Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Silent Night on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Silent Night in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: G – D – G – C
Silent Night sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; D is D, F# and A; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIDVGICIV
- GG · B · D
- DD · F# · A
- CC · E · G
76 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Pausing footsteps
Three even steps, then a quiet beat to breathe. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Pausing footstepsRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Hopscotch chords
Chord, chord, skip beat 3, chord: hopping over a square. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Hopscotch chordsBlock chords · StrideRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 110 BPM
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: G – C – G
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GCG

What chords are in Silent Night?

The loop is G – D – G – C (I – V – I – IV) in G major, and the song ends on G – C – G.

What key is Silent Night in?

G major, at about 110 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Silent Night?

Pausing footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Silent Night 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.