Christmas is among the world’s most joyous and merry festivals. Besides being a holiday for giving and receiving gifts, it is also the ideal time to travel to see families and relatives.
Wouldn’t it be lovely to amaze them by performing a Christmas song you can all join along because this is a season for gatherings? The best way you can surprise your family is to sing and play their favorite Christmas songs. Reliving about the good times you had with one another would be a superb idea to strengthen your relationship.
Apart from being a guitarist of ten years, I am also a self-proclaimed history buff. Understanding your favorite Christmas song’s history is another way to embrace the holiday spirit.
You’ve come to the perfect place if you’re seeking easy guitar Christmas songs you can perform for your folks. I have also added engaging history facts to make your read an interesting one.
It is time to wow your relatives with your guitar skills and your historical facts.
What is Christmas Music?
Every year, it starts getting broadcast around the middle of November and moves its way until the first day of the new year before disappearing for the whole 47-day cycle of the next year.
However, despite having a short life span, Christmas music is perhaps the oldest popular music that we are aware of.
Many of the songs we take for granted are actually quite old, dating back to the carol boom of the 19th century and the 1930 development of the pop song.
There are countless CDs on the market with track lists that are nearly similar. Occasionally, it seems like there are only a handful or so Christmas songs in reality.
However, it doesn’t appear to keep people from buying the same records year after year. Surprisingly, the constant loop of Christmas music is its strongest point.
What is Christmas Chord?
Christmas music causes us to feel incredibly joyful, and it all has to do with a bit of music theory.
A chord is three or more notes performed together. It might amaze you to find that a lot of the most well-known songs contain simple chord progressions. A chord progression is a group of chords strung together to create a melody.
Certain chords are frequently used in Christmas songs, but one shines out from the others, that is, the D-minor 7 flat 5 chord.
Actually, it’s just an intensive diminished chord that cheers us up.
However, can a single chord have that great of an impact on a song?
15 Christmas Songs for Absolute Beginners and Kids
Here are 15 of the finest and easiest Christmas songs on guitar that you should pick up to improve your ability. Tryout this collection of simple Christmas tunes to quickly figure out how to perform them!
1. James Lord Pierpont’s Jingle Bells
Jingle Bells is the opening jingle in our playlist. Indeed, this timeless melody is one of the most popular holiday music on the planet. It’s upbeat tempo and happy lyrics make it so popular.
The song was first released in 1857 by James Lord Pierpont. Over the decades, it has been performed in many different variations. The Dean Martin edition is the one closest to my heart.
This song talks about the noise horses make when it’s cold outside. In the past, these horses’ collars were fitted with bells that would tinkle to warn neighboring passengers and coaches within reach. This was a safety precaution against accidents, which were more frequent during winters.
I am sure that your entire family will enjoy it since this is such a famous tune.
2. We Wish You A Merry Christmas by Anonymous
One of the most effortless Christmas guitar melodies for beginners is We Wish You a Merry Christmas. You won’t meet a person who hasn’t listened to this because it is one of the earliest choruses we know.
Although the carol’s origins are still unknown, the beautiful greeting was well-liked long before it was recorded in the eighteenth century. Arthur Warrell, a Bristol-based composer, popularized this song. It is an honest gesture to welcome people to this beautiful celebration.
Additionally, this hymn can welcome your loved ones throughout the holiday season.
>>>Learn We Wish You a Merry Christmas Chords
Another well-liked option among the top beginners’ Christmas guitar songs is Feliz Navidad.
Jose Feliciano wrote the melody in 1970 when it first appeared. In English, Feliz Navidad means Merry Christmas. This song is packed with verses expressing the writer’s heartfelt welcome to everyone.
Feliciano acknowledged feeling lonely for being far from his loved ones during such a significant event. He also said the song was composed in his mother-tongue Spanish to honor his Puerto Rican heritage. And that expressed just how unique this Christmas song is.
4. Thomas Oliphant’s Deck the Halls
Deck the Halls is another classic Christmas song that continues to be popular every festive period. This music captures the pure joy of the holiday with its peppy melody and lighthearted lyrics.
The song’s tune was originally part of the sixteenth-century Welsh New Year’s carol “Nos Galan.” But Thomas Oliphant’s composition of the English lyrics as we know them now dates back to 1862.
Dazzle your loved ones with this music. This is among the simplest Christmas carols for amateurs to learn on the guitar.
5. Wham’s Last Christmas
Last Christmas is usually thought of when we imagine the Christmas songs that have been covered the most times.It is one of the easier Christmas guitar tunes you can learn to play.
Although it is a pop song by the British group Wham!, Last Christmas became a seasonal classic because of its uplifting words and appealing rhythm. Despite being a ballad about loss, a portion of it encourages us to believe that we could find new romance during such a joyful time of year.
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The duo Wham! first released it in 1984 and has remained an Xmas success ever since. Famous singers like Ashley Tisdale, Ariana Grande, and Carly Rae Jepsen have covered it. it was played in the popular musical TV show Glee. That is how well-liked it is.
You can play the song with a capo on the second fret. The song’s repetitive chord progression shows how easy it is.
6. Johnny Marks’ Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
Besides Jingle Bells, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a timeless holiday tune ideal for those learning to play Christmas carols on the guitar.
It tells the tale of Santa’s rosy-nosed reindeer and how they helped protect Christmas. And on such a joyful occasion, who wouldn’t like such a touching tale?
Johnny Marks was the author of the actual track, first made public in 1949. Interestingly, the famous figure from the tale Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, created by his brother-in-law, served as the muse.
Even now, kids and grownups like listening to this song around December. It’s also one of the most well-known three-chord Christmas melodies.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: A, D, and E
7. Franz Xaver Gruber and Joseph Mohr’s Silent Night
Silent Night is a brilliant option to perform a more peaceful song.
This simple Christmas carol is one of the earliest songs on our playlist, with a lyric by Joseph Mohr and a tune by Franz Xaver Gruber created in 1818. Their mother-tongue was German then, but John Freeman Young rewrote it into English in 1859.
Since it describes the holy night when Jesus Christ was born, Silent Night is a song that is meaningful to many different faiths. Socially speaking, UNESCO acknowledged its value in 2011 and designated it a unique cultural treasure.
Silent Night is still one of the most fantastic Christmas melodies ever written after over two hundred years.
8. The First Noel by Anonymous
The First Noel is certainly one of the finest acoustic guitar Christmas tunes, if not the greatest. Acoustic guitar also contributes to the heartfelt tone this melody wishes to convey.
This song, The First Noel, is a classic English carol with Cornish roots. Its writer’s identity has been unknown throughout history, but a written version became common in the 1800s.
Since then, other prominent singers, including Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis, and Gabby Barrett, have recorded renditions of the song, making it a well-known Christmas theme.
9. Jay W. Johnson and Bill Hayes’ Blue Christmas
Blue Christmas is another quiet song that is ideal for acoustic guitar playing. Anyone who has suffered grief in such a joyous month will connect to this song’s soothing melody and blue lyrics.
Bill Hayes and Jay W. Johnson wrote Blue Christmas in 1948. However, it wasn’t until Elvis’ 1957 recording of the song that it got immense recognition. Elvis Presley gave the tune a unique country flavor that helped fans connect with the song’s lost love theme. This tune is relatively easy for anyone with even basic guitar playing ability.
10. Charles Wesley’s Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing is another English holiday song that makes it onto our playlist.
This carol’s actual words and musical arrangement were initially printed in 1739. It was included in a book named Hymns and Sacred Poems and is credited to Charles Wesley.
It is known as a thanksgiving hymn in many faiths since it features an angelic chorus chanting prayers to the Almighty. Its religious value is a big part of why it has remained so trendy over the years.
11. Irving Berlin’s White Christmas
White Christmas has a particular place in our thoughts whenever we think about Christmas guitar tunes. Apart from the music’s soothing melody, which exactly fits the sentimental lyrics, there’s something romantic about it that transports us back to our younger years.
The song was created by Irving Berlin in 1942 for the Holiday Inn movie’s music. During the same year, it even won an Academy Award for Best Original Song. That shows how popular it was at the time.
Bing Crosby’s remix has become one of the most well-known ones today. Indeed, Crosby’s rendition became the best-selling single on the planet after selling more than 50 million copies globally.
It is not unexpected that this prize-winning song is among the finest Christmas tunes for guitar. Master this song in time for the holiday and wow the entire family in the process.
12. Bryan Adam and Jim Vallance’s Christmas Time
Bryan Adams’ Christmas Time is a traditional holiday classic. The song, written in 1985 by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, has upbeat lyrics about a joyful and friendly Christmas festivity.
The lines are brought back to life by the song, which brings back fond memories of family gatherings at this festive time. It thus becomes my favorite Christmas tune.
Thankfully, you can perform this song for your folks every holiday season.
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Read How To Play Gminor On Guitar to find out.
13. J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie’s Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town
As children, we frequently relate Christmas to this song. That is why, this song lives rent-free in our hearts.
This joyful Christmas classic is credited to Haven Gillespie and J. Fred Coots. Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town was famously released in 1934. Its popularity has been the basis of several adaptations over the decades, with Bruce Springsteen’s rock rendition being our favorite.
It will enable you to share old memories with your loved ones over the following Christmas.
14. Walter Afanasieff and Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You
All I Want for Christmas is You is another popular song that finds its way into our hearts and minds every Winter.
Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff collaborated on the writing of this song, which was initially made public in 1994. Carey was dubbed the “Queen of Christmas” due to the song’s enormous success. The music has inspired several pop culture versions, which has helped make it a staple of every Christmas.
The song’s upbeat lyrics and beautiful tune make you think about the Christmas season. The song’s barre chord structure makes it slightly tricky to complete beginners. However, with a bit of guitar practice, it is still pretty simple to play for anyone.
15. Johnny Marks’ A Holly Jolly Christmas
The last song is A Holly Jolly Christmas. It is simple to understand why this song is among the easiest Christmas guitar songs for beginners with its laid-back acoustic guitar composition.
Johnny Marks wrote this song in 1962, but it wasn’t until 1964 that it became a great hit. This is due to Burl Ives’ distinctive voice, which wonderfully expressed the song’s background storyline.
FAQs
What makes a good Christmas song?
Most outstanding Christmas carols combine a major key and uplifting pace to keep things vibrant and joyful. A study by the Berklee College of Music found that 95% of well-known festive tunes are composed in primary keys and have an ordinary rhythm of 115 beats per minute. They’re lively, joyful, and entertaining to hear.
What are the four ghosts in A Christmas Carol?
On Christmas Eve, Ebenezer Scrooge receives visits from four ghosts in Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol: Jacob Marley, as well as the ghosts of Christmases past, present, and future.
Which keys are majorly found in Christmas songs?
Christmas carols generally have frequent high notes and sound better if you can sing them in the key higher than D or G.
What makes a song sound like a Christmas song?
Adding minor and diminished chords to a song that is generally in a major key, or even switching the key serves to heighten the festive atmosphere.
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Conclusion
You can learn a tonne of various Christmas songs that you can perform before your loved ones on the big day.
When you pull out your instrument and choose a few songs from the collection above, everyone will start rejoicing along with you.