Free Christmas Songs
Deck the Halls
Free Christmas songs (FIVE versions) Deck the Halls -- give your students this well-known, beloved Christmas carol!
This page has:
- guitar tabs (bottom of the page),
- TWO lead sheets,
- two versions with left hand chords for early intermediate piano students, and
- an easy version in Middle C position.
- The complete Christmas song lyrics are included also, at the bottom of this page.
Here is the newest addition, an easy-to-read lead sheet that allows a slow learning of first the melody, and then the chords, using standard lead sheet chord symbols:
Your assistance will be required, most likely, with fingering! There are a lot of notes in this melody, but only 5 fingers. I've placed a bit of fingering in the sheet music, but not a lot.
Please scroll down the page for the download links.
Difficult chord symbols
Yikes! What about the hard chord symbols??? The D7/F#, the F/C? Do your students have the ability to find the root of a chord inversion?
You will have to decide if your student is ready for deciphering these, with your help. If you follow them exactly, you will end up with the same left hand part as shown in the music below (about 3 images down, below the video).
A Middle C arrangement for real beginners
Please scroll down the page for the download links.
And here is a closeup of what that Middle C arrangement looks like:
You can also find an AlphaNote version of the Middle C arrangement (that is, notes with letter names inside) at the Note Naming Worksheet page.
Here is an adorable rendition of Deck the Halls by a madrigal group from Mars Hill Academy, all decked out themselves in Renaissance garb:
Why are the note values so long?
As I have done with many beginner songs, I have doubled the note values so there are no tricky eighth notes for beginner piano students in two of the arrangements.
Beginners will start off playing it slowly, but the counting won't be a problem, and they will pick up speed.
Using chords and chord inversions
Below is a lively arrangement which makes use of left hand chords and chord inversions. If your students have spent any time doing chords and inversions, this arrangement may just fall into their hands very easily.
Please scroll down the page for the download links.
Yes, I have doubled the timing. THEY WILL DO JUST FINE. Kids always start off playing this song very slowly, so counting like this is helpful for beginners.
Preparation for the chord inversions
I recommend saving this song until after you and your student have spent some time working with cadences - the I, IV, and V chords - found on a couple of my pages:
On the page Basic Piano Chords & Scales, and on the page 12 Major Scales. That I-IV-V practice will get them ready (start with the Key of C) for the chord patterns in Deck the Halls.
Below is the same Christmas piano sheet music, but with eighth notes:
Please scroll down the page for the download links.
This arrangement really is fun to play, and pretty easy (if you have an understanding of chords). It DEFINITELY sounds better with both hands played up an octave; I tell my students it also sounds more "Christmas-y", like bells.
Below is a lead sheet, for piano or other instruments:
Please scroll down the page for the download links.
Guitar tabs - one high & one low arrangement
Here are guitar tabs for Deck the Halls, two versions:
Please scroll down the page for the download links.
The melody SOUNDS better on the higher strings (1 & 2), but there will be the higher-than-usual frets to be accommodated - that's why I supplied a lower version also, below:
Please scroll down the page for the download links.
Fewer chord changes with guitar
One thing to be noted with the super-quick chord changes from C to G7, back and forth: this works well on the piano in Deck the Halls, but is NOT so effective on the guitar.
The chord changes are just too fast. Play a C chord without changing, as you sing the melody, and see how it sounds. Perhaps you won't feel the need for more than one G7 chord in the first and second lines.
Download the lyrics!
Below, I have put the Christmas song lyrics to Deck the Halls in a downloadable PDF. I hope you and your students enjoy these free Christmas songs!
The newest lead sheet, with large print and a few alphanotes:
Download new lead sheet for beginners, with a few AlphaNotes
The links to the printable piano PDFs:
Download Deck the Halls for beginners in Middle C position
Download free Christmas songs Deck the Halls with doubled timing
Download Christmas piano sheet music with eighth notes
The lead sheet link:
Download Deck the Halls lead sheet
The guitar links:
Download Guitar tabs for Deck the Halls in C, high melody version
Guitar tabs for Deck the Halls in C, low melody version
The song lyrics:
Download Deck the Halls Christmas song lyrics
Dianna:
Your website is a light in the darkness. THANK YOU for all you do in helping to spread the love of music. It matters!
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And when they start reading white-key notes on the staff, this is a fun easy resource to say each week, "Choose a new black-key song at home this week and figure it out to show me next lesson!" They will be spending more time at the piano.
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Danielle Rosa Manning:
Just wanted you to know, I downloaded your Halloween music and the kids went bonkers for it. They loved having a bunch of easy pieces they could learn en masse, and were throwing each other little Halloween music parties at home. Thanks so much!
Alicia:
I just wanted to say THANK YOU!!!
I started teaching my kids music and am now teaching others. This is exactly what I was looking for!! Thank you!!
Becky:
A thousand thanks for your beginning piano and guitar songs.
I've already printed several for my children, including the Pretty Little Horses TAB and Carol of the Bells for piano. What a wonderful resource!
Comments
Do you have a funny story about this music, or does it remind you of something you'd like to share with other readers? Do you have a question? I'd love to hear it!
Please note that all comments are moderated, and will not appear until I have approved them. Also, IF YOU ARE ASKING FOR MUSIC THAT IS NOT IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN, YOUR REQUEST WILL BE IGNORED. That's pretty much any music written in the last 75 years...
About the Author
Hi, I'm Dana! (Say that like "Anna".) I'm the owner of Music-for-Music-Teachers.com, and a newer site, SingTheBibleStory.com.
Like some of you, I've been playing the piano since early childhood, and have added a few other instruments along the way, plus an interest in arranging and composing music.
You can find out more about me and the reason for this website at my About Me page.
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