Right hand
Put the thumb on middle C: every note of the chorus is under the five fingers C-D-E-F-G, so the hand never moves. E is finger 3, F finger 4 and G finger 5.
Jingle Bells - Piano Sheet Music (Easy Version, Chorus)
James Lord Pierpont (1822-1893) 1857 C major 4/4 Beginner 0:32 Both hands
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Jingle Bells is the Christmas song most people want to play first, and its chorus is a gift for beginners: it starts with the same note, E, six times in a row, and the whole tune fits under the five fingers from C to G. This easy version gives you the chorus in C major with a left hand that holds one note per bar - C, F, G or D - so you can play it hands together within an evening. Press Listen to hear the rhythm, then practise the right hand on its own in Practice mode until the quick 'jingle all the way' figure feels natural.
How to play it
How to play Jingle Bells on the piano
Left hand
One long note per bar: C below middle C for most of the song, F and G for the changes, D in bar 7. Hold each note for four beats and keep counting.
Tricky passages
The 'jingle all the way' figure, E G C D E: the C is a dotted note, a beat and a half, and the D is a quick half beat before the long E. Count '1, 2, 3-and, 4' and say the words as you play.
Fingering
Right hand: E E E is 3-3-3, E G C D E is 3-5-1-2-3, and F F F F is 4-4-4-4.
Notes
Jingle Bells piano notes
The right-hand melody of this version, bar by bar, in letter names and in Do Ré Mi. Sharps are written #, flats b; a note held across a bar line is written once.
Melody: E E E E E E E G C D E F F F F F E E E E E D D E …
| Bar | Notes | Do Ré Mi |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | E E E | Mi Mi Mi |
| 2 | E E E | Mi Mi Mi |
| 3 | E G C D | Mi Sol Do Ré |
| 4 | E | Mi |
| 5 | F F F F | Fa Fa Fa Fa |
| 6 | F E E E E | Fa Mi Mi Mi Mi |
| 7 | E D D E | Mi Ré Ré Mi |
| 8 | D G | Ré Sol |
| 9 | E E E | Mi Mi Mi |
| 10 | E E E | Mi Mi Mi |
| 11 | E G C D | Mi Sol Do Ré |
| 12 | E | Mi |
| 13 | F F F F | Fa Fa Fa Fa |
| 14 | F E E E E | Fa Mi Mi Mi Mi |
| 15 | G G F D | Sol Sol Fa Ré |
| 16 | C | Do |
Chords
Chords in Jingle Bells
The chords this arrangement holds for at least two bars, read from the score with the root in the bass. Each one opens its page: the notes, every inversion and the fingering, playable on a piano.
The piece is in C major: all the chords of the key
About the piece
About Jingle Bells
James Lord Pierpont published the song in Boston in 1857 as One Horse Open Sleigh, and it was reissued two years later under the title it has kept, Jingle Bells, or The One Horse Open Sleigh. It was not written for Christmas: the words describe a winter sleigh ride and a race, and Christmas is never mentioned.
Medford, Massachusetts, and Savannah, Georgia, both claim to be where it was written. In December 1965 it became the first song played in space, when the Gemini 6 astronauts Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford played it on a harmonica and a handful of small bells they had taken on board.
This transcription: James Lord Pierpont, "One Horse Open Sleigh" (Boston, 1857): the chorus melody as it is sung today, in C major; left hand by GOONS Studio. Transcribed by GOONS Studio from the original work, which is in the public domain.
On guitar: Jingle Bells guitar chords and lyrics, with a guitar that strums along.
For kids: Jingle Bells by colors, on a rainbow piano that lights the next key and waits.
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In the studio
Practise with your MIDI keyboard, record your take, export MIDI
The full piano studio opens this score with your MIDI keyboard and sustain pedal, records what you play and exports it as a MIDI file. It comes with the GOONS Studio subscription - start with the 7-day free trial, no card required.
Questions
Jingle Bells on piano: frequently asked
What are the notes of Jingle Bells on piano?
In C major the chorus starts E E E, E E E, E G C D E (Mi Mi Mi, Mi Mi Mi, Mi Sol Do Ré Mi), then F F F F F E E E E D D E D G. The whole chorus, bar by bar, is in the Notes section.
Is Jingle Bells a Christmas song?
Not originally: the words describe a sleigh ride and never mention Christmas. It became a Christmas favourite during the 20th century through radio and records.
Why is only the chorus on this page?
The chorus ("Jingle bells, jingle bells...") is the part everyone recognises, and on its own it makes a complete piece for a beginner. The verse, "Dashing through the snow", is a different melody.