Looking for a great Christmas carol that’s fun to play on the guitar? Then we highly recommend Angels We Have Heard on High. It’s originally a French carol that has a long history and has remained popular throughout the last century. It’s also a great tune for guitar beginners since it only requires basic guitar chords. Let’s learn a little more about the history of this Christmas song and explore how to play it on the guitar, both fingerpicking and strumming with some chords. We also provide some free PDF printables (Chord Version, Tabs and Sheet Music) for you to use in class or to practice at home.
History of Angels we have Heard on High
Angels We Have Heard on High is a traditional Christmas carol that originated in 18th century in France. The melody of the song is based on a French carol called “Les Anges dans nos Campagnes” which translates as “The Angels in Our Countryside”. This song celebrates the biblical story of the angels announcing the birth of Jesus to shepherds in the fields, as described in the Gospel of Luke. The iconic refrain, “Gloria in excelsis Deo” meaning “Glory to God in the highest” is derived from the Latin version of the angels’ proclamation.
In 1862, the song was translated into English by James Chadwick, a Roman Catholic bishop, and the version we know today became popular in English-speaking countries.
Guitar Tabs for Angels we have Heard on High
Since we are focusing on beginners and children to teach the guitar we show you easy versions of a song. Let’s start to get familiar with the melody of the song. A great way to do that is to fingerpick the melody, meaning playing it note by note. We only fingerpick one string after the other and not several strings at the same time to reduce complexity. We will use guitar tabs for this, as they provide a beginner-friendly way to see how to play the melody.
Remember, beginners should start slowly by just practicing and playing a short part of the song first. So, try to play the first part “Angels We have Heard on High” of the song correctly on your guitar. Once you can play that part without difficulty, move on to the next sequence. Breaking the melody down this way makes it much easier for young beginners to learn!
Here are the tabs for Angels We Have Heard on High:
Not sure if you got the melody right on your guitar? Check out our recording below or just play along as you practice. You can also slow down the recording.
Guitar Chords for Angels we have Heard on High
If you have learned the fingerpicking version then you already know how to play the melody. And everybody will recognize the carol even without singing to it. So, it might be already nice just fingerpicking the melody on Christmas and everybody will enjoy listening your guitar playing. However, if you want to sing along, then you probably want to try out the chord version. It requires a few chords but they are all basic guitar chords, so it’s beginner-friendly.
We will play the song in the key of C we need five different guitar chords: C, G, A, Dm, F.
Here are chord diagrams for Angels We Have Heard on High:
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!
Once you’re comfortable with all the chords, you’re ready to dive into this song on your guitar! The only tricky part might be the fast chord transitions near the end, but it’s a great opportunity to practice. Start by playing the song at a slower speed until you get the hang of it. If some of the chords are new or the transitions between them seem challenging, take the time to learn each one individually before trying to play them in sequence.
As a beginner, it’s important to take reduce the complexity of a song and to start slowly. That’s why, we we recommend starting just with a simple down strum on each chord change, which gives you plenty of time to change smoothly between the chords without worrying about complex strumming patterns. It also makes singing along much easier. Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can try out more advanced strumming techniques to add variety to your playing.
Guitar Sheet Music For Angels we have Heard on High
For guitarists and teachers alike, sheet music is an essential resource, providing precise guidance on the notes, rhythms, and chords needed to bring a song to life. It tells you exactly how long to play a chord or a particular note. Simple tabs can’t give you this level of detail in many cases. However, sheet music can be a bit difficult for beginners, especially younger students, as it requires a basic understanding of music theory and the ability to read music. However, the sheet music for this Christmas carol is a good example to start with for beginners who are not yet experts in reading 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 Angels We Have Heard on High:
Free Guitar Printables for Angels we have Heard on High
If you’re a guitar teacher and want to guide your students through the song, or if you simply prefer to practice with a physical copy rather than reading from a screen, we’ve got you covered. You can easily download a printable PDF with lyrics, chords, tabs, and sheet music all in one place. This is convenient for lesson planning or personal practice, and ensures that you have all the materials you need right at your fingertips.
