Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play White Christmas on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn White Christmas in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: C – Dm – C – F
White Christmas sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Dm is D, F and A; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIDmiiCIFIV
- CC · E · G
- DmD · F · A
- FF · A · C
57 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Stair steps
Three notes climb up the chord in the island rhythm. Musicians call it broken chord 1-3-5 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 438 songs of the library.
Stair stepsBroken chord · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Wobbly chords
Two off-balance chords on the “ands”, then a firm landing on 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Wobbly chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 126 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: F – G – C
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC
- GG · B · D

What chords are in White Christmas?

The loop is C – Dm – C – F (I – ii – I – IV) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.

What key is White Christmas in?

C major, at about 126 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in White Christmas?

Stair steps: broken chord 1-3-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is White Christmas 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.