Piano chords · Slow dance ’50s
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Eric Clapton
- A major
- 12/8
- 88 BPM
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas written out as piano music: the I – vi – ii – Vsus loop in A major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays slow-dance heartbeat (root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8)), and the right hand sings the tune.
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in A major. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | I | A C# E |
| 2 | F#m | vi | F# A C# |
| 3 | Bm | ii | B D F# |
| 4 | Esus4 | Vsus4 | E A B |
What the sheet music shows
The grand staff: the right hand on the treble staff, the left hand on the bass staff, with the chord names above and a finger number on each note (1 is the thumb). It is the accompaniment: slow-dance heartbeat (root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8)) in the left hand, with the right hand free for the melody, over the A – F#m – Bm – Esus4 chords.
Press play and a cursor follows the music. Above it, Colours paints each note in its key’s colour and Note names writes its letter on its head.
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Questions about Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Does the sheet music for Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas have finger numbers?
Yes: every note of both hands has its finger number, 1 being the thumb. To read the notes alone, turn Fingers off above the music.
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.