Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree on piano

Tuning the piano…

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Learn Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: C – C – G7 – G7
How it goes
Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree 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. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CICIG7V7G7V7
- CC · E · G
- G7G · B · D · F
222 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Stair steps
How it goes
Three notes climb up the chord in the island rhythm. Musicians call it broken chord 1-3-5 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 438 songs of the library.
Stair stepsBroken chord · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Springy chords
How it goes
A quick double skip at the start, then steady chords to the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Springy chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 120 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: Dm – G7 – C
How it goes
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DmG7C
- DmD · F · A

What chords are in Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree?

The loop is C – C – G7 – G7 (I – V7 – I – V7) in C major, and the song ends on Dm – G7 – C.

What key is Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree in?

C major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree?

Stair steps: broken chord 1-3-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree 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.

Can I hear the real melody of Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the repeating figure of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.