Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play 'twas The Night Before Christmas on piano
By Clement Clark Moore
- C major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1993
- Medium
Learn 'twas The Night Before Christmas in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D7 – G7 – C – Gm
'twas The Night Before Christmas sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D7 is D, F#, A and C; G7 is G, B, D and F; C is C, E and G; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
D7II7G7V7CIGmv- D7D · F# · A · C
- G7G · B · D · F
- CC · E · G
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: Power fifths
Root and fifth together: big and bold. Musicians call it lh power fifths (left-hand chords), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Stepping-down taps
A late start, three taps on one note, then three on a lower one. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: D7 – G7 – C
The last chords are II7 – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
D7G7C
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Questions about 'twas The Night Before Christmas
What chords are in 'twas The Night Before Christmas?
The loop is D7 – G7 – C – Gm (II7 – V7 – I – v) in C major, and the song ends on D7 – G7 – C.
What key is 'twas The Night Before Christmas in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in 'twas The Night Before Christmas?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is 'twas The Night Before Christmas 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.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.