Would you like to learn a very popular Christmas carol? How about the all-time favorite, We Wish You a Merry Christmas? This song has a long tradition, but at the same time it sounds very modern. Along with Jingle Bells and O Christmas Tree, we think it’s one of the best songs for young children because most of them really like the lyrics and find the melody very catchy. If you want to learn a song on the guitar for your Christmas party, this is definitely a good choice. But also for guitar lessons for young students, We Wish You a Merry Christmas is a very good song because it requires a few more chords than many other nursery rhymes on the guitar, which makes the song a perfect exercise for chord changes. In this guitar lesson we will learn a little more about the background and history of the song and how to play it on the guitar. We will show you how to fingerpick the melody with some simple chords. We will also provide the free tabs and sheet music that you can download at the end of the guitar lesson.
History of We Wish you a Merry Christmas
We Wish You a Merry Christmas is one of the most popular and enduring Christmas carols, with origins that trace back to 18th-century in England. Unlike many other carols that focused on the nativity or religious themes, this song was rooted in the tradition of Christmas “wassailing,” where carolers would go from house to house, singing and offering good wishes in exchange for food and drink. The lyrics reflect this tradition, with lines like “Oh, bring us some figgy pudding” directly appealing to the generosity of the households visited.
Arthur Warrell, a composer, conductor, and organist from Bristol, can be credited with the song’s widespread popularity. Warrell, who began teaching at the University of Bristol in 1909, created an elaborate four-part arrangement of the tune specifically for his ensemble, the University of Bristol Madrigal Singers. This arrangement was first performed in a concert in 1935. In the same year, Oxford University Press published his version as “A Merry Christmas: West Country traditional song,” which helped cement the carol’s place in the Christmas tradition.
Guitar Tabs for We wish you a Merry Christmas
There are very simple versions of the song as well as quite advanced fingerstyle arrangements. But let’s focus on the simple arrangements. We will explore the carol by fingerpicking the strings and strumming with chords. Both versions are worth learning and playing.
To get familiar with the melody, we will start with the fingerpicking version, as we will be playing the melody note by note. You will need to be able to read guitar tabs, but they are beginner friendly and a better start than sheet music in most cases. Beginners shouldn’t try to play the whole melody right away, but concentrate on sections.
For example, let’s start by playing only the melody for the beginning of the song “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”. Practice this sequence until you can play it without difficulty. Then you can move on to the next one, and so on. Breaking down the melody in this way makes it much easier for young beginners!
Here are the tabs for We wish you a merry Christmas:
Below is a recording of how the fingerpicking version should sound like. You can play along and if it’s too fast, just reduce the speed of the recording.
Chords for We Wish you a merry Christmas
Fingerpicking a melody on the guitar is not only great practice, but also a lot of fun! The melody of the Christmas carol will be immediatly recoginzed by others, even without singing along to it. However, if you want to sing along to the We wish you a Merry Christmas, strumming chords is the way to go. Let’s try to play the song in the key of G, which will require us to use some basic guitar chords.
To play this Christmas carol we need four different guitar chords: G, C, D and A7.
Here are chord diagrams for We wish you a merry Christmas:
Guitar Chords are illustrated in guitar chords diagram. They are a simplified illustration of the guitar neck and it tells you where to put which finger on which string. Learn more about how to read guitar chords!
Already comfortable with those four guitar chords? Then you’re all set to play this carol on your guitar actually! If you’re still getting the hang of them, it’s best to start by practicing each chord on its own. Once you’re confident in switching between them, you’ll be ready to tackle the entire song.
For beginners, it’s crucial to start at a slow pace. Focus on strumming down just once with each chord change, giving yourself plenty of time to transition smoothly without worrying about complex patterns. This approach also makes it easier to sing along, as the rhythm stays simple and steady. As you gain confidence, you can experiment with different strumming techniques.
Guitar Sheet Music For We Wish you a Merry Christmas
For guitar players and instructors, sheet music is invaluable, providing detailed guidance on the specific notes, rhythms, and chords that make up a song. However, beginners and younger students may find it a bit difficult, as it requires a basic understanding of music theory and the ability to read notation. As a result, many beginners prefer using guitar tabs or chorded lyrics, which offer a more accessible way to learn. But if you’re comfortable reading sheet music, it can be a fantastic tool to enhance your playing and deepen your understanding of the music.
Guitar Chords are illustrated in guitar chords diagram. They are a simplified illustration of the guitar neck and it tells you where to put which finger on which string. Learn more about how to read guitar chords!
Here is the sheet music for We wish you a merry Christmas:
Free Guitar Printables for We Wish you a Merry Christmas
Are you a guitar teacher or do you just want to practice the song with the printed worksheet instead of on the screen? Then download the lyrics with cords, tabs and sheet music as a PDF.
Interested in instruments other than the guitar? You can also find a free lesson on how to play Jingle Bells on the piano.
