It’s the holiday season! Another year has flown by and hopefully you’ve been practicing the piano, increasing your skills and the number of songs you can play. Now you’re getting in the Christmas mood, it’s the best time to set about learning new holiday songs on the piano, ready to impress for the festive season. Even if you are a complete beginner, Christmas piano songs are some of the easiest to learn as you probably already know them well. Let’s take a look at Skoove’s top 12 picks for best festive songs to learn, one for each day of Christmas!
Table of Contents:
- Jingle Bells
- Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
- Il est né, le Divin Enfant
- Feliz Navidad
- Rudolph, The Red-nosed Reindeer
- Santa Claus is Coming to Town
- Silent Night
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas
- Deck the Halls
- O Holy Night
- O Christmas Tree
- Away in a Manger
1. Jingle Bells – Traditional
Jingle all the way on piano! One of the easiest Christmas piano songs for beginners to learn is Jingle Bells.
Get into the holiday spirit! Try playing “Jingle Bells” in Skoove’s app now!
The song “Jingle Bells” was published in 1857 under the title One Horse Open Sleigh. The writer, James Pierpont, is said to have written it to be sung by a Sunday school choir. Although it had no connection to the Christmas season initially, it became linked to the festive season between 1860 and 1870.
Let’s dive into our Jingle Bells piano tutorial article —>
2. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee
This one is a holiday classic that will bring joy to anyone you play it for. Released by Brenda Lee when she was just 13, this song became an instant Christmas rock and roll hit. However, it didn’t get to number 1 on the Billboard charts until decades later, it only got there in the 2010s, proving its lasting popularity.
The bouncy rhythm and catchy melody make it a great piece for beginners who want to have a go at something more rhythmically stimulating. The left hand bass line is a great workout for your left hand. The right hand makes use of some fun chromatic movement.
3. Il est né, le Divin Enfant – Traditional
Get Christmasy! Have a go at playing “Il est né, le Divin Enfant” in Skoove’s app now!
This traditional French carol has a joyous character that makes it an undeniably festive and fun tune. This piece dates back to the 19th century, with lyrics that depict a nativity scene; it has a warm folk-like style. It was especially popular in both France and Quebec. Its simple melody makes it great for beginners, while the easy rhythm gives learners a chance to have fun with phrasing and expression.
4. Feliz Navidad – José Feliciano
I wanna wish you a merry Christmas! “Feliz Navidad” is one of the most cheery, catchy and fun Christmas songs to play on piano. With its repetitive structure and uplifting energy, it’s ideal for beginners building their confidence with chords and rhythm. It was written by José Feliciano in 1970, he recorded it in both Spanish and English making it an international hit. The song has since become a Christmas staple around the world and regularly re-enters the charts each holiday season. Give it a go today and spread festive cheer wherever you play it.
5. Rudolph, The Red-nosed Reindeer – Johnny Marks
It’s another one of the best Christmas songs on piano for beginners, it’s a jolly foot-tapping tune that is one of the most beloved by kids.
The song was written by Johnny Marks. He took the narrative of Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer from a story which happened to be written by his brother-in-law Robert L. May and made it into the tune we know today. It was recorded in 1949 and became the very first number one hit of the 1950’s. Interestingly, seventy years later it entered the charts again in December 2018. This tune offers lots of opportunity for beginners to experiment with playful dynamics and articulation.
6. Santa Claus is Coming to Town – J. Fred Coots
Feel the holiday magic! Play “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” in Skoove’s app now!
“Santa Claus is coming to town!” This is another great Christmas piano song to get feet tapping and people singing along with you. This arrangement is for slightly more experienced players, even if you are fairly new to playing piano, give it a go hands separately first and then try playing with both hands together. The effort is worth the reward to play this impressive beginners arrangement of this tune.
7. Silent Night – Franz Xaver Gruber
Get into the holiday spirit! Try playing “Silent Night” in Skoove’s app now!
Silent night? Let’s practice our quiet dynamics. One of the best piano Christmas songs ever, intermediate level players will certainly enjoy playing “Silent Night”. This beautiful traditional Christmas song for piano is a favorite for many as it evokes the peacefulness of Christmas day.
The words were written by Joseph Mohr in 1818, this familiar Christmas Carol was first performed in St Nicholas Parish Church in a small Austrian town. That Christmas eve, finding the organ out of action, Franz Xaver Gruber hastily composed the music so it could be accompanied by guitar. It’s a great song for beginners to practice their soft touch and quiet dynamics on the piano.
8. We Wish You a Merry Christmas – Traditional
Play your way to a merry Christmas! Learn “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” in Skoove’s app now!
Due to its simple melody and clear phrasing this cheerful classic is one of the first christmas tunes beginners learn to play. This piece originated in the west country, England, during the 16th century when caroling door to door was popular. This tune gives some great opportunity for experimentation with contrasting feelings between musical phrases.
9. Deck the Halls – Traditional
It’s that time of year again! Try playing “Deck the Halls” in Skoove’s app now!
This one’s a lively tune with lots of energy, perfect for beginners. The main melody comes from a 16th-century Welsh tune Nos Galan. The English lyrics we are all familiar with were written in the 19th century by Scottish musician Thomas Oliphant. The famous “fa-la-la” lyric helps singers stay on pitch. This makes it not only festive but fun to sing and play as well. As a beginner you can try singing along to help with your timing and phrasing.
10. O Holy Night – Traditional
Feel the holiday magic! Play “O Holy Night” in Skoove’s app now!
This piece is one of the most powerful and emotional carols that we have on this list. “O Holy Night” is perfect for intermediate players and beginners who are looking to develop their expressive control. It was composed in 1847 by Adolphe Adama and was originally written in French and later translated into English. The beautiful sweeping melody encourages careful attention to dynamics and tone detail, give it a go today.
11. O Christmas Tree – Traditional
Decorate the season with music! Try playing “O Christmas Tree” in Skoove’s app now!
Also known as O Tannenbaum in the original German this gentle, flowing carol is known for its calm and beautiful melody. This beautiful piece came from a 16th-century German folk song about the fir tree. Over the years the lyrics evolved, as the evergreen tree became a symbol of enduring faith this song became a Christmas classic. This song is great for beginners as the predictably set praising is great for developing a sense of flow, feeling and cadence in your playing.
12. Away in a Manger – Traditional
Time to play a quiet tune! Try playing “Away in a Manger” in Skoove’s app now!
This peaceful lullaby is perfect for beginners and to end our list. Learning to shape soft, lyrical melodies is a great skill for any piano player. The slow tempo and simple harmony makes this piece great for learners wanting to develop more musical playing. Interestingly the words were published in the 19th century with the melody often being attributed to composer William J. Kirkpatrick. Give this piece a go today and let the festive season be a time of learning and developing your piano skills.
Discover the Christmas spirit with the Skoove app
That’s our list, one tune to play for each day of Christmas. There are so many popular Christmas songs to learn on piano and as we have seen many are easy songs that are great for beginner or intermediate players. Want more songs to learn? Get Skoove, it’s the best way to access piano sheet music and expand your repertoire all rolled into one brilliant piano app. Keep practicing and happy holidays!
Author of this blog post:
Susana Pérez Posada
With over seven years of piano education and a deep passion for music therapy, Susana brings a unique blend of expertise to Skoove. A graduate in Music Therapy from SRH Hochschule Heidelberg and an experienced classical pianist from Universidad EAFIT, she infuses her teaching with a holistic approach that transcends traditional piano lessons. Susana’s writings for Skoove combine her rich musical knowledge with engaging storytelling, enriching the learning experience for pianists of all levels. Away from the piano, she loves exploring new places and immersing herself in a good book, believing these diverse experiences enhance her creative teaching style.
