Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Jolly Old St. Nicholas on piano
By 19th Century American Carol
- G major
- 2/4
- 130 BPM
- IV–I–V7–I loop
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Jolly Old St. Nicholas in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – G – D7 – G
How it goes
Jolly Old St. Nicholas sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D; D7 is D, F#, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIVGID7V7GI- CC · E · G
- GG · B · D
- D7D · F# · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Clockwork chords
How it goes
Four quick, even chords per short bar, ticking like clockwork. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 130 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: Am – D7 – G
How it goes
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AmD7G- AmA · C · E
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Questions about Jolly Old St. Nicholas
What chords are in Jolly Old St. Nicholas?
The loop is C – G – D7 – G (IV – I – V7 – I) in G major, and the song ends on Am – D7 – G.
What key is Jolly Old St. Nicholas in?
G major, at about 130 beats a minute in 2/4.
What does the left hand play in Jolly Old St. Nicholas?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Jolly Old St. Nicholas 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.