19 Easy Christmas Carols for Harmonica | Traditional Christmas Song Tabs for Blues Harp
Updated: Dec 8, 2023
Hello! I absolutely love Christmas songs. If you're like me, the great news is that Christmas songs play really well on harmonica. I've taught lots of cheesy Xmas chart hits before (check them out here) but sometimes it's nice to play a traditional carol on the harmonica. Here's some really easy beginner tabs to get your started! Click here for a free tab guide.
1. Away in a Manger
6 7 7 -8 8 7 7
Away in a-a manger
8 -9 9 9 -10 -9
No-o crib for a bed
-8 8 -9 -9 9 8 8
Th-e little Lord Jesus
7 8 -8 -6 7 -7
La-id down His sweet head
6 7 7 -8 8 7 7
The stars in th-e bright sky
8 -9 9 9 -10 -9
Loo-ked down where He lay
-8 8 -9 -9 9 8 8
Th-e little Lord Jesus
7 8 -8 -6 -7 7
A-a-sleep on the hay
2. Deck the Halls
6 -5 5 -4 4 -4 5 4
Deck the halls with boughs of holly
-4 5 -5 -4 5 -4 4 -3 4
Fa la la la la , la la la la
6 -5 5 -4 4 -4 5 4
Tis the season to be jolly
-4 5 -5 -4 5 -4 4 -3 4
Fa la la la la, la la la la
-4 5 -5 -4 5 -5 6 -4
Don we now our gay apparel
5 -5 6 -6 -7 7 -7 -6 6
Fa la la la la , la la la la
6 -5 5 -4 4 -4 5 4
Troll the ancient Yuletide carol
-6 -6 -6 -6 6 -5 5 -4 4
Fa la la la la, la la la la
3. Ding Dong! Merrily on High
7 7 -8 7 -7 -6 6
Ding-dong! Merrily on high
6 -6 7 7 -7 7 7
In heaven the bells are ringing
7 7 -8 7 -7 -6 6
Ding-dong! Verily the sky
6 -6 7 7 -7 7 7
Is riven with angels singing
9 -9 8 -9 9 8
-9 8 -8 8 -9 -8
8 -8 7 -8 8 7
-8 7 -7 7 -8 -7
7 -7 -6 -7 7 -6
Glo……
-7 -6 6
…oria
6 -6 7 7 -7 7 7
Hosanna in excelsis
4. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
-6 -6 8 8 -8 7 -7 -6
God rest ye merry Gentlemen
6 -6 -7 7 -8 8
Let nothing you dismay
-6 -6 8 8 -8 7 -7 -6
Remember Christ our sav-i-or
6 -6 -7 7 -8 8
Was born on Christmas Day
8 -9 -8 8 -9 9 -10 8
To save us all from Satan’s pow’r
-8 7 -6 -7 7 -8
When we were gone astray
7 -8 8 -9 8 8 -8 7 -7 -6
O-o tidings of co-om-fort and joy
7 -7 -6 -8
Comfort and joy
7 -8 8 -9 9 -10 8 -8 7 -7 -6
O-o ti-i-dings of co-om-fort and joy
5. Good King Wenceslas
7 7 7 -8 7 7 6
Good King Wenceslas looked out
-6 6 -6 -7 7 7
On the feast of Stephen
7 7 7 -8 7 7 6
When the snow lay round about
-6 6 -6 -7 7 7
Deep and crisp and even
9 -9 8 -8 8 -8 7
Brightly shone the moon that night
-6 6 -6 -7 7 7
Though the frost was cruel
6 6 -6 -7 7 7 -8
When a poor man came in sight
9 -9 8 -8 7 -9 7
Gath'ring winter fu-u-el
6. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
6 7 7 -7 7 8 8 -8
Hark! The herald angels si-ng
9 9 9 -9 8 -8 8
Glory to the new-born king
6 7 7 -7 7 8 8 -8
Peace on earth and mercy mi-ld
9 -8 -8 7 -7 -6 6
God and sinners reconciled
9 9 9 7 -9 8 8 -8
Joyful all ye nations ri-se
9 9 9 7 -9 8 8 -8
Join the triumph of the ski-es
-10 -10 -10 9 -9 8 -9
With angelic host proclaim
-8 8 -9 9 7 7 -8 8
Christ i-s born in Bethlehem
-10 -10 -10 9 -9 8 -9
Hark! The herald angels sing
-8 8 -9 9 7 7 -8 7
Glo-r-y to the new-born king
7. In Dulci Jubilo (made famous by Mike Oldfield)
7 7 8 -9 9 -10 9
7 7 8 -9 9 -10 9
9 -10 9 -9 8 7
-8 -8 8 -8 7 -8 8 -9
9 -10 9 -9 8 7
-8 -8 8 -8 7 -8 8
-6 -7 7 9 -9 8 8 -8 8 -8 7
8. In the Bleak Midwinter
8 -9 9 8 -8 7 -8 8 -8 -6 -8
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan
8 -9 9 8 -8 7 -8 8 -8 7 7
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone
-9 8 -9 9 -10 10 8 9 8 -8 7 -7
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, sno-ow o-on snow
8 -9 9 8 -8 7 -8 8 -8 7 7
In the bleak midwinter lo-o-ong ago
9. Joy to the World
7 -7 -6 6
Joy to the world
-5 5 -4 4 The Lord has come
6 -6 -6 -7 -7 7 Let earth receive her King
7 7 -7 -6 6 6 -5 5 Let e – ev – ry - y he – a - rt
7 7 -7 -6 6 6 -5 5
Prep-a-are Hi - im roo-oo-m
5 5 5 5 5 5 -5 6 And heaven and na-tu-re sing
-5 5 -4 -4 -4 -4 5 -5 A - and heaven and nature sing
-4 4 7 -6 6 -5 5 -5 5 -4 4 And heav’n and hea-ea-ven and nature sing
10. Little Donkey
Verse
5 5 6 5 -5 -5 -6 -5
Little donkey, little donkey
5 5 6 5 -4
On the dusty road
5 5 6 5 -5 -5 -6 -5
Got to keep on plodding onwards
6 6 -7 6 7
With your precious load
Repeat verse
Been a long time, little donkey
Through the win-ters night
Don’t give up now, little donkey
Bethlehem's in sight
Chorus
7 7 7 -7 -6 6
Ring out those bells tonight
-6 -7 -6 6 -6 -7 -6 6
Beth-le-e-hem, Beth-le-e-hem
7 7 7 -7 -6 6
Follow that star tonight
-6 -7 -6 6 -6 -7 -6 6
Beth-le-e-hem, Beth-le-e-hem
11. O Christmas Tree / O Tannenbaum
3 4 4 4 -4 5 5 5 O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree 5 -4 5 -5 -3 -4 4 How lovely are your branches! 3 4 4 4 -4 5 5 5 O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree 5 -4 5 -5 -3 -4 4 How lovely are your branches! 6 6 5 -6 6 6 -5 -5 Not only in the summer heat -5 -5 -4 6 -5 -5 5 5 But also winter’s snow and sleet 3 4 4 4 -4 5 5 5 O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree 5 -4 5 -5 -3 -4 4 How lovely are your branches!
12. O Come All Ye Faithful
7 7 6 7 -8 6
O come, all ye faithful
8 -8 8 -9 8 -8
Joyful and triumphant
7 7 -7 -6 -7 7 -8 8 -7 -6 6 6
O come ye, o co-me ye to Be-eth-le-hem
9 -9 8 -9 8
Come and behold Him
-8 8 7 -8 -7 -6 6
Born the King of A-n-gels
7 7 -7 7 -8 7 6
O come, let us adore Him
8 8 -8 8 -9 8 -8
O come, let us adore Him
8 -9 8 -8 7 -7 7 -9
O come, let us adore Hi-m
8 -8 7 7
Chr-ist the Lord
13. O Little Town of Bethlehem
3 4 4 4 -4 5 -4 5 -5 6
Oh little town of Be-eth-le-e-hem
5 -5 5 4 -4 -4 4
How still we-e see thee lie 3 4 4 4 -4 5 -4 5 -5 6
Above thy deep and dre-eam-le-ess sleep
5 -5 5 4 -4 -4 4
The si-le-nt stars go by 4 5 6 -6 6 -5 5 -4 4 -4 5 -5 6
Ye-et in thy da-ark stre-ets shi-i-i-i-neth
3 4 5 -4 4 3
The everlasting light 3 4 4 4 -4 5 -4 5 -5 6
The hopes and fears of a-ll th-e years
5 -5 5 4 -4 -4 4
Are met i-n thee tonight
14. Once in Royal David's City
3 -3 4 4 4 -3 4 -4 -4 4
Once in Royal Da-a-vi-id’s city
4 5 6 5 5 -4 4 -3 4 Stood a low-ly ca-a-tt-le shed
3 -3 4 4 4 -3 4 -4 -4 4 Where a mother la-id he-er baby
4 5 6 5 5 -4 4 -3 4 In a manger fo-or hi-is bed
-6 -6 6 4 -5 -5 5 Mary was that mother mild
-6 -6 6 5 5 -4 4 -3 4 Jesus Christ her li-i-tt-le child
15. Silent Night
6 -6 6 5
Silent night
6 -6 6 5
Holy night
-8 -8 -7 7 7 6
All is calm, all is bright
-6 -6 7 -7 -6
Round yon Virgin
6 -6 6 5
Mother and Child
-6 -6 7 -7
Holy infant
-6 6 -6 6 5
So tender and mild
-8 -8 -9 -8 -7 7 8
Sleep in heavenly peace
7 6 5 6 -5 -4 4
Sleep in heavenly peace
16. The First Noel
5 -4 4 -4 5 -5 6
The-e fi-irst no-o-el
-6 -7 7 -7 -6 6
The-e angel did say
-6 -7 7 -7 -6 6 -6 -7 7 6 -5 5
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay
5 -4 4 -4 5 -5 6
I-in fi-elds whe-ere they
-7 7 -7 -6 6
lay keeping their sheep
-6 -7 7 -7 -6 6 -6 -7 7 6 -5 5
On a cold winter’s ni-ight that wa-as so deep
5 -4 4 -4 5 -5 6 7 -7 -6 -6 6
No-o-e-el, no-o-el No-o-el, noel
7 -7 -6 6 -6 -7 7 6 -5 5
Born is the Ki-ing of I-is-ra-el
17. The Holly and the Ivy
6 6 6 6 8 -8 -7
The holly and the ivy
6 6 6 6 8 -8
When they are both full grown
-8 7 -7 -6 6 -7 -7 6 6 -4
Of all trees that are in the wood
6 -6 -7 7 -7 -6 6
The holly bears the crown
6 6 6 6 8 -8 -7
The rising of the sun
6 6 6 6 8 -8 And the running of the deer
-8 7 -7 -6 6 -7 -7 6 6 -4 The playing of the merry organ
6 -6 -7 7 -7 -6 6 Sweet singing in the choir
18. We Three Kings
8 -8 7 -6 -7 7 -7 -6
We three kings of Orient are
8 -8 7 -6 -7 7 -7 -6
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
7 7 -8 -8 8 8 9 -9 8
Field and fountain, moor and mo-un-tain
-8 8 -8 7 -7 -6
Following yonder star
-7 -8 7 7 7 6 7 -6 7
O-oh star of wonder, star of light
7 7 7 6 7 -6 7
Star with royal beauty bright
7 7 -8 8 -9 8 -8 8
Westward leading, still proceeding
7 7 7 6 7 -6 7
Guide us to thy perfect light
19. We Wish You A Merry Christmas
6 7 7 -8 7 -7 -6 -6 We wish you a merry Christmas -6 -8 -8 8 -8 7 -7 6 We wish you a merry Christmas 6 8 8 -9 8 -8 7 -6 6 6 -6 -8 -7 7 We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year
6 7 7 7 -7 -7 7 -7 -6 6 Good tidings we bring to you and your kin -8 8 -8 7 9 6 6 6 -6 -8 -7 7 Good tidings of Christmas and a happy new year
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