Classic Christmas Songs Guitar Chords and Solo Guitar

Classic Christmas Songs Guitar Chords and Solo

Guitar
Christmas songs are not only fun to sing with friends and family, theyre great to work out on
the guitar.

Theres something comforting about sitting around the fireplace, having a glass of eggnog (OK
maybe not that), and singing carols with friends and family.

To help keep the guitar in your hands this holiday season, there is a collection of classic
Christmas songs arranged for guitar, with lyrics and chord changes.

Each of these classic Christmas songs comes with the following items to give you everything
you need to play and these songs this holiday season.

Lead Sheet With Lyrics

Open Guitar Chords
Barre Guitar Chords
Jazz Lead Sheet
Jazz Guitar Chords
Solo Guitar Arrangement
Transposition Chart

Now, enough preparing, time to dig into these classic Christmas songs in the practice room.

Auld Lang Syne

Away in a Manger
Deck the Halls
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Jingle Bells
Joy to the World
O Holy Night
Silent Night
We Three Kings
What Child is This
 Auld Lang Syne Guitar Chords
Sung at midnight on New Years Eve, Auld Lang Syne is one of the classic Christmas songs
that people love to sing.Theres something about ringing in the New Year that feels great, and
Auld Lang Syne is the soundtrack to that moment for many people.Its an easy song to play,
which makes it fun and quick to learn.Check out these standard chord changes, jazz changes,
and chord melody arrangement of Auld Lang Syne.

Auld Lang Syne Easy Guitar Chords

With only three chords, and a slow tempo, Auld Lang Syne is a easier than most of the classic
Christmas songs youll learn in this lesson.As well, because it only has a few chords, moving it
to other keys is quick and easy, making it ideal for impromptu singing sessions.There are three
chords in Auld Lang Syne, which you can see written here as Roman Numerals to make it easy
to transpose using the chart below.

G=I
C = IV
D=V

Here are the Auld Lang Syne easy guitar chords with lyrics.
If youre new to any of these chords, here are the Auld Lang Syne guitar chords in open
position.

As well, if you want to move this song around the fretboard, here are Auld Lang Syne guitar
chords in barre form to learn.
 Auld Lang Syne Guitar Chords Jazz Changes
If youre working on jazz guitar chords, or just want to breathe new life into a song youve sung
a million times, here are the jazz chords to Auld Lang Syne.
 If youre new to any of these chord shapes, here are fingerings that you can use for any of the
changes in the jazz Auld Lang Syne arrangement.
 Auld Lang Syne Chord Melody Arrangement
Though its normally sung at midnight on New Years Eve, you can also work out Auld Lang
Syne for solo guitar.Heres a chord melody version of Auld Lang Syne that you can learn and
play around the holidays.
 Auld Lang Syne in 12 Keys Transposition Chart
Though it only has three chords, making it easy to transpose to other keys, its nice to have a
reference to ensure youre correct when moving Auld Lang Syne to other keys.Heres a
transposition chart you can use to play Auld Lang Syne in all keys.

Away in a Manger Guitar Chords

With only four chords, a memorable melody, and a fun, 3/4 time signature, Away in a
Manger is a favorite to sing around the holidays.

Though it only has a few chords compared to some other classic Christmas songs, Away in a
Manger can be tricky to strum, sing, and keep the flowing 3/4 time signature all locked in at the
same time.
So, go slow if needed, and have fun learning this holiday favorite.

Away in a Manger Easy Guitar Chords

Played in a 3/4 time signature, Away in a Manger is a nice change to the standard 4/4 time
that you find with many classic Christmas songs.There are four chords in Away in a Manger,
written here as Roman Numerals to help you transpose them easily to other keys.

G=I
 C = IV
D=V
Am = ii

The lyrics to the first verse are included below.If you want to learn the rest of the lyrics, you
can find them at this Away in a Manger lyrics page.

To help you nail the changes to this song, here are the chords for Away in a Manger in open
position.
 Here are the barre chord shapes that you can use to play Away in a Manger, and thatll make
it easier to transpose to other keys if needed.

Away in a Manger Jazz Changes

If youre looking to jazz up your classic Christmas songs, heres a jazzy arrangement of Away
in a Manger that you can learn and jam on with friends.Though the chords have been altered,
they still fit the melody line perfectly.So, you can play these changes with an instrumental jazz
combo.Or, you can use them with a vocalist, or even with a choir.Both will work out fine from a
harmony-melody perspective.
If jazz chords are new to you, here are sample fingerings that you can use when playing the
jazz version of Away in a Manger.
 Away in a Manger Chord Melody
If you want to play Away in a Manger for solo guitar, heres a chord melody arrangement that
you can work on in your jazz practice routine.You can play this arrangement in tempo, or as a
ballad with rubato tempo.Both will work, so test them out and see what feels better for you.
 Away in a Manger in 12 Keys Transposition Chart
To help you transpose Away in a Manger to other keys besides G, here is a quick reference
chart that you can use when needed.

Deck the Halls Guitar Chords

One of the most classic Christmas songs to sing, are parody, around the holidays, anyone
who wants to sing carols with friends or family will need to learn Deck the Halls guitar chords at
some point or another.With only a few chords, all of which can be played in open position, this
song can be quickly learned when working up carols on guitar.In this section, youll learn how
to play Deck the Halls easy guitar chords, how to jazz up those chords, a solo guitar version of
the song, and how to transpose this holiday classic to all 12 keys if needed.So, grab your
boughs of holly and great ready to learn the Deck the Halls guitar chords in your practice
routine today.

Deck the Halls Easy Guitar Chords

If youre looking to play the guitar chords for Deck the Halls in a traditional manner, here are
the easy guitar chords in the key of C that you can use as a guide to play on guitar.There are 6
different chords in Deck the Halls, which are listed here as Roman Numerals in the order they
appear in the song to help you transpose those chords to other keys if necessary.

C=I
G=V
G7 = V7
Am = vi
D = II
F = IV
The first stanza of lyrics in included in this lead sheet.You can refer to these further Deck the
Halls lyrics if you want to sing further stanzas from there.

If youre new to any of these chord shapes, here are the Deck the Halls easy guitar
chords using only open-position chords from the lead sheet above.
 To challenge yourself further on the guitar, here are barre chords for each change in Deck the
Halls that you can use to change the timber of the song.Barre chords are harder to play
compared to open chords, but they make it much easier to transpose the song if you choose to
play Deck the Halls in other keys.
 Deck the Hall Guitar Chords Jazz Changes
If youre looking to jazz up your classic Christmas songs, heres a jazzy arrangement of Deck
the Halls that you can sing and play on the guitar.Though the chords are jazzier in nature, they
all work perfectly with the melody line, so they will fit with the lyrics and music in a vocal
situation.
If there are any jazz guitar chords on this chart for Deck the Halls that you arent familiar with,
here are sample shapes that you can use to play these jazz chords on the guitar.
 Deck the Halls Chord Melody Arrangement
As well as playing Deck the Halls with singers, always a fun time around the holidays, you can
also learn a solo guitar version of this classic song.Heres a solo guitar version of Deck the
Halls that you can use on your own, or it could also be played with a trio or other small jazz
group if that is a group that you jam with in your playing.
Deck the Halls in 12 Keys Transposition Guide
 Playing Deck the Halls with vocalists often means changing the key of the song to better fit
their vocal range.To help you quickly move the Deck the Halls easy guitar chords to any key,
heres a transposition chart that you can use as a reference.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing Guitar Chords

In this Christmas classic, youll be working on a few tricky chord changes, though all-playable
in open position on the guitar.With a 20-bar form, a few secondary dominant chords, and some
7th chords, Hark the Herald Angels Sing is not only a fun song to sing, but its a challenge on
the guitar.In this section, youll learn how to play the chords, learn jazz chords, and a solo
guitar arrangement for this holiday song favorite.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing Easy Guitar Chords

To begin, here are the lyrics and Hark the Herald Angels Sing easy guitar chords.The first
verse of lyrics is included on the lead sheet.You can find the rest of the words on this Hark the
Herald Angels Sing lyrics page.There are 7 chords in this song, written here in Roman
Numerals to help you transpose them to other keys if needed.

GI
D=V
C = IV
Em = VI
A7 = V7/V
E7 = V7/ii
Am = ii
 If youre new to open-position chords, here are shapes that you can use to play all of the Hark
the Herald Angels Sing chords.
As well, to make it easier to transpose this song into other keys, here are the barre chords
used to play Hark the Herald Angels Sing.
 Hark the Herald Angels Sing Jazz Changes
Heres a jazzy arrangement of Hark the Herald Angels Sing to work on in your practicing.You
can use these chords to bring new life into this classic Christmas song, or just use a few of
these changes alongside the original changes.
If youre new to jazz guitar chords, check out these shapes as theyll help you play the Jazzy
arrangement of Hark the Herald Angels Sing above.
 Hark the Herald Angels Sing Chord Melody

If you want to push yourself a bit in the practice room, you can learn a solo guitar version of
Hark the Herald Angels Sing.
 Hark the Herald Angels Sing in 12 Keys Transposition Chart
To help you move this classic Christmas song around the fretboard, here is a transposition
chart to play the chords in all keys.

Jingle Bells Guitar Chords

Another classic Christmas song, Jingle Bells features a simple chord progression that is fun to
jam around the holidays.In this section, you will learn how to play Jingle Bells easy guitar
chords, with both open and barre chords, as well as explore how to add a jazz flavor to this
holiday favorite.Lastly, if youre up for a challenge, or just want to breathe new life into this
song in your playing, you can learn a solo guitar arrangement of Jingle Bells for guitar.So, load
up your one-horse open sleigh and learn how to play Jingles Bells on guitar.

Jingle Bells Easy Guitar Chords

To help you learn to play Jingle Bells on guitar, here are the easy guitar chords in the key of C
that you can practice and jam with friends and family.There are four chords in Jingle Bells,
which you can use to help transpose the key if needed:

I=C
II7 = D7
IV = F
V7 = G7
The first section of lyrics are included, but you can refer to these further lyrics if you want to
learn to sing the entire song.

If youre new to these chords, here are the basic shapes for Jingle Bells, using only open-
position chords in the arrangement.
To take it a step further, here are barre chords for each change in Jingle Bells that you can
practice and play with friends.Barre chords are more difficult to play compared to open chords,
but they do make it easier to transpose the song when it comes time to play Jingle Bells in
other keys.

Jingle Bells Guitar Chords Jazz Changes

For those jazz fans out there, heres a slightly jazzier version of Jingle Bells that you can learn,
using more complex chords while still sticking to the melody line at the same time.

If youre new to jazz, go slow with these chords, and refer to the shapes below as a reference,
as it can take time to work out these changes when first practicing them.
But, with a bit of practice, youll learn to play a fresh approach to Jingle Bells that you can use
to jam with friends and family during the holiday season.

To help you learn the chords in the jazzy arrangement of Jingle Bells, here are chord grids
for each change in the tune that you can use as a reference.
 Jingle Bells Chord Melody Arrangement
If you want to take Jingle Bells a bit further in your guitar practice, and performance, heres a
chord melody arrangement that you can work out to play in a group, or solo guitar,
situation.Youll notice that the octave is adjusted here and there to prevent the song from
getting too high or low on the fretboard.Have fun with this arrangement.Itll challenge you, but
when you have it down itll provide a fun solo guitar version of Jingle Bells that you can play
around the holidays with friends and family.

The chord symbols have been left of this page to prevent the notes from becoming too
congested.

You can refer to the jazz lead sheet changes to see what chords are being used here.
 Jingle Bells in 12 Keys Transposition Guide
While learning the guitar chords to classic Christmas songs in one key will get you through
some situations, if youre playing with a carol group, or just around the table during the
holidays, youll probably have to play in other keys besides C.To help you quickly transpose
Jingle Bells into any key, heres a quick transposition guide for the chords to Jingle Bells in all
12 keys that you can use as a reference.
 Joy to the World Guitar Chords
With only a few chords, and played in the key of C major, Joy to the World is one of those
classic Christmas songs that everyone loves to play and sing around the holidays.

To help you work out this song on the guitar, youll find the chords, jazz arrangement, solo-
guitar version, and chord fingerings for Joy to the World below.

Joy to the World Easy Guitar Chords

To begin, heres a Joy to the World lead sheet with easy guitar chords and lyrics.

If you need to transpose this song, here are the Roman Numerals for each chord.

You can use them in conjunction with the reference chart below to quickly play Joy to the
World in any key.
C=I
G=V
F =IV
G7 = V7

The first stanza of lyrics is included in the lead sheet.

Please visit this page for the rest of the Joy to the World lyrics.
If youre new to any of these Joy to the World guitar chords, here are all of the chord shapes
used to play this song in open position.
 As well, when transposing this song to other keys, barre chords will come in handy.To help
you get those chord shapes under your fingers, here are barre chord shapes for every chord in
Joy to the World.

Joy to the World Guitar Chords Jazz Changes

For the jazz guitarists in the room, or those looking to explore jazz guitar, here is a jazzy
arrangement of Joy to the World that you can learn on guitar.Though the chords are different
from the original changes, the melody line will still fit over each chord in this arrangement.

If youre new to jazz chords, see the chord diagrams below for sample fingerings.
For those that need a bit of help with jazz chords, here are sample fingerings for each chord
used in the Joy to the World jazz lead sheet.
 Joy to the World Chord Melody Arrangement
Learning classic Christmas songs is always fun when working with singers.But, theyre also
great for learning solo guitar arrangements.Heres a jazz version of Joy to the World arranged
for chord melody, which can be played in a combo or solo-guitar setting.
 Joy to the World Transposition Guide
When playing Joy to the World with singers, solo or choir, youll probably have to change the
key.To help you move this classic Christmas song to other keys, heres an easy to reference

transposition guide.

O Holy Night Guitar Chords

The most difficult song to play in this collection, the O Holy Night guitar chords are plentiful,
colorful, and all over the fretboard in many keys.As well, the form is longer than other classic
Christmas songs, making it hard to keep track of where you are in the song.Because of this, itll
take more time to work out this song on guitar.Be sure to practice it ahead of time before taking
it to a vocal rehearsal or carol concert.Many classic Christmas songs can be sight read as they
only have a few chords.But, O Holy Night has 9 chords, with barre chords, and therefore needs
more study to master on the fretboard.

O Holy Night Easy Guitar Chords

To begin, here is a lead sheet for O Holy Night in the key of G major.There really is no key
for O Holy Night that uses only open-position guitar chords.So, this is as close as you can get,
one barre chord, to all open chords.Keep this in mind when transposing the song, as youll end
up using more barre chords than in other Christmas songs on guitar.

There are 9 chords in O Holy Night, listed here to help you transpose them with the chart below
if needed.
 G=I
C = IV
D7 = V7
G7 = V7/IV
Bm = iii
F# = V7/iii
Em = vi
Am = ii
D=V

Here is the O Holy Night lead sheet with the first stanza of lyrics.

If you want to learn more lyrics, please refer to this O Holy Night lyrics page.
 To help you get these chords under your fingers, as there are a few non-open chords in this
key, here are chord shapes that you can use when playing this version of O Holy Night on
guitar.
 O Holy Night Guitar Chords Jazz Changes
Moving on, heres a jazzy arrangement of O Holy Night that you can use to spice up this song
when playing it with a combo, solo, or choir situation.
There are a few tricky chords in the arrangement, so be sure to refer to the chord shapes given
below if you get stuck.
To help you learn the jazz chords in this version of O Holy Night, here are sample shapes that
will work over the entire tune.
 O Holy Night Guitar Chords Chord Melody Arrangement
Here is a solo guitar version of O Holy Night that you can learn and play around the holidays.

To make things easier to play, since there are no vocals, youll learn this arrangement in the
key of C major.As well, to make it easier to read, chords are only written once over each bar
when possible.Then, you can check the recording to hear how to keep those chords moving in
each bar.Or, just experiment with your picking hand to explore those chords over the melody
further in your playing.
 O Holy Night in 12 Keys Transposition Chart
To finish up your study of O Holy Night, heres a transposition chart that will help you learn this
classic Christmas song in all 12 keys.There are a lot of chords in this song, so having a chart
will make it easier to move this song around as compared to other, easier, classic Christmas
songs.
 Silent Night Guitar Chords
An all-time favorite of many folks around the holidays, Silent Night is a fun to play and easy to
learn holiday tune written with a Waltz feel, 3/4 time.With only 3 chords in the whole tune, youll
quickly be able to get this song up to speed on the fretboard, allowing you to jam it along with
friends and family around the holiday season.

As well as presenting the Silent Night easy guitar chords, theres a jazzy arrangement with
some extended chord shapes, and a solo guitar version of the song included in this lesson for
those that want to spice up the tune a bit in your playing.
Silent Night Easy Guitar Chords
If you want to learn Silent Night easy guitar chords, heres a lead sheet featuring the traditional
chords to this holiday classic.Its written in the key of C, which you can use to play and sing
with friends and family around the holidays.The first stanza of lyrics is on the lead sheet, but
you can find the full Silent night lyrics at this page.There are three chords in Silent Night, which
you can use to help change the key of the song if needed:
I=C
IV = F
V7 = G7

As well, theres a transposition chart at the bottom of this lesson that you can use a reference
to move Silent Night to other keys when playing it with singers, as it can often fit better for
vocalists in other keys depending on their range.
 If youre new to the chords presented in this arrangement, you can use these open-position
chord grids to help you get these shapes under your fingers.
 To make it easier to transpose Silent Night to other keys, and to push your technique a bit
further when strumming these chords, here are the barre chord shapes for each chord in the
tune.These chords are more difficult to finger on the guitar, so if theyre beyond your technical
ability at this point, no worries, just play the open chords above.

With time, barre chords will be within your reach on the fretboard.

Silent Night Guitar Chords Jazz Changes

For those who want to jazz up your Silent Night chords, heres an arrangement that you can
learn and play with yourself or others singing the lyrics.Each chord may have a jazz slant to it,
but the chords will all fit with the melody, making it easy to jazz up your next classic
Christmas songs carol session.
If youre new to reading Jazz chord charts, here are some chord voicings that you can use for
each chord in Silent Night, the jazz arrangement .
Take your time with these changes if theyre new.

With practice, theyll become comfortable and youll be able to apply them in real time to any
new tune you learn on the guitar.
 Silent Night Chord Melody Arrangement
As well as playing Silent Night with a vocalist, either yourself or others singing, you can learn
to play a solo guitar version of this traditional holiday song.Heres a chord melody arrangement
of Silent Night that uses the jazz chord changes that you learned above.The song can be
played in time, or rubato (no tempo), either will work well with this arrangement.Have fun
learning this chord melody, as it will push your chops on the guitar and give you a fun solo
guitar song to play around the holidays for friends and family.
 Silent Night in 12 Keys Transposition Guide
Though playing Silent Night in C sits comfortably on the guitar, it isnt always the best key for
any vocalists that are singing along with your guitar playing.Because of this, you might have to
change the key for your Silent Night guitar chords when comping behind singers around the
holidays.To help you quickly change the key to Silent Night, here are the chords in all 12 keys
for the song.Once you know the key, you can just replace the chords in C from the chart above
with the new chords and youre all set to go in that new key.

We Three Kings Guitar Chords

 One of the most commonly sung holiday songs with a 6/8 time signature, We Three Kings is a
fun and sometimes challenging song to play on guitar.When learning the We Three Kings
guitar chords, youll have to navigate a few 7th chord shapes, as well as find a 6/8 groove that
fits the vocal line.

This can take some time to work out, but once you get the feel for the groove and the changes
in the song, itll all come together to be one of your favorite classic Christmas songs to play this
season.In this section, youll learn We Three Kings easy guitar chords, a jazz arrangement of
those chords, as well as solo guitar version of the song to play with friends and family.

We Three Kings Easy Guitar Chords

To help you learn to play We Three Kings guitar chords, here are the easy guitar chords, with
lyrics, in the key of G that you can learn how to playIve included the first section of lyrics, but
you can refer to these further lyrics if you want to learn to sing the entire song.

There are 7 chords in We Three Kings that youll need to learn when playing the song on
guitar.You can use the Roman Numerals to help transpose the chords if needed, and refer to
the transposition chart at the end of the lesson if you need any help.While the first half of the
song can be thought of in the key of Em, youll find that its easier to quickly transpose the
chords if you relate them all to the tonic key of G major, as youll see here.

vi = Em
III7 = B7
V=D
I=G
ii = Am
V7 = D7
IV = C
If youre new to these chords, here are the basic shapes for We Three Kings, using only open-
position chords in the arrangement.
To expand upon these chords on guitar, here are barre chords for We Three Kings that you
can practice and play with friends around the holidays.
Barre chords are more challenging to finger compared to open-position chords, but they will
make it easier to transpose the song when it comes time to jam We Three Kings in other keys.
 We Three Kings Guitar Chords Jazz Changes
If youre looking for a different approach to playing We Three Kings this holiday season, you
can learn the following jazz chords thatll fit with the melody to the song.Sometimes adding a
bit of a twist to classic christmas songs can help breathe new life into a song thats been sung
with family and friends for years.As well, you can use this arrangement to challenge yourself in
the practice room by expanding your chord voicings and jazz harmony this season.

If youre new to jazz guitar, but want to explore this arrangement, here are sample chord
voicings that you can use to play the We Three Kings jazzy changes .
 We Three Kings Chord Melody Arrangement
The last version of We Three Kings in this lesson is a chord melody arrangement, which can
be played on a gig with a band, or as a solo guitar arrangement on your own.As well, you can
play this version in tempo, with the 6/8 feel this song is famous for, or you can play it out of
time to slow it down and let each chord breathe alongside the melody.However you choose to
perform this arrangement will be cool.Just take your time learning the chords, and most
importantly, have fun with it in your practicing and playing.
 We Three Kings in 12 Keys Transposition Guide
If youve ever played Christmas carols with vocalists, youll know that they dont always sing
the chords in the original key .To help you quickly find the We Three Kings guitar chords in any
key, heres a transposition chart that lays out each chord in all 12 keys to use as a reference.
 What Child is This Guitar Chords
One of the most popular classic Christmas songs, What Child is This has been a staple of any
carol or holiday sing along for many years.Also referred to as Greensleeves, the 3/4 time feel
and minor key of What child is This combine to create a haunting chord progression and
vibrant melody line.Though its often sung during the holidays as What Child is This, learning
the chords and solo guitar version will allow you to play Greensleeves all year round.

In this section, youll learn how to play the What Child is This guitar chords, how to jazz up
those chords, and study a solo guitar version of this holiday song.

What Child is This Easy Guitar Chords

To help you learn how to play What Child is This on guitar, here are the easy guitar chords
along with the lyrics so that you can sing along with your guitar if needed.This song is in the
key of E minor, and it starts and ends on that tonic Em chord.There are six chords in this song,
which you can see written here as Roman Numerals to make it easier to think about when
transposing this holiday song to other keys.

Im = Em
bIII = G
bVII = D
v = Bm
bVI = C
V7 = B7
Now that you know about the What Child is This chord progression, youre ready to learn it on
the guitar.

Ive included the first section of lyrics for What Child is This in the lead sheet below, but you
can refer to these further lyrics if you want to learn to sing the entire song.
If youre new to these chords, here are the What Child is this guitar chord shapes, using only
open-position chords to begin.
To expand on these guitar chords, here are barre chords for What Child is This that you can
practice and use to play the changes to this holiday song.

Barre chords can be more of a challenge to play compared to open-position chords, but they
will make it easier to transpose What Child is This when it comes time to strum the song in
other keys.
 What Child is This Guitar Chords Jazz Changes
For those guitarists that want to jazz up this holiday song, heres a What Child is This lead
sheet with jazz chords replacing the original chords in the song.

While these chords may not be the originals, each chord works with the melody and so youd
be able to use this arrangement with a vocalist or choir if you wish.
 If these types of jazz chords are new to you, here are sample voicings that you can use to play
the chord progression above.
 What Child is This Chord Melody Arrangement
Though its always fun to play and sing carols around the holiday season, sometimes you
just want to relax with your guitar and play these songs by yourself.

To help you build your chord melody chops and repertoire, heres a solo guitar version of What
Child is This that you can learn and play for friends and family around the holidays.
What Child is This in 12 Keys Transposition Guide
To finish learning how to play What Child is This on guitar, heres a reference guide that you
can use to quickly transpose this holiday song to any key.

Sometimes singers arent comfortable singing in the original key, and so being able to move
keys quickly will make it easier when playing What Child is This with a vocalist.