The holidays are the best time to play the recorder: the songs are well known, short and almost all fit the notes a beginner already knows. All these melodies are in the public domain. Below are the letter notes of each one, split by phrase, for soprano recorder (baroque fingering). 🎄 Christmas Challenge: play 5 of these songs by the 25th and earn a certificate. See how it works.
Jingle Bells (chorus)
By: J. L. Pierpont · Level: easy
B B B B B B
B D G A B
C C C C C B B B B B A A B A
D B B B B B B
B D G A B
C C C C C B B B B D D C A G
Silent Night
By: Franz Gruber (1818) · Level: easy
G A G E G A G E
D D B C C G
A A C B A G A G E
A A C B A G A G E
D D F D B C
E C G E G F D C
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
By: Traditional English · Level: medium
D G G A G F♯ E E E A A B A G F♯ D D B B C B A G E D D E A F♯ G
Good King Wenceslas
By: Piae Cantiones (1582) · Level: easy
G G G A G G D
E D E F♯ G
G G G G A G G D
E D E F♯ G
G D C B A B A G
E D E F♯ G
G D D E F♯ G G A
D C B A G
C G
O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)
By: John Francis Wade (18th century) · Level: medium
G G D G A
D B A B C B
A G G F♯ E F♯ G A B F♯
E D D
Joy to the World (opening)
By: Melody attributed to Handel, arr. Lowell Mason (1839) · Level: medium
C B A G F E D C G A A B B C
The First Noel
By: Traditional English · Level: medium
E D C D E F G
A B C B A G
A B C B A G A B C G F E
E D C D E F G
C B A A G
C B A G A B C G F E
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (opening)
By: Felix Mendelssohn (1840) · Level: medium
D G G F♯ G B B A D D D C B A B
D G G F♯ G B B A D A A F♯ F♯ E D
Deck the Halls
By: Traditional Welsh · Level: a bit harder
D C B A G A B G A B C A B A G F♯ G
D C B A G A B G A B C A B A G F♯ G
A B C A B C D A B C♯ D E F♯ G F♯ E D
D C B A G A B G E E E E D C B A G
Auld Lang Syne
By: Traditional Scottish · Level: medium
D G G G B A G A B G G B D E
E D B B G A G A B G E E D G
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest Christmas song on recorder?
Jingle Bells. The chorus uses only G, A, B, C and D.
What are the notes of Silent Night on recorder?
It starts G A G E, G A G E, D D B, C C G. The full notes are on this page and in the app.