Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Santa, Santa, Santa on piano

Written by Gene Autry & Oakley Haldeman

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Santa, Santa, Santa in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Fm – Bb7 – Eb – Gm
How it goes
Santa, Santa, Santa sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Fm is F, Ab and C; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FmiiBb7V7EbIGmiii
- FmF · Ab · C
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- GmG · Bb · D
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.
Pop heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Steady chords
How it goes
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Steady chordsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
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: Ab – Bb – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb
- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F

What chords are in Santa, Santa, Santa?

The loop is Fm – Bb7 – Eb – Gm (ii – V7 – I – iii) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.

What key is Santa, Santa, Santa in?

Eb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in Santa, Santa, Santa?

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 Santa, Santa, Santa 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.

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