How to play jingle bells on the keyboard

Print off this Jingle Bells Very Easy Piano Sheet Music at the bottom of the page for free! Then follow the step by step beginners piano lesson plan for how to play this Christmas essential in no time at all!

Table of Contents Show

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Right Hand Tune
Take Each Phrase At A Time
Left Hand Chords
Take Your Time
Print off the Jingle Bells Very Easy Piano Sheet Music by clicking here or on the image below.

This is the best loved and most famous of all Christmas songs. It appeals to everyone of all ages and nothing announces the arrival of the Christmas season better than a jolly rendition!

Jingle Bells is a very easy tune to play on the piano so it’s perfect for beginners to be able to grasp quite early on. The tune is so well known and it’s repetitive pattern and small five note range makes it a perfect piece for young players with small hands.

Very young ones can just play the melody line with the right hand alone. You can add the left hand later on, when the child is ready to play both hands together. This Jingle Bells very easy piano sheet music is simplified slightly as it’s designed with beginners in mind.

If you are new to the piano, before attempting to play this, check out my First Piano Lessons eBook . It’s the kid friendly way to introduce the basic concepts of fingering, rhythm and notation. The lessons and exercises in the eBook introduce children to playing the piano in a fun, engaging way.

Have you tried our First Piano Lessons eBook?

Our best-selling eBook the perfect introduction to piano for your little one.

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Right Hand Tune

Teach the right hand first and don’t attempt to add the left hand until they can play the R.H easily.

1. Sing the song together, while clapping the rhythm at the same time. Take a fairly slow tempo.

2. Play the tune to the child while they sing along, if the child can read the words, suggest they point to the words on the music as they sing.

3. Explain that the R.H plays the top line and that there are four beats in the bar. Ask the child to place their R.H in position with 1 (thumb) on middle C. Talk the child through the fingering of the first phrase, touching gently each finger in the correct order that they should play.

Take Each Phrase At A Time

4. Ask the child to play the first phrase slowly, count 4 beats in, and point at the notes as they play them. Play it twice through.

5. Add each phrase in the same way, breaking it up into small chunks makes it easier to grasp.

6. Finally see if they can manage to play the whole piece. Make sure they don’t try to go too fast and point to the notes as they play, helping them with the fingering if they get stuck. Encourage them to keep going and make very light of any mistakes. Give lots of praise and encouragement!

7. Once the R.H is mastered you can move on to the L.H but most beginners are happy to play it with one hand for a while, or as a duet with their teacher.

Left Hand Chords

8. This may be the first time that they have had a new position for the L.H, so spend a little time getting used to the C below middle C. Explain that the L.H is in the same place as the R.H but one octave lower. This is covered in my lesson Easiest Way to Learn the Notes by practising note hopping.

9. First demonstrate playing the three notes C,E & G together with fingers 5 ,3 &1 . Explain that when the notes are played together they make a chord. Then ask the child to have a go, this might take a little practise at first, explain that it is a bit tricky but will get easier. If the 3 notes at once are too difficult, then miss out the middle note E, and just play C & G with 5 & 1.

10. Point out that the chord is played on the first beat of the bar, each time on the word Jingle. Invite the child to play the L.H while you play the R.H. Once they have got the hang of the chord, the rest seems relatively easy – but don’t expect them to grasp it all in one lesson.

Take Your Time

11. Explain the left hand rhythm on the word “way” (bars 4 & 12) as “1 off! 3 off!” as this explains the crotchet (1/4 note) rests. Play the rest of the left hand phrase by phrase, with fingers 1-5-1 moving only on the first beat of the bar. Point out the clashing 2 &1 minims (1/2 notes) played both at once in bars 13 & 15 and ask if they like them – and then if it sounds good when it goes back to the friendly old C chord at the end!

12. Practise the song together as a duet, taking turns to play both left and right hands until they find it easy . The child will want to attempt to play both hands together soon enough, but it should be all their idea!