Jingle Bells sheet music (easy)

How to play Jingle Bells (Easy)

The chorus everyone sings, with only five notes in your right hand. It never leaves home, so you can watch the music instead of your fingers.

Where your hands go

Right hand: thumb on middle C (C4) and one finger on each white key up to G4 under your little finger. The hand never moves.

Left hand: one long note at a time. C3 most of the way, F3 in bars 5, 6, 13 and 14, and G3 in bars 7, 8 and 15.

It is in C major and 4/4, with no note shorter than a quarter note.

The tricky bars

Bars 1–2

"Jingle bells, jingle bells": E4, E4, then E4 held for two beats, twice. Count the half note all the way to the end.

Bars 3–4

E4, G4, C4, D4, then E4 held for four beats. The jump down from G4 to C4 uses your little finger then your thumb.

Bars 7–8

E4, D4, D4, E4, then D4 and the high G4. Bar 8 is where the first half stops for breath.

Bars 15–16

The ending changes: G4, G4, F4, D4, then home to C4. Bars 7 and 8 went to D4 and G4 instead.

Your practice plan

1. Right hand alone, bars 1 to 4, saying "jin-gle bells" out loud.
2. Right hand alone, bars 5 to 8, then bars 13 to 16, and spot what differs.
3. Left hand alone, counting four beats on every whole note.
4. Hands together at half speed, four bars at a time.
5. Play it all with Listen on and turn every note green.

Watch out for

• Cutting the half notes in bars 1, 2, 9 and 10 short.
• Playing bar 15 like bar 7. Bar 15 is G4, G4, F4, D4.
• Moving the right hand. Every note sits under a finger from C4 to G4.

Power-up: press Loop, tap the first and last of the tricky bars, and they repeat until they feel easy. Hands in Options lets you practise one hand at a time. New to the notation? Start with how to read keyboard staff, then how to practise piano.