The First Noel Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn The First Noel in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Db – Gb – Db – Gb
How it goes
The First Noel sits in Db major: Db is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Db is Db, F and Ab; Gb is Gb, Bb and Db. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DbIGbIVDbIGbIV
- DbDb · F · Ab
- GbGb · Bb · Db
782 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Lullaby seesaw
How it goes
A low note, then gentle higher notes between the beats of a waltz. Musicians call it root–fifth 1-5-5-5 (3/4) (root–fifth bass), a medium pattern heard in 48 songs of the library.
Lullaby seesawRoot–fifth bass · WaltzLeft handMedium
3
Right hand: Sleepy waltz chords
How it goes
A long chord, then a double on beat 3: a lazy, rocking waltz. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Sleepy waltz chordsSyncopated chords · WaltzRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 110 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: Db – Ab7 – Db
How it goes
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbAb7Db
- Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb

What chords are in The First Noel?

The loop is Db – Gb – Db – Gb (I – IV – I – IV) in Db major, and the song ends on Db – Ab7 – Db.

What key is The First Noel in?

Db major, at about 110 beats a minute in 3/4.

What does the left hand play in The First Noel?

Lullaby seesaw: root–fifth 1-5-5-5 (3/4), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is The First Noel easy to play on piano?

It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.