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Jingle Bells Chord Chart by James PierpontWelcome to my Jingle Bells chord chart. Just in time for the holidays, right? Did you know Jingle Bells was actually written in my hometown of Medford, MA in 1850. Yep, it’s true. Along with “Over The River And Through The Woods”. I actually used to drive by “grandfather’s house” on an almost weekly basis. Cute little city with lots of history both good and bad. But enough fun facts about Lauren, let’s get into the actual song which is written here in the key of C. Jingle Bells Chords:C, F, G This means you will need to use either the F barre chord or the easier Fmaj7 chord.
Jingle Bells strumming PATTERN:Easy
Strumming: Harder Strumming: Jingle Bells Guitar Chord Lesson
Jingle Bells Beginner Guitar TAB Lesson Jingle Bells Chord ChartBy James PierpontWant neat and clean PDF printouts of Lauren’s Classic Christmas Songs? Check out her Christmas Classic Course. C C C C Find this website helpful? Support today.
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JOIN LAUREN ON FACEBOOK!Click on the Facebook icon to join Lauren's Beginner Guitar Lesson Facebook Group where you can ask questions and interact with Lauren and her staff live on Facebook. Tis the season for family gatherings and singalongs! Let’s have a look at some Jingle Bells chords! Over 250,000 guitar-learners get our world-class guitar tips & tutorials sent straight to their inbox: Click here to join them If you want to be a better guitarist click here for our guitar courses In this free lesson you will learn…
Winter Is Coming! Time For Some Jingle Bells Chords!Nobody is really ever ready for Christmas, but for musicians this is the time of year to dust off your holiday repertoire and get it arranged and prepared for the holiday party season.
There are an awful lot of people who could use a little warmth and cheer during the holidays, and this music gives you the ability to provide that!
Today’s awesome holiday tune is “Jingle Bells.” We’ll go over the “Jingle Bells” chords so that you can play and sing. We’ll check out some different ways to arrange the song to make it fun and interesting for you and your audience or fellow carolers. We will also figure out some ways to play the melody to “Jingle Bells” on the guitar in case you are called upon to take a solo!
Picking A Key For Playing Jingle Bells ChordsWhat makes “Jingle Bells” such a great holiday song is that EVERYONE knows it. Everyone has recorded it for a holiday album at some point. Here is a favorite version of ours by Gwen Stefani. Check out how Stefani went the extra mile and learned the verses nobody knows!
The song is associated with winter and Thanksgiving as much as the holiday season, and it was popular as a drinking song, the role of the jingle bells being played by the ice clinking in the singers’ drink glasses. To begin learning “Jingle Bells” chords, we’re just going to pick the key of G major because the chords are pretty easy to play and it’s a decent key for most people to sing in. Here are the “Jingle Bells” chords you’ll need to play it in the key of G. G (320003) (If you don't understand the above image please read our article "How To Read Guitar Chordboxes In 60 Seconds". It will make everything clear!) C (x32010) A7 (x02020) D (xx0232) If you are an absolute beginner to the guitar and some of these chords, particularly the G major and C major, are giving you a little trouble, never fear! We have some easier versions of those chords for you. Just check out these lessons. 4 Easy Ways to Play the G Chord Easy Ways to Play the C Guitar Chord
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✓ Stop struggling. Start making music. ✓ Learn 12 beginner-friendly versions of every chord. ✓ This is our most popular guide and it will improve your chord ability quickly. Our Guitar CoursesBecome a better guitarist: Click here to check out our guitar courses Jingle Bells Chords In The Chorus & VerseLet’s figure out the chorus to “Jingle Bells” first. It may be that this is the only part of the song you need, although the verse isn’t any more difficult to play or sing. Sometimes, particularly with the littles around, all you want is the main part of the song. Jingle Bells Chords: The ChorusThe “Jingle Bells” chords for the chorus goes like this:
If you’re a true beginner on the guitar, these are great chords to practice together because they appear together in songs all the time.
In “Jingle Bells,” that number is four, so each chord symbol stands for four beats. That’s why there are four Gs above the first line of lyrics, and each G is placed over the lyric you’re singing when the new measure starts.
How to Strum a Guitar How to Play In Time
“Jingle Bells” Chords: The VerseThe verse of “Jingle Bells” is the part that begins, “Dashing through the snow”. The same chords are involved in the verse and the chorus, but they are in slightly different order. Here are the “Jingle Bells” chords for the verse, along with the lyrics to the first verse, the one that almost everyone knows.
We’ll put all of that together, along with the extra verses, so you can make “Jingle Bells” your very own arrangement.
Jingle Bells Chords: The Entire SongWhether you’d like it short and sweet or an extended dance party version, these “Jingle Bells” chords and lyrics are everything you need to make your personal arrangement. Here’s a chord sheet, together with alternate verses.
To decide on a rhythm for your arrangement, decide how fast you’d like to play and sing “Jingle Bells.”
Some people play “Jingle Bells” with a swinging, bouncy rhythm, using the guitar to imitate the sound of the bells. Some people play it with a straighter rhythm, using the guitar to drive the song faster, imitating the speed of the sleigh.
Thinking about which role you’d like the guitar to play – the bells, the sleigh, the horses, the snow, the laughing – can often suggest a rhythm. Here are some examples. Michael Bublé’s drummer sounds like horses’ hooves. Frank Sinatra just goes ahead and uses sleigh bells. Classic! Ella Fitzgerald’s drummer is using a snowy-sounding ride cymbal, punctuated by the bell tones of the piano’s upper register. Herb Alpert’s introduction is a windy chorus, contrasted by the racing sleigh sound of the rhythm section.
Pro-Tip: Can’t decide on a rhythm? No sweat! You can try some of the rhythms presented in this lesson to get you going and inspire you. Strumming Patterns: 5 Essential Patterns Jingle Bells Chords: Other OptionsFun “Jingle Bells” fact: Today we learned that the original “Jingle Bells” chords weren’t the chords we know and love here in the 21st century! The original “Jingle Bells” melody was set to the same chord progression used in Pachelbel’s “Canon in D.” This installment of “Today I Learned” has been brought to you by Wikipedia! So far, we’ve been talking about Jingle Bells chords in the key of G, because they are fun and easy to play. Perhaps however, the key of G is not your cup of tea because those chords are not fun for you, or because it is not fun for you to sing “Jingle Bells” in that key. Here are a couple tips for getting the song into the key that you like: Transposing Jingle Bells Chords With A CapoGot a capo? It is the easiest way to get Jingle Bells chords from the key of G to the key you’d like it in. If the key of G is too low for your liking, try putting the capo on the second or third fret, and keep moving up until you find the key you like to sing in.
By transposing with a capo, you have the benefit of putting the song in a different key without having to learn or play any different chords. The Jingle Bells chords in the key of G work exactly the same way if you use a capo.
For more help with capos, check out this excellent introduction: How to Use a Capo in 3 Easy Steps Transposing Jingle Bells Chords Without A CapoThere are plenty of ways to arrange these Jingle Bells chords in and out of the key of G. Converting the key of G chords we are using into numbers, G is the I chord, A7 is the II chord, C is the IV chord, and D is the V chord.
This is not an exact method of transposition, but it works well enough with the guitar-friendly keys C, A, G, and D. With E, the other guitar-friendly key, you have to use an F#7 instead of an F7 for reasons best explained by your ears, or this amazing guitar lesson: Music Theory for Beginners: The 10-Step System for Rapid Progress.
Learning The MelodyNow that you’ve got a great handle on these Jingle Bells chords as well as the arrangement, you can add the melody and take a solo! Here’s the tablature for the melody of the “Jingle Bells” chorus in the key of G major.
If you’re interested in taking a solo through the verse, here is some tablature to get you started.
Pro-Tip: When playing for or with other people, it is helpful to extend your version of holiday songs by getting creative in the verses and choruses, making up verses for fun (please use your discretion for all “Batman smells”-related endeavors – read the room, people!). If you’re confident, taking a few solos is also a great way to extend your arrangement for as long as you like. You can always make up your own arrangements and versions of this song as well!
Download our lead guitar cheat-sheet to make things easierIt can be disorientating for guitarists to understand which scales work with which keys. With this in mind, we created a cheat-sheet; a key and scale-finder that you can use again and again. Our Guitar CoursesBecome a better guitarist: Click here for our guitar courses Working Your Jingle Bells Chords Into A MedleyOne last “Jingle Bells” tip before we leave you to it: Always Remember the Medley Option! We’ve learned the Jingle Bells chords in the key of G.
Starved for other song ideas for your medley or holiday set? The following is an incomplete list of songs you can add to your repertoire for the holidays! Winter Wonderland Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! All I Want for Christmas Is You Santa Claus Is Coming to Town Sleigh Ride Jingle Bell Rock Rocking Around the Christmas Tree Frosty the Snowman Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch Blue Christmas White Christmas I’ll Be Home for Christmas We Need a Little Christmas
Getting The Most Out Of Your Jingle Bells ChordsThe best way to learn, memorize, and continually improve your skills at playing these Jingle Bells chords is to get out there and play them!
Check with your local nursing homes, children’s programs or day cares, senior centers and residences, and pubs or bars to see whether they’d like to have you over there entertaining people during the holidays. Practice with a purpose! Many places love to have you volunteering to play for them during their group activity periods. Recommended ResourcesWe’ve got loads of free lesson content for you right here at the National Guitar Academy. Check out some more lessons below:
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