Up on the Housetop Guitar Chords
Key of G 4/4 116 BPM 4 chords: G C A7 D7 Easy
The 4 chords of Up on the Housetop
Up on the Housetop is one of the oldest songs about Santa Claus, and it is pure fun on guitar: mostly G and C, with an A7 and a D7 to lead into the chorus. The "Ho, ho, ho! Who wouldn't go?" chorus swaps C, G and D7 in quick succession, perfect for a room full of children shouting along. This chord sheet has two verses and the chorus with every chord over its word. Strum it brightly at a cheerful tempo, and add a little stop on each "ho" for effect.
Strings from the low E (left) to the high E (right), numbers are fingers. Tap a chord for every other way to play it.
Up on the Housetop chords and lyrics
Each chord sits over the word where it changes. Keep strumming the same chord until the next one. Song credits: Benjamin Hanby (1864).
Verse 1
GUp on the housetop reindeer pause
COut jumps good old GSanta Claus
Down through the chimney with lots of toys
Chorus
CHo, ho, ho! GWho wouldn't go?
D7Ho, ho, ho! GWho wouldn't go?
How to strum Up on the Housetop
The song is in 4/4: 4 beats in every bar. Count them aloud, and strum down on the numbers and up on the "and".
Easy
Full
Four beats per bar, bouncy: down, down-up, up-down-up.
Tips for Up on the Housetop on guitar
The chords
G, C, A7 and D7. A7 is the open A shape with the G string open; D7 a small shape on the top four strings.
The tricky part
The end of the chorus: C, then G and D7 in the same bar, and a last G. Practise it slowly a few times.
Change the key
To sing higher, keep the same shapes and put a capo on fret 2, which raises the song a whole step, or on fret 4 for two whole steps. The chords on this page and the guitar above stay the same; only the pitch changes.
The story of Up on the Housetop
Benjamin Hanby, an Ohio minister and songwriter, wrote Up on the Housetop in 1864. It is one of the first songs to show Santa Claus landing on the roof with his reindeer and coming down the chimney.
It is often called the second-oldest secular Christmas song from America still widely sung, after Jingle Bells.
Source: Benjamin Hanby, Up on the Housetop (1864), public domain; chords in G by GOONS Studio.
Frequently asked
What are the chords to Up on the Housetop?
In G. Verse: G, C, G, A7, D7. Chorus: C, G, D7, G, then G, C-G, C, G-D7, G.
Who wrote Up on the Housetop?
Benjamin Hanby, an American minister and songwriter, in 1864.
Is Up on the Housetop easy on guitar?
Level 2 of 5 here, because of A7 and the quick changes in the chorus. Slow it down and it is fine for beginners.
Record your own Up on the Housetop
The guitar on this page is free, with no account. GOONS Studio adds the rest of the band in the browser - drum machines, a bass, a sampled piano and a sequencer - to record your own version of the song, with a 7-day free trial, no card required.