It simply wouldn't be Christmas without the carols we all know and love. Playing the piano is a great way to share the songs of the season with family and friends. Luckily, many Christmas carols are easy for beginners to play on the piano. Keep in mind that while these simple carols can be easily self-taught, it is always helpful to enlist the help of a piano instructor. The following three classic carols are an especially good place for the beginning piano player to start.
The first carol, 'Away in a Manger,' is an easy song to play for several reasons. First, it is a traditional, well-known carol with which many people are already familiar. It has a basic melody that repeats throughout the tune. Learn one section and you have already learned half the melody. It also has a simple chord structure using only three major chords: G, C, and D. The song's slow tempo also helps make it an easier piece to play.
'O Christmas Tree' is also a well-known carol with a simple melody and a slow tempo. Like 'Away in a Manger,' the melody of 'O Christmas Tree' has many repeating sections. In fact, the main section repeats three times, shortening the amount of notes to be learned considerably. 'O Christmas Tree' also can be played with just three chords: F, C7 and C. The C7 chord is not used until the very end of the piece so mostly only two chords are used.
Much like the previous two pieces, 'Joy to the World' is a popular traditional carol most people are very familiar with. 'Joy to the World' is in the key of C major, so no sharps or flats are played. This means only the white keys are used, making it easy to play. The tempo is more upbeat than with 'Away in a Manger' and 'O Christmas Tree,' but like the previous carols, 'Joy to the World' has a simple melody and repeating sections as well as a three chord structure.
When teaching yourself these songs, it is usually easiest to learn the melody with the right hand first. When you feel you know the melody thoroughly, move on to the chords with your left hand. Once you are comfortable with the chords, try playing both parts together. As your skills improve, you can experiment with more complicated arrangements of these classic carols.
The first carol, 'Away in a Manger,' is an easy song to play for several reasons. First, it is a traditional, well-known carol with which many people are already familiar. It has a basic melody that repeats throughout the tune. Learn one section and you have already learned half the melody. It also has a simple chord structure using only three major chords: G, C, and D. The song's slow tempo also helps make it an easier piece to play.
'O Christmas Tree' is also a well-known carol with a simple melody and a slow tempo. Like 'Away in a Manger,' the melody of 'O Christmas Tree' has many repeating sections. In fact, the main section repeats three times, shortening the amount of notes to be learned considerably. 'O Christmas Tree' also can be played with just three chords: F, C7 and C. The C7 chord is not used until the very end of the piece so mostly only two chords are used.
Much like the previous two pieces, 'Joy to the World' is a popular traditional carol most people are very familiar with. 'Joy to the World' is in the key of C major, so no sharps or flats are played. This means only the white keys are used, making it easy to play. The tempo is more upbeat than with 'Away in a Manger' and 'O Christmas Tree,' but like the previous carols, 'Joy to the World' has a simple melody and repeating sections as well as a three chord structure.
When teaching yourself these songs, it is usually easiest to learn the melody with the right hand first. When you feel you know the melody thoroughly, move on to the chords with your left hand. Once you are comfortable with the chords, try playing both parts together. As your skills improve, you can experiment with more complicated arrangements of these classic carols.
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