Piano chords · Classical salon
How to play Merry Christmas, Baby on piano
- E major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- I–IV–I–ii loop
- 1964
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Merry Christmas, Baby in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: E – A – E – F#m
How it goes
Merry Christmas, Baby sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E is E, G# and B; A is A, C# and E; F#m is F#, A and C#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EIAIVEIF#mii- EE · G# · B
- AA · C# · E
- F#mF# · 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: Pumping chords
How it goes
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. 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: A – B – E
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ABE- BB · D# · F#
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Questions about Merry Christmas, Baby
What chords are in Merry Christmas, Baby?
The loop is E – A – E – F#m (I – IV – I – ii) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.
What key is Merry Christmas, Baby in?
E major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Merry Christmas, Baby?
Little steps: broken chord 1-3-5-3, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Merry Christmas, Baby 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.