10 Easy Christmas Carols on Piano

The festive season is a time for celebration and joy, and what better way to celebrate than with some classic Christmas carols? We’ve put together a list of 10 easy Christmas carols that you’ll be able to learn to play on the piano in no time.

Pianote, a fantastic online piano-learning resource, has released free Christmas carol tutorials which include the first five songs on this list. They’ll give you full video walk-throughs of the songs and downloadable music. They’ll also provide you with answers to your questions if you have any!

Additionally, they have a great Christmas Songbook that’s available for purchase that covers 14 beautiful songs, including the iconic “The Christmas Song”!

1. “Deck The Halls”

I’m starting this joyous list with “Deck The Halls”, a traditional Welsh carol. This Christmas carol might seem difficult for some beginners but fear not, it is still super-easy to learn and play.

The song is in the key of F and also uses Bb, C, Dm, and G. All you have to do is learn the basic piano chords and follow along with the lesson till you get it right.

As Lisa Witt from Pianote points out in her video tutorial of this song, you can choose to just learn the chords and sing the melody or you can learn the full version and play the melody with your right hand.

Alternatively, if it gets too much for you, you can try using a single-note approach for the left-hand chords to simplify it, or at least until you’re ready to tackle the proper arrangement. The other “tricky” part is maybe the fast chord changes when closing a phrase, but the key is to practice it slowly until you get it right.

2. “Joy To The World”

Next up is a wonderful English Christmas carol “Joy To The World”. Who doesn’t love or hasn’t sung along to this beautiful carol?

This one is also available as a free tutorial on Pianote, and the sheet music also contains the chords so you don’t need to be able to sight-read in order to play it.

“Joy To The World” is a three-chord song that is very easy to learn. It incorporates C, G, and F chords. To make it easier for beginners (if you already started learning and know your scales), the C chord is actually a descending C scale. Also, the left hand plays only single-note chords. This is a great beginner song to learn for the festive season due to the fairly easy progression and pattern.

3. “O Holy Night”

There’s something truly special about the song “O Holy Night”. I still get goosebumps when I hear this one being performed at Christmas!

There are lots of different ways to play this one. Pianote also has a great tutorial on this one where Lisa Witt teaches the chord structure first and then incorporates the melody after.

You can either learn the accompaniment version to sing along to or the solo version which includes the full melody.

For arpeggio lovers, “O Holy Night” is the perfect song to learn on the piano. The song is simply beautiful to play and even better if you sing along.

This arpeggio-friendly tune is also a great practice song to nail down those arpeggios all the while producing a beautiful melody. In the accompaniment version, the right hand takes charge of the arpeggio work, the left hand is going to be doing root notes or octave work to accompany the melody.

It’s not the easiest Christmas carol to learn on piano for beginners, but this is such an iconic song that it’s worth the effort!

4. “Silent Night”

“Silent Night” is a beautiful, somber Christmas carol that is probably among the easiest to learn this holiday season.

The song incorporates single-note melodies at a relatively slow pace, making it very beginner-friendly. Now that we’ve discussed the right hand’s job, the left hand will be playing two-note chords stretching out an entire phrase (most of the time during the song).

This song is super-beginner-level and everyone should be able to have this one down in no time.

5. “Jingle Bells”

“Jingle Bells” is probably the most popular Christmas carol there is. This is a very fun and easy-to-learn piano song that uses four chords and is even more perfect if you’re planning on singing along with family or friends.

The simple melody and moderately-slow pace of the song should make this a pretty easy one for beginner pianists.

6. “The First Noel”

“The First Noel” is another popular Christmas song that is easy to learn on the piano. This traditional English Christmas carol is simple to tackle, even the most beginner pianists will breeze through it.

This uses only single-note melodies incorporating both the left and right hand. As you move along the piano you will develop your fingerwork, all the while learning a popular Christmas tune for the festive season.

7. “Carol Of The Bells”

Although “Carol Of The Bells” may be a little complex for beginners, Pianote has its own simplified version, making it ideal for this list. This beautiful Christmas carol is among the most popular ones because the melody is very familiar and enjoyed by most.

Apart from a few hand-independence moments which you should tackle slowly to get them right, the song revolves around single-note melodies with the right hand, and one or two-finger chords with the left hand (depending on how you want to learn it).

Later on in the song is the “catchy” part which can be tricky due to the fast finger movement required but again, take it slow. Once you pass the E major scale, everything should be looking up and all you need to do is practice.

8. “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”

There is no Christmas song list without “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”. This beautiful English carol is perfect for the festive season we love so much. It is a beginner-friendly song that will require some chord work but nothing too daunting.

The tune incorporates three-note chords but at a moderate pace so it doesn’t seem too challenging for beginners. The melody is very playful for the right hand and will certainly aid in developing your fingerwork while you learn.

The left hand is probably the most challenging part of the song because while you play the single-note melody with the right hand, the left hand has some chords to remember. Again, tackle this piece at your own pace and gradually up the tempo when you feel ready.

9. “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer”

Who can forget this iconic Christmas tune? This is a super-easy song to learn on the piano if you just consider the root notes and play the melody using only single notes.

The left hand should be simple enough for any beginner since it only revolves around jumping back and forth from C and G to G and D to hold the structure. Your right hand will be the tricky part since this is a relatively fast-paced song, however, if you slow it down, the melody is fairly simple to learn.

10. “We Three Kings”

Topping off this list with one of my favorite beginner melodies you can learn – “We Three Kings”. This is a popular, beautiful, and captivating song that is easy to learn for beginner pianists.

You can replicate the iconic melody with just the root notes with your left hand which include the D, A, C, F, Bb, and G chords. Your right hand will be tackling a few different notes but since the tempo is slow, it is pretty simple to learn and practice afterward.

Since the right-hand melody is mostly descending note-for-note, you will have an easy time mastering this tune.

Enjoy the Holiday Season!

Christmas songs are beloved by all, and it’s hard to single out just 10 out of the many there are. If you want to get a headstart learning these then I highly recommend you check out Pianote’s free Christmas carol tutorials.

Check out our video review of Pianote to learn more about this great platform.

I hope you have a wonderful time learning these Christmas carols and playing them on the piano. Have a wonderful holiday season and Merry Christmas!