How to Play "Jingle Bells" on the Piano

Last Updated: March 11, 2023

During the holiday season, everyone loves to hear Christmas songs, and everyone loves to play them on the piano. Even if you're not a piano player, you can still entertain your friends and family with an easy song like Jingle Bells. Once you learn this, it can be easily memorized and played wherever you can get you hands on a piano/keyboard.

Steps

1
Put your right hand out in front of you. For Jingle Bells, you'll only use your right hand. If you're a total beginner, then the first thing you need to do is to know your "finger numbers".
- Your thumb is finger number 1.
- Your pointer finger is finger number 2.
- Your middle finger is finger number 3.
- Your ring finger is finger number 4.
- Your pinky finger is number 5.
- You could write the numbers on your hand if you have trouble remembering them, but it's pretty easy. If you already know note names, then you don't need to know finger numbers.
2
Locate where you need to put your hands on the piano. For Jingle Bells, your hand position will be entirely in the Middle C position (you just need your right hand). To find Middle C, look at your piano or keyboard (or a picture if you don't have one) and notice that the black keys are in groups of two and three.

Advertisement
3
Find the group of two black keys that are closest to the middle of the piano/keyboard.
4
Put your thumb of your right hand on the white key just to the left of the two black keys. That key is called Middle C.
5
Put the rest of your fingers on all of the white keys to the right of Middle C. You should be covering 5 white keys, from Middle C to 4 to the right. This is called Middle C Position.
6
Start playing.
- Here's how to play Jingle Bells if using finger numbers: 3 3 3 - 3 3 3 - 3 5 1 2 3 - - - 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 3 2 - 5 - 3 3 3 -3 3 3 - 3 5 1 2 3 - - - 4 4 4 3 3 3 5 5 4 2 1 - - -All you have to do is play the finger with that finger number. When you come across a dash (-), then hold the note longer. Each - is one extra beat. For example, if there's 3 3 3 - then on the third 3, you hold the note for an extra beat.
- If you know your Middle C note names (C D E F and G), then this is how you play Jingle Bells with note names: E E E - E E E - E G C D E - - - F F F E E E E D D E D - G - E E E - E E E - E G C D E - - - F F F E E E G G F D C - - -
7
Have fun entertaining your friends and family this holiday season!

Community Q&A

Question

What are the rest of the lyrics of Jingle Bells?

Community Answer

Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh. O'er the fields we go. Laughing all the way (Ha-Ha-Ha). Bells on bobtails rings, making spirits rise. What fun it is to dance and sing a sleighing song tonight Oh! Jingle bells...
Question

Will this work for a recorder?

Community Answer

This guide is for the piano, however, if you know the names of the notes on piano and can translate those notes to play on the recorder, you will still be playing jingle bells.
Question

I've been trying to teach myself and I've learned a few basics and some songs, but I can't read music. What should I do?

Community Answer

Take private lessons or a music theory class. If you're in middle or high school, check to see if your school offers music classes.