Piano songs · Beginner
Jingle Bells on piano
Jingle Bells is the easiest crowd-pleaser there is: the chorus starts with the same note nine times. Here's the chorus with a simple left hand, ready for December.
The tune in letter names, lit as it plays. Right hand in peach, left hand in lilac. Turn off "Both hands" to hear the tune alone.
About the piece
James Lord Pierpont published the song in 1857 as "One Horse Open Sleigh". It became one of the most played songs in the world, and in 1965 the first song played in space, on a harmonica smuggled aboard Gemini 6.
The notes
The letters above are the tune, played by your right hand: E E E E E; E E G C D E; F F F F F; E E E E E; D D E D G; E E E E E; E E G C D E; F F F F F; E E E E G; G F D C. Longer boxes are longer notes. Press Play and follow along, then slow it down with the speed slider and play with it.
How to learn it
- The repeated E: keep the same finger (3 is comfortable) and let the wrist bounce lightly.
- The jump down to C: "jingle all the way" drops to middle C; your thumb is already waiting there in C position.
- Long and short: a few notes are dotted (long-short). Say the words and the rhythm takes care of itself.
- Left hand: one long low note per bar.
Learning Jingle Bells? Ivory listens to you play and tells you what's off: a note that's missing, a hand that lands late, a rhythm that runs away. Then it shows you how it should go.
Questions people ask
What are the notes for Jingle Bells on piano?
E E E, E E E, E G C D E, F F F F, F E E E E, E D D E D G, then the same again ending G G F D C.
Is Jingle Bells good for beginners?
Very: it uses five notes in C position, and the rhythm follows the words.
More songs to play
A simple arrangement of a public-domain melody. Piano sound: Salamander Grand Piano by Alexander Holm, CC BY 3.0.