Although the melody is simple, Jingle Bells is surely one of the jolliest Christmas Songs there ever was!If you want to build up a repertoire of Christmas songs in time for next Christmas, this is the one to start with. In 4/4 time and in the key of C, this is a really quick and easy to learn song. You will learn to play the tune with your right hand and add a simple bass line.
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Written by James Pierpont in 1857, an American confederate soldier, he originally called it “The One Horse Open Sleigh”. He wrote other songs, mainly Confederate Patriotic songs. Later in life he became a music teacher.
Cheat sheet
| Artist | James Pierpont |
| Composer | James Pierpont |
| Release Year | 1857 |
| Genre(s) | Christmas |
| Difficulty level | Beginner |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Key(s) | C major |
| Meter | 4/4 |
| Techniques | Playing hands together |
Learning how to play the Jingle Bells piano chords
Christmas songs are part of any pianist’s repertoire, but sometimes you won’t always have the ability to look up what the chords to jingle bells are. The chords for jingle bells are not the only thing you need to know. There are a lot of situations where you may need to know how to play Jingle Bells on the piano.
During the holidays it will be very convenient to memorize the chords for Jingle Bells on piano. This way you can write them out for another musician, or a family friend over the holidays. These situations will happen as your skill grows by using a teaching app like Skoove’s free trial, and soon you’ll know the Jingle Bells chords piano.
Tips on playing the song
- The melody is written only using quarter notes, so make sure to keep the rhythm straight
- The key signature is C major, so there are no sharps or flats used in this song
- The time signature is 4 / 4, so there are only four beats in each measure.
- The numbers next to the notes in the left hand are notating the fingers that you are intended to use with the left hand. Remember finger 1 is always the thumb for both hands.
- By using the written finger assignments you will be able to play the entire song without moving into a different position
- Though this song is written for beginners, you can very easily add basic major chords of C, F and G to follow the melody and improve your experience!
Why not try playing ‘Jingle Bells’ with Skoove right now? You can start your one month free trial now!
Interesting fact
1890 to 1954 “Jingle Bells” was one of the most recorded songs in history and in 1970 James Pierpont was elected into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame.
