Piano chords · Bossa beach
Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town: piano accompaniment sheet music
By J. Fred Coots
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 160 BPM
- 1934
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town written out as piano music: the I – iii – IV – bVII7 – I – I7 – IV – iv loop in Bb major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays bossa sway (root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&)) and the right hand pumping chords.
Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in Bb major. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bb | I | Bb D F |
| 1 | Dm | iii | D F A |
| 2 | Eb | IV | Eb G Bb |
| 2 | Ab7 | bVII7 | Ab C Eb Gb |
| 3 | Bb | I | Bb D F |
| 3 | Bb7 | I7 | Bb D F Ab |
| 4 | Eb | IV | Eb G Bb |
| 4 | Ebm | iv | Eb Gb Bb |
What the sheet music shows
The grand staff: the right hand on the treble staff, the left hand on the bass staff, with the chord names above and a finger number on each note (1 is the thumb). It is the accompaniment: bossa sway (root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&)) in the left hand and pumping chords in the right, over the Bb – Dm – Eb – Ab7 – Bb – Bb7 – Eb – Ebm chords.
Press play and a cursor follows the music. Above it, Colours paints each note in its key’s colour and Note names writes its letter on its head.
To see the real melody written out, play “The part you know”: the sheet music changes to it.
Play next
Questions about Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
Does the sheet music for Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town have finger numbers?
Yes: every note of both hands has its finger number, 1 being the thumb. To read the notes alone, turn Fingers off above the music.
What chords are in Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town?
The loop is Bb – Dm – Eb – Ab7 – Bb – Bb7 – Eb – Ebm (I – iii – IV – bVII7 – I – I7 – IV – iv) in Bb major, and the song ends on Cm – F7 – Bb.
What key is Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town in?
Bb major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town?
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 Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 8 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 7 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.