Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Oh Santa! on piano
Written by Mariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri & others
- D major
- 4/4
- 160 BPM
- 2010
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Oh Santa! in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – D – A – G
How it goes
Oh Santa! sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; D is D, F# and A; A is A, C# and E; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CbVIIDIAVGIV- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
- AA · C# · E
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Knock-knock footsteps
How it goes
Step, then a quick knock-knock, a pause, and one last step. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 471 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 160 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: Em – A – D
How it goes
The last chords are ii – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EmAD- EmE · G · B
Play next
Questions about Oh Santa!
What chords are in Oh Santa!?
The loop is C – D – A – G (bVII – I – V – IV) in D major, and the song ends on Em – A – D.
What key is Oh Santa! in?
D major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Oh Santa!?
Knock-knock footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Oh Santa! 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.