Easy Christmas Piano Songs for Beginners, With Letter Notes
8 Christmas carols you can play right now on your computer keyboard or touchscreen. Each one is written in letter notes, so there is no sheet music to read. Press Play on Piano to open a carol on the keyboard and follow along one note at a time.
Christmas carols to play
Jingle Bells
James Pierpont · 26 notes · Playable on 13+ keys
u u u |
u u u |
u o t y u |||
i i i i
i u u uuu y y u
y | oJames Pierpont (1857), in the public domain globally, transcribed by hand for ScreenPiano.
Joy to the World
Lowell Mason (after Handel) · 56 notes · Playable on 13+ keys
s apo i u y t |
op pa as ||
s s a p o o i u |
s s a p o o i u |
u u u u u i o |
i u y y y y y u i |
u y t s p o i u y tChristmas carol written by Isaac Watts, melody arranged by Lowell Mason (1839); public domain globally.
Deck the Halls
Traditional Welsh · 68 notes · Playable on 37+ keys
o i u y t y u t
yuiyu y t r t |
o i u y t y u t
yuiyu y t r t |
y u i y u i o y
uio pas a p o |
o i u y t y u t
yuiyu y t r tTraditional Welsh New Year carol melody Nos Galan dating back to the 16th century; public domain globally.
Silent Night (Stille Nacht)
Franz Xaver Gruber · 46 notes · Playable on 37+ keys
y u y r ||
y u y r ||
p | p I ||
o | o y ||
u | u o I u
y u y r ||
u | u o I u
y u y r ||
p | p s p I
o ||| a |||
o y r y t e wAustrian Christmas carol composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber; melody in the public domain globally.
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Traditional English · 52 notes · Playable on 37+ keys
w t tytre e
e y yuytr w
w u uiuyt e wwe y r t ||
w t t t r | r t r e w |
y u y t o o e e e y r tTraditional English 16th-century West Country carol; melody in the public domain globally.
Away in a Manger
James R. Murray · 44 notes · Playable on 13+ keys
s s P p p o i i u y t |
t t y t t o u y t i p |
s s P p p o i i u y t |
t P p o p o i o y u i |Tune MUELLER by James R. Murray (1887); in the public domain globally. Melody read from a public-domain score on Hymnary.org, kept in F major (one black key, B-flat) and written out for ScreenPiano.
O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)
John Francis Wade (attributed) · 62 notes · Playable on 25+ keys
s s | o s d | o | f d f g f | d
s s | a p a s d f a | p o o |||
h | g f g | f | d f s d a p o
s s a s d s | o
f f d f g f | d
f g f d s a | s g
f | d s s |||Tune ADESTE FIDELES, attributed to John Francis Wade (1743); in the public domain globally. Melody read from a public-domain score on Hymnary.org and moved from G to C major so every note is a white key.
The First Noel
Traditional English carol · 73 notes · Playable on 13+ keys
uyt y uio | pas a p
o | pas a p o p a s o i
u | uyt y uio | pas a p
o | pas a p o p a s o i u |
uyt y uio | sap | p
o | o s a p o p a s o i u |Traditional English carol melody, in print by 1833; in the public domain globally. Melody read from two public-domain scores on Hymnary.org and moved from D to C major so every note is a white key.
How do I play these with letter notes?
Letter notes write each piano key as one character, the same characters printed on the keys of the ScreenPiano virtual piano. Type them on your computer keyboard or tap the keys on a touchscreen. The easy piano songs page explains how to read black keys, chords and the spacing that shows rhythm.
Can I use these carols in a classroom?
Yes. ScreenPiano opens in the browser on a school Chromebook, tablet or phone, with nothing to install. It asks for no account, name or email, so students can start playing straight away. A teacher can share the page link and let a class pick a carol each.
What should I learn after these carols?
Try adding a left-hand bass note on the first beat of each measure. The piano chord chart shows the notes of each chord in all 12 keys and lets you hear them, and the full list of easy piano songs has year-round tunes. Every song comes from the public domain or is an original exercise; see credits and attribution. If you spot a wrong note or rhythm, email support@screenpiano.com.
Christmas piano song questions
Which Christmas song should a beginner learn first?
Jingle Bells and We Wish You a Merry Christmas are good first carols. Both repeat short phrases, so once you know one line you already know much of the tune.
Can I play these carols on a phone or tablet?
Yes. Carols marked "Playable on 13+ keys" fit completely on a phone held upright. For carols that use more keys, rotate your phone to landscape or open ScreenPiano on a tablet or computer.
Are these Christmas songs free to use?
Yes. Every carol here is a traditional tune in the public domain, written out in letter notes from its original melody. We leave out modern Christmas pop songs because their sheet music is protected by copyright.