Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play The Christmas Song on piano
By Mel Torme
- Eb major
- 2/2
- 80 BPM
- 1946
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn The Christmas Song in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Bb7 – Cm7 – Ab – Abm – Eb – Bdim – Cm – Fm7 – Bb7
How it goes
The Christmas Song sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 10 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Cm7 is C, Eb, G and Bb; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Abm is Ab, Cb and Eb; Bdim is B, D and F; Cm is C, Eb and G; Fm7 is F, Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIBb7V7Cm7vi7AbIVAbmivEbIBdimbvi°CmviFm7ii7Bb7V7- EbEb · G · Bb
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- Cm7C · Eb · G · Bb
- AbAb · C · Eb
- AbmAb · Cb · Eb
- BdimB · D · F
- CmC · Eb · G
- Fm7F · Ab · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Lazy footsteps
How it goes
One long low note, then two calm steps to finish the bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 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.
- 4
Both hands at 80 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: Fm – Bb7 – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FmBb7Eb- FmF · Ab · C
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Questions about The Christmas Song
What chords are in The Christmas Song?
The loop is Eb – Bb7 – Cm7 – Ab – Abm – Eb – Bdim – Cm – Fm7 – Bb7 (I – V7 – vi7 – IV – iv – I – bvi° – vi – ii7 – V7) in Eb major, and the song ends on Fm – Bb7 – Eb.
What key is The Christmas Song in?
Eb major, at about 80 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in The Christmas Song?
Lazy footsteps: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Christmas Song easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 10 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of The Christmas Song?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 14 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.