Piano chords · Classical salon
How to play I Only Want You For Christmas on piano
Written by Tim Nichols & Zack Turner
- C major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- I–V7–I–IV loop
- 1991
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn I Only Want You For Christmas in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – G7 – C – F
How it goes
I Only Want You For Christmas sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; G7 is G, B, D and F; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIG7V7CIFIV- CC · E · G
- G7G · B · D · F
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Little steps
How it goes
Up the chord and back, one step at a time. Musicians call it broken chord 1-3-5-3 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 304 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hopscotch bells
How it goes
A high bell note, a chord, a skipped beat, and one more chord. 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: C – F – C
How it goes
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CFC
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Questions about I Only Want You For Christmas
What chords are in I Only Want You For Christmas?
The loop is C – G7 – C – F (I – V7 – I – IV) in C major, and the song ends on C – F – C.
What key is I Only Want You For Christmas in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Only Want You For Christmas?
Little steps: broken chord 1-3-5-3, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Only Want You For 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.