Even beginners can build up a repertoire of Christmas carols before the holiday season is over. When they’ve finished polishing these five holiday songs--Silent Night, The First Noel, Bring a Torch Jeanette Isabella, Felíz Navidad, and Good King Wenceslas--they’ll have five popular chords under their belts; G, C, D7, D, and Em. Next, they can check out the second part of this article containing seven more Christmas songs for guitar with the additional chords of A7, Am, Bm, and B7.
Silent Night
Silent Night is probably the most appropriate place to begin, since its music was originally composed for guitar. To play this carol in the key of G, guitarists will only need to know three common chords; G, C, and D7. When strumming the D7 chord, they’ll want to avoid striking the thickest bass string.
(G) Silent night, Holy night,
(D7) All is calm, (G) all is bright
(C) Round yon Virgin, (G) mother and Child.
(C) Holy Infant so (G) tender and mild,
(D7) Sleep in heavenly (G) peace,
Sleep in (D7) heavenly (G) peace.
The First Noel
D is the only new chord guitarists will need for playing the French carol, The First Noel. When strumming the D chord, they’ll want to avoid striking the thickest bass string.
The (G) first No- (D) -el the (C) angel did (G) say,
Was to (C) certain poor (D) shepherds in (C) fields as they (G) lay;
In (G) fields where (D) they lay (C) keeping their (G) sheep
On a (C) cold winters (D) night that (C) was so (G) deep
Noel, No- (D) -el, No- (C) -el, No- (G) -el
(C) Born is the (D) King of (C) Is-ra- (G) -el.
Bring A Torch Jeanette Isabella
Guitarists can play this traditional French carol without learning any new chords.
(G) Bring a torch Jean- (D) -ette Isa- (G) -bella.
Bring a torch, come (C) quickly now (G) run.
Christ is born, tell the folk of the village.
(C) Jesus is (G) lying (C) in a (D) manger.
(G) Ah, (D) ah,
(G) Peacefully (C) now he (G) slumbers.
(G) Ah, (D) ah,
(C) Peacefully (D) now he (G) sleeps.
Felíz Navidad
Guitarists can play the fun Spanish song, “Felíz Navidad” with the four chords they’ve used in the previous holiday songs.
Fe- (G) -líz Navi- (C) -dad,
Fe- (D7) -líz Navi- (G) -dad,
Felíz Navi- (C) -dad,
Prospero (D) año y felizi (G) -dad.
Fe- (G) -líz Navi- (C) -dad,
Fe- (D7) -líz Navi- (G) -dad,
Felíz Navi- (C) -dad,
Prospero (D) año y felizi (G) -dad.
(G) I want to wish you a (C) merry Christmas,
(D7) I want to wish you a (G) merry Christmas,
I want to wish you a (C) merry Christmas,
From the (D) bottom of my (G) heart.
Good King Wenceslas
Once guitarists have mastered the 4 chords in the previous songs, they can add E minor to play the traditional carol “Good King Wenceslas.”
(G) Good King Wences- (Em)las looked out
(C) On the feast of (G) Stephen
When the snow lay (Em) round about
(C) Deep and crisp and (G) even
Brightly shown the (Em) moon that night
(C) Though the frost was (G) cruel
When a poor man (Em) came in sight
(C) Gathering winter (D) fu- (D7) u-(G)e l.
Guitarists in the Christmas spirit won’t want to stop with just these five holiday tunes. In the second part of this article, they’ll only need four additional chords, to play guitar along with Away in a Manger, Oh Christmas Tree, Go, Tell It on the Mountain, Oh Come, Oh Come, Emanuel, Deck the Halls, We Three Kings, and We Wish You a Merry Christmas.
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