
How it goes
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; F#m is F#, A and C#; Bm is B, D and F#; Esus4 is E, A and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIF#mviBmiiEsus4Vsus4- AA · C# · E
- F#mF# · A · C#
- BmB · D · F#
- Esus4E · A · B
- 2
Left hand: Slow-dance heartbeat
How it goes
Four slow, deep beats under a swaying fifties ballad. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 134 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 88 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: D – E – A
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DEA- DD · F# · A
- EE · G# · B
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Questions about Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
What chords are in Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas?
The loop is A – F#m – Bm – Esus4 (I – vi – ii – Vsus) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.
What key is Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas in?
A major, at about 88 beats a minute in 12/8.
What does the left hand play in Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas?
Slow-dance heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Have Yourself A Merry Little 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.