You NEED to Know These 10 Christmas Songs in 2025

You NEED to Know These 10 Christmas Songs in 2025

Hey guys, Brad Litton from SimpleGuitar.com. This is the write-up of my YouTube lesson on 10 Christmas songs using only five chords so you can be ready for the parties.

Grab the PDF of all 10 songs (rhythm sheets, no page turns): simpleguitar.com/lastminutechristmas

The Five Chords

You only need G, C, E minor, D, and A minor. Standard open versions are fine. Here's how I like to play them.

G add5 (nickname): third finger on the third fret of the second string, pinky on the third fret of the first string. (Standard G is third fret first string, second fret fifth string, third fret sixth string.) "Add5" isn't a real chord type — it just tells us which G. You can use this anytime you see a G.

Cadd9: leave those third and fourth fingers down. Move first and second over a string: second finger third fret fifth string, first finger second fret fourth string, third string open. Easiest change in the world from G to C — just two fingers. Use it anytime you see a C.

D: standard D. From this G to D, your third finger does not move. These songs change G to D a lot. That's why I prefer this G.

E minor 7: third and fourth fingers still on third fret of first and second strings. First finger second fret fifth string, second finger second fret fourth string. You can play this anytime you have E minor. Probably my all-time favorite chord.

A minor substitute (A7sus4): from Em7, move first and second finger over a string, same idea as G to C. Technically neither major nor minor — I'm calling it A7sus4 because of the flat seven on the first string and the fourth instead of the third. Use it in place of A or A minor. Kind of like a power chord with flavor.

Incidentally, these are also the same five chords you need for Wonderwall.

Most of these Christmas songs only need three chords.

How to Read These Rhythm Sheets

Under the title you'll see something like 44 — that's the time signature. Four beats in every measure (or 2/4, or 3/4 — it's marked).

Every time you see a chord name, that's a new measure for the most part. Play that chord for the beats in the measure. Could be as simple as strumming 1 2 3 4. Could be a strum pattern. Alternating bass works great on Christmas songs (and it's underrated for pick accuracy even if you don't play country).

Split measures: bar lines are in the sheets. If there are two chords in a measure, play each for part of the bar. Example from I Saw Three Ships at the end: G two beats, E minor two beats, then D two beats, then G.

Lyrics line up with the measures. I counted those carefully.

The 10 Songs (What the Video Teaches)

I'm buzzing through them on the video. Use the PDF for the full maps. Don't invent extra chords — play what's on the sheet.

1. I Saw Three Ships — 4/4. Based on the Barenaked Ladies cover from Barenaked for the Holidays. Chords: G, D, and E minor.

2. Joy to the World — technically 2/4, so lots of measures. Every G is two beats. Third measure splits G and D (one beat each). Chords: G, C, and D. Mostly G and D. You only play C one time.

Changing key: capo it. Example: capo third fret sat better in my voice. Same shapes.

3. Silent Night — technically 6/4; on the sheet I wrote it as 3/4 to make it simpler. Favorite 3/4 strum: down, down up, down up (1 2 and 3 and), or just 1 2 3. Still G, C, D.

4. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer — 4/4. Simplified G, C, D. We're not doing Dasher and Dancer. Dive into the part every kid knows.

5. Angels We Have Heard on High — 4/4. G, C, D. Split measures of D then G. Hardest part was lining up the Gloria / "in excelsis Deo" chorus on the sheet (half note, four eighths, half note, four eighths). Verse starts G for three measures, then D and G.

6. The First Noel — 3/4. G, C, D. Split measures of C and D: C for two beats, D for one beat, then to G. Isolate that change. Too high for me in the lesson so I capo'd seventh fret.

7. Jingle Bells — 4/4. G, C, D. Fake books get jazzy because they're often written by piano players. We're singing the melody ourselves over simple guitar chords.

8. Deck the Halls — G, C, D, and E minor. First song in the set that adds Em. (I Saw Three Ships already used G, D, Em.)

9. Silver Bells — 3/4. G, C, D. Two verses. I like Relient K's version. Capo fourth fret puts you in the key of B (G shape's root is now the seventh fret of the sixth string — that's B). Same shapes. Capos are wonderful.

10. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town — 4/4. G, C, D, E minor, and A minor (I'm using that A7sus4). Hardest of the ten because of five chords. Split measures: G two beats / Em two beats, and Am two beats / D two beats. Example capo: third fret. Chord diagrams for the fancy versions are on the last page of the PDF.

Practice Tips

• Get the PDF. I made it so you don't turn pages mid-song.
• Most of these are three chords. Don't overcomplicate them.
• Capo to sing. Shapes stay the same.
• Let me know which song you're most excited about.

If you want a simple place to start, grab my free Top 10 Things to Learn on Guitar First at http://simpleguitar.com/top10.

And hang out with other adult guitar players in the Simple Guitar Facebook group: http://facebook.com/groups/simpleguitar.

About the Author
Brad from Simple Guitar helps adult learners play the songs they love without the frustration. Visit simpleguitar.com for more free resources and lessons.