19 Easy Christmas Guitar Songs

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Easy Christmas Guitar Songs

Looking for some easy Christmas guitar songs to learn? The big day is edging closer yet again, so why not get a head start on your festive repertoire?

I’ve put together 19 Christmas songs that are sure to be a hit at family gatherings this year, sorted from easiest to hardest. Each one lists the key, the chords, any capo you’ll need, and a link to the full chord sheet.

Most songs also come with a video lesson. Where the full version gets tricky, I’ve picked a simplified version that’s much friendlier for beginners.

If you just want somewhere to start:

  • Easiest song: Joy to the World. Three chords (G, D, and C) and you’re done!
  • Best for kids: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The chorus uses just two chords.
  • Best for showing off: Jingle Bell Rock, thanks to that famous guitar lick.
  • Biggest challenge: The Christmas Song. Eighteen jazz chords, so maybe save this one for last…

Merry Christmas everybody!

Christmas Song Chords at a Glance

Here’s every song in the list with its key and chords, from easiest to hardest. For the longer songs, I’ve listed the main chords you’ll use most.

SongLevelKeyChords
Joy to the WorldVery EasyGG, D, C
Feliz NavidadVery EasyGG, C, D, Em
Silent NightEasyGG, D, D7, G7, C, Em
Jingle BellsEasyGG, C, Am, D, D7, A7
Last ChristmasEasyD (capo 2)C, Am, Am7, Dm, G, G7
Deck the HallsEasyDD, Bm, A, A7, E7, G
We Wish You a Merry ChristmasEasyCC, F, D, G, E7, Am, Em
Santa Claus Is Coming to TownEasyGG, C, Em, Am7, D, D7, G7, A7
Frosty the SnowmanEasyGG, C, D, D7, Em, Am, Bm, Dbdim
Rudolph the Red-Nosed ReindeerEasyGG, C, D, D7, Em, Am7, Bm7, A, A7
White ChristmasEasyGG, Gsus4, C, Cm, D, D7, Am, Em, G7
Rockin’ Around the Christmas TreeEasyAb (capo 1)G, Em, C, D, D7, Am7, Bm + 4 more
Blue ChristmasEasyEE, E7, A, B, B7 + 9 more
Happy Xmas (War Is Over)IntermediateAA, D, E, Bm, Em, G, E7 + sus chords
All I Want for Christmas Is YouIntermediateGG, Em, C, D + 10 more
Have Yourself a Merry Little ChristmasIntermediateGG, Em7, Am7, D7, B7 + 12 more
Driving Home for ChristmasIntermediateAA, D, E, Bm, F#m + 10 more
Jingle Bell RockIntermediateDD, G, A7, Em, E7, B7 + 17 more
The Christmas SongAdvancedDbDb6, Ebm7, Fm7, Gbmaj7, Ab7 + 13 more

Easiest Christmas Guitar Songs for Beginners

These two need nothing more than a handful of open chords, so they’re perfect if you’ve only been playing for a short time.

1. Joy To The World – Traditional

This one goes way back to 1719, when an English minister named Isaac Watts wrote the words. Perfect for all you carolers!

The tune is usually credited to Handel, although nobody is quite sure how much of it he actually wrote.

As far as Christmas guitar songs go, they really don’t come much easier than this one! It’s the only three-chord song on this list, and all three are beginner-friendly open chords.

Here’s a great video lesson that teaches Joy To The World in all of its glory.

If you’re feeling adventurous, check out the incredible instrumental version by the great Steve Morse. You’ll find it on the Christmas guitar album Merry Axemas.

2. Feliz Navidad – José Feliciano

Feliz Navidad sounds like a traditional carol, but José Feliciano actually wrote it in 1970. He was in a Los Angeles studio at the time, homesick and missing his family back in New York.

It’s now one of the most downloaded and most played Christmas songs in the US and Canada.

It’s one of the easiest songs on this list, with just four simple chords repeated in the same order for almost the whole song.

Check out the video below for an easy walkthrough of Feliz Navidad.

Easy Christmas Guitar Songs

A few more chords to learn here, and the odd barre chord, but nothing a few evenings of practice won’t fix. Most of these also have a simplified video version if you’re just starting out.

3. Silent Night – Franz Xaver Gruber

Silent Night started life in Austria in 1818. Franz Xaver Gruber, a village schoolmaster and church organist, wrote the melody, and a young priest named Joseph Mohr wrote the words.

Over 200 years later, it’s still one of the most recorded Christmas songs ever.

It’s a slow song with only six chords, which makes it one of the most straightforward Christmas songs to pick up on guitar.

If you’re just starting out, the video below teaches a simplified version of Silent Night using just three easy chords.

4. Jingle Bells – Traditional

Arguably the best known of all Christmas songs! Jingle Bells is super easy to learn and is sure to get the whole family singing along under the tree.

Funnily enough, it had nothing to do with Christmas when it was published in 1857 as “The One Horse Open Sleigh.” It only became a festive standard over the following decades.

It isn’t necessary, but it’s common to play this one with a capo on the 3rd fret. Not sure what a capo is? Learn more in my complete capo guide.

The video below teaches a simplified version of Jingle Bells that uses only three easy chords. Perfect for beginners!

5. Last Christmas – Wham!

Released in 1984, Last Christmas is one of those festive pop hits that’s become part of the season itself.

Incredibly, it didn’t reach number one in the UK until New Year’s Day 2021, a full 36 years after it first came out.

Last Christmas is very straightforward to learn on guitar. The chord sheet above uses a capo on the 2nd fret. You can play it without one if you don’t have a capo, the song will just sound a whole step lower.

The video below shows an even easier four-chord version that’s perfect for new players. He uses the capo on the 4th fret to make it easier to sing, but you can keep it on the 2nd, or skip it altogether.

6. Deck The Halls – Traditional

The melody of Deck the Halls is Welsh. It was first published in 1794, although it’s probably much older than that. The English lyrics we sing today came later, written by Scottish musician Thomas Oliphant in 1862.

The chords are fairly easy, with the possible exception of that B minor barre. The catch is that some of the chord changes come thick and fast, so give yourself a little time to get them smooth.

If you’re struggling with the full version, give the video below a shot. It uses a capo on the 2nd fret and simplifies the chords to make the song a little easier.

7. We Wish You A Merry Christmas – Traditional

Another classic carol, and the reason so many of us know what figgy pudding is. Or at least that it exists. We Wish You A Merry Christmas is a traditional English carol, and it’s still a caroling favorite today.

This is the only song on the list played in the key of C.

The one really tricky chord for beginners is that F major barre. You could change key to avoid it, but you’ll need to master it at some point, so why not now?

If you’d rather learn it from a video lesson, here’s a great version of We Wish You A Merry Christmas from JustinGuitar!

8. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town – Jackson 5

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town was first published in 1934, but you probably know it best from The Jackson 5’s version from 1970.

Plenty of other artists have covered it since, including The Supremes, Bruce Springsteen, Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé.

It has eight chords, but they’re all simple open chords, so this Christmas classic is very easy to learn on guitar.

Check out the YouTube video below for a great explanation of how to play it.

9. Frosty The Snowman – Gene Autry

Here’s another one that’s sure to go down a treat with the kids. Gene Autry recorded Frosty the Snowman in 1950, after his huge success with Rudolph the year before. The songwriters wrote it specifically hoping to give him another seasonal hit.

Frosty is fairly easy to learn on guitar. The two chords that might slow newer players down are the B minor barre and the Dbdim (also called C#dim), a quick passing chord that leads into the D.

If either of those gives you trouble, the tutorial video below has a simplified version of the song.

10. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer – Johnny Marks

Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer is a brilliant, upbeat song that you absolutely must learn if you have kids!

Rudolph himself was created in 1939 by Robert L. May, as a story for the department store Montgomery Ward. Johnny Marks turned it into a song 10 years later, and Gene Autry’s 1949 recording went to number one in the US that Christmas.

There’s a good number of chords here, but they’re all very easy!

The hardest section is the intro (which you can totally skip!). Once you’re past that it’s plain sailing, and the chorus uses just two simple chords.

Here’s a great video lesson that shows the chords and strumming patterns in real time.

11. White Christmas – Irving Berlin

Wait, Irving who? That’s right, White Christmas was written by Irving Berlin for the 1942 film Holiday Inn. You probably know it best from Bing Crosby’s version, though!

Crosby’s recording has sold an estimated 50 million physical copies, and Guinness World Records lists it as the best-selling single of all time.

This one is a little harder than most of the songs above, as it has more chords and some fairly quick chord changes.

It should still be very easy to master for most players! If you’re really new to guitar, though, try the simplified version of White Christmas below, which uses some easier beginner-friendly chords.

12. Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee

Johnny Marks (yep, the Rudolph guy!) wrote this one too, and Brenda Lee recorded it in 1958.

Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree had sold over 15 million copies by 2008, and in December 2023 it finally hit number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, 65 years after it was released. I don’t know about you, but every time I hear it I’m transported back to the party scene in Home Alone!

Don’t let the key of Ab put you off. With a capo on the 1st fret, you’re just playing familiar G-shape chords, and the B minor barre is the only really tricky one. You can also skip the capo if you don’t mind sounding a half step lower.

There are still quite a few chords to learn, so if you’re a total beginner, the video lesson below teaches a more beginner-friendly version of the song.

13. Blue Christmas – Elvis Presley

This rock and roll holiday classic was first recorded by Doye O’Dell in 1948, but the best-known version is undoubtedly Elvis Presley’s from 1957.

Blue Christmas is a heartbroken tale of spending the holidays without the one you love. Cheery stuff!

  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Tuning: Standard (EADGBE)
  • Key: E
  • Chords Used: E, E7, A, B, B7, F#, A7, D, D7, G, G7, C, C7, F
  • Chord Sheet: Blue Christmas guitar chords

That’s a long list of chords, but the song is built around E, A and B7, which are about as beginner-friendly as chords get. Just be aware that it does include a couple of barre chords.

If you’d like to avoid those tricky barre chords, here’s a great video lesson with an easier version of the song.

Intermediate Christmas Guitar Songs

These songs step things up with more chords, a few barre chords and some jazzier shapes. Each one still comes with a simplified video version if you’re not quite there yet.

14. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – John Lennon

Happy Xmas was John Lennon’s seventh single outside of his work with The Beatles. It came out in the US in 1971, but publishing problems held up the UK release until 1972, when it reached number four.

A little trivia for you: as well as being a festive standard, it’s a protest song against the Vietnam War. It grew out of John and Yoko’s 1969 campaign of “WAR IS OVER! If You Want It” billboards in 12 cities around the world. It’s also arguably the most recognizable acoustic guitar Christmas song of them all.

  • Difficulty: Intermediate
  • Tuning: Standard (EADGBE)
  • Key: A
  • Chords Used: A, D, E, Bm, Em, G, E7, plus Asus2, Asus4, Bsus2, Bsus4, Dsus2, Dsus4, Esus2, Esus4, Emadd9 and Emmaj7
  • Chord Sheet: Happy Xmas (War Is Over) guitar chords

Don’t panic at the length of that list. Most of those sus chords are small finger changes on top of shapes you already know. The real challenges are the B minor barre and a couple of stretches that newer players might find awkward.

Check out the excellent video tutorial from YouTube legend Marty Schwartz below.

15. All I Want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey released this up-tempo Christmas standard in 1994, and it has since sold over 16 million copies worldwide.

Believe it or not, All I Want For Christmas Is You didn’t reach number one in the US until 2019. That’s a record 25-year wait!

The song is built around four easy chords, but if you want to play it as close to the original as possible, all those slash chords and minor sixths make it a lot trickier than most songs on this list.

However! Beginners can check out the excellent video below, which teaches a simplified version using fewer and easier chords.

16. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – Judy Garland

My partner would have killed me if I’d left this one out! This most gorgeous of Christmas songs made its debut in the 1944 musical Meet Me in St. Louis, sung by Judy Garland.

Frank Sinatra recorded it in 1948, then again in 1957. The second time he asked songwriter Hugh Martin to make the lyrics a bit more cheerful, which is why you’ll hear two slightly different versions of the words.

There are a lot of chords to learn here, including a couple of barre chords. But it’s a slow song, which gives you plenty of time to get between them.

Below is a lovely fingerstyle version that’s been arranged specifically for beginners. If you’re not comfortable with fingerstyle yet, you can always just strum the chords instead!

17. Driving Home For Christmas – Chris Rea

This radio station favorite first appeared in 1986 as a B-side. Chris Rea re-recorded Driving Home For Christmas in 1988, but at the time it only reached number 53 in the UK.

It’s been one of those slow burners ever since. The song has re-entered the UK charts every Christmas since 2007, and it eventually made the top 10.

  • Difficulty: Intermediate
  • Tuning: Standard (EADGBE)
  • Key: A
  • Chords Used: A, D, E, Bm, F#m, plus Amaj9, Dmaj7, D6, Gmaj7, Esus4, Em9, Bm7, F#m7, C#m and C#m7
  • Chord Sheet: Driving Home For Christmas guitar chords

The chord sheet above uses a good number of different chords, including four barre chords.

The video lesson below from JustinGuitar still uses those barre chords, but it does simplify parts of the song for newer players.

18. Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms

Jingle Bell Rock was released by Bobby Helms in 1957, and it’s become one of the best-known electric guitar Christmas songs.

Those famous guitar licks were played by Nashville session guitarist Hank Garland. Both Helms and Garland claimed until their dying days that they wrote the song, although neither of them ever got the credit. Hall & Oates had a go at it in 1983, but the Helms original is still the definitive version.

  • Difficulty: Intermediate
  • Tuning: Standard (EADGBE)
  • Key: D
  • Chords Used: D, G, A7, Em, E7, B7, plus Dmaj7, D6, D7, A, Gm, E, C, Cmaj7, C6, Dm, G7, F, Fm, Amaj7, A6, Bm and B
  • Chord Sheet: Jingle Bell Rock guitar chords

With 23 chords, this one has more than any other song on the list. The full version is a better fit for intermediate players.

However! If you’re still new to guitar, the video below teaches an easier version of the song with beginner-friendly chords.

One for the Advanced Players

19. The Christmas Song – Nat King Cole

You might know this one better as “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.” Robert Wells and Mel Tormé wrote it in 1945, with Tormé dating it to July of all months!

The Nat King Cole Trio first recorded The Christmas Song in 1946, and Cole re-recorded it several times after that. His 1961 version is the one most people regard as definitive.

  • Difficulty: Advanced
  • Tuning: Standard (EADGBE)
  • Key: Db
  • Chords Used: Db6, Ebm7, Fm7, Gbmaj7, Ab7, plus Abm7, Bbm7, Gm7, Db7, Gb7, Eb7, Fmaj7, F#m7, Emaj7, B7, B9, D9 and E9
  • Chord Sheet: The Christmas Song guitar chords

This is definitely not one for beginners. It’s 18 jazz chords, many of them barre shapes, in a key that guitarists rarely play in. But it’s such a classic that I had to include it!

Tip: if all those flats are scaring you off, put a capo on the 1st fret and play it in C instead. It sounds exactly the same, and most chord sites have a transpose button that will do the conversion for you.

If you’re feeling adventurous, the tutorial video below has an excellent jazzy rendition of the song that’s absolutely delicious. Super impressive if you can nail it, so grab the chords and make Santa proud!

Easy Christmas Guitar Songs FAQ

What is the easiest Christmas song to play on guitar?

Joy to the World is probably the easiest Christmas song on guitar, as it uses just three simple chords: G, D and C. Most players should be able to learn it in a matter of minutes! Feliz Navidad is a close second, with just four chords.

Do you need a capo to play Christmas songs on guitar?

No. Most of the songs on this list don’t need one at all. Last Christmas and Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree use a capo to match the original recordings, but you can play both without one. They’ll just sound a little lower.

What Christmas song has a guitar solo?

Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms is a great rockabilly-style festive song, thanks to those famous licks from session guitarist Hank Garland. Everyone knows them, and they’re simple enough that most players can learn them quickly.

Hope you found a few easy Christmas songs to add to your setlist this year. Happy Holidays and have a Merry Christmas!

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