Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Dreamy ballad

Wonderful Christmastime: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes

By Paul McCartney

  • Bb major
  • 4/4
  • 160 BPM
  • Easy
Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Wobbling tick-tockRight hand Bossa chordsChords from the chord symbols in the score

The accompaniment with every note named, bar by bar: the bar sheet shows each note as a bar on the staff with its letter inside, so you can accompany Wonderful Christmastime without reading music. The left hand plays wobbling tick-tock (broken chord 8-7) and the right hand bossa chords.

The catchy part of Wonderful Christmastime in letter notes

The real notes from a score, both hands, bar by bar. R is the right hand, L the left; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
Dm7 → Gm7
RF4+A4+Eb5 F4+A4+D5 Bb4
LD2 G2
Bar 2
Eb → Ab7
RG4+Bb4+F5 Eb5 D5 C4+Gb4+Bb4 Bb4
LEb2 Ab2
Bar 3
Bb
RD4+F4+Bb4
LBb2
Bar 4
Cm7
REb4+G4+Bb4+D5 Eb4+G4+Bb4+C5
LC2 F2

Wonderful Christmastime accompaniment in letter notes

The Dm7 – Gm7 – Eb – Ab7 – Bb – Cm7 loop with wobbling tick-tock in the left hand and bossa chords in the right. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
Dm7 → Gm7
RF4+A4+D5 F4+A4+D5 Bb4+D5+G5 Bb4+D5+G5
LD3 C3 G3 F3
Bar 2
Eb → Ab7
RG4+Bb4+Eb5 G4+Bb4+Eb5 C5+Eb5+Ab5 C5+Eb5+Ab5
LEb3 D3 Ab3 Gb3
Bar 3
Bb
RD4+F4+Bb4 D4+F4+Bb4 D4+F4+Bb4 D4+F4+Bb4
LBb3 A3 Bb3 A3
Bar 4
Cm7
REb4+G4+C5 Eb4+G4+C5 G4 Bb4 C5 Eb5 G5 Bb5 C6 Eb6
LC4 Bb3 C4 Bb3
Bar 5
Dm7 → Gm7
RF4+A4+D5 F4+A4+D5 Bb4+D5+G5 Bb4+D5+G5
LD3 C3 G3 F3
Bar 6
Eb → Ab7
RG4+Bb4+Eb5 G4+Bb4+Eb5 C5+Eb5+Ab5 C5+Eb5+Ab5
LEb3 D3 Ab3 Gb3
Bar 7
Bb
RD4+F4+Bb4 D4+F4+Bb4 D4+F4+Bb4 D4+F4+Bb4
LBb3 A3 Bb3 A3
Bar 8
Cm7
REb4+G4+C5 Eb4+G4+C5 Eb4+G4+C5 Eb4+G4+C5
LC4 Bb3 C4 Bb3

How to read the bar sheet

The player above shows the treble staff (right hand) over the bass staff (left hand). Every note is a bar as long as it sounds, at its place on the staff, with its name inside, and the music scrolls past a line that marks now. The chord names run along the top.

Start with the left hand alone at a slow speed, then the right, then both. When the letters feel easy, try the sheet music.

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Questions about Wonderful Christmastime

What are the letter notes for the Wonderful Christmastime piano accompaniment?

Bar by bar, both hands: the bar sheet on this page names every note of the accompaniment (C4 is middle C) and plays along. The loop is Dm7 – Gm7 – Eb – Ab7 – Bb – Cm7, so the letters repeat with the chords.

What chords are in Wonderful Christmastime?

The loop is Dm7 – Gm7 – Eb – Ab7 – Bb – Cm7 (iii7 – vi7 – IV – bVII7 – I – ii7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.

What key is Wonderful Christmastime in?

Bb major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Wonderful Christmastime?

Wobbling tick-tock: broken chord 8-7, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Wonderful Christmastime easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 6 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Wonderful Christmastime?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.