Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play I Wish It Could Be Christmas All Year Long on piano
Written by Phil Baron
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 150 BPM
- I–VI7–ii–V7 loop
- 1980
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn I Wish It Could Be Christmas All Year Long in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – C7 – Fm – Bb7
How it goes
I Wish It Could Be Christmas All Year Long sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; Fm is F, Ab and C; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIC7VI7FmiiBb7V7- EbEb · G · Bb
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Bossa sway
How it goes
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: a gentle Brazilian sway. Musicians call it root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Freeze-tag chords
How it goes
Chord, chord-and, then freeze for the rest of the bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 150 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
Play next
Questions about I Wish It Could Be Christmas All Year Long
What chords are in I Wish It Could Be Christmas All Year Long?
The loop is Eb – C7 – Fm – Bb7 (I – VI7 – ii – V7) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is I Wish It Could Be Christmas All Year Long in?
Eb major, at about 150 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Wish It Could Be Christmas All Year Long?
Bossa sway: root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Wish It Could Be Christmas All Year Long 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.