If you are looking for a very catchy Christmas carol to play on the piano, you should definitely consider Go Tell It on the Mountain. It’s a beautiful African-American spiritual and Christmas song. Everybody knows the melody and most of us also at least the lyrics. Learn this song on the piano in this free piano lesson! We focus on beginners and children and don’t teach you the most complexed versions of the song. We want to learn an easy version that can be learned quickly. That’s why we learn how to play the song just with one hand and if you can’t read sheet music, no problem! Beside the sheet music we also provide you the lyrics with the easy letter notes and you can download both for free for your piano practicing or lessons!
History of Go Tell It on the Mountain
Go Tell It on the Mountain is deeply intertwined with African American history and spiritual traditions. Originally rooted in the gospel tradition, the song was brought to wider attention by John Wesley Work Jr., a prominent scholar, educator, and musician dedicated to the preservation of African American spirituals. In the early 20th century, Work made it his mission to document and share these powerful songs, many of which had been passed down orally for generations. Go Tell It on the Mountain was included in his 1907 collection Folk Songs of the American Negro, which helped introduce the song to a wider audience and solidify its place in American music.
The song’s lyrics focus on the story of Christ’s birth, encouraging believers to “go tell it on the mountain” and spread the good news of Jesus’ arrival. With its uplifting and rhythmic melody, the song reflects its gospel heritage, making it a favorite in worship services and holiday celebrations, especially in African-American communities. Over the decades, it has been interpreted and performed by a wide range of artists, including Mahalia Jackson and Bob Dylan.
Piano Letter Notes For Go Tell It on the Mountain
Go Tell It on the Mountain is a really nice song to play on the piano. We play this song in the key of G, and for our easy version of the song we only need the white keys and no black keys! This is especially good for beginners, as playing the black keys can be a bit challenging, especially for young children. In addition, we will start with simple piano letter notes, which are just the letters of the notes above the lyrics, making it much easier for beginners and children to read the notes.
Before playing the melody on the piano, we should first familiarize ourselves with the location of each note on the piano keyboard that we need for the song. Remember that this song requires two different notes, D and E. To differentiate, we will use D’ and E’ to refer to the lower octave version of the note.
Here are the keys on the keyboard that you have to use for the carol Go Tell It on the Mountain:
Piano key labeling can be a useful tool for beginners, helping them quickly locate the correct notes when playing along with lettered lyrics. This visual aid simplifies the learning process and allows students to focus on playing the music rather than searching for the right keys. However, as students become more confident and play a few songs with ease, we recommend to gradually remove these labels. This will encourage them to rely on muscle memory and develop a deeper understanding of the instrument, fostering greater independence in their playing.
To help make this transition smoother, check out our Piano Note Reading Guide. It offers practical tips and techniques for easily identifying piano keys and understanding how they correspond to the notes on the sheet music. With these strategies, students can gain the skills they need to confidently navigate the keyboard without relying on visual aids.
The following chart with the lyrics and the letter notes enables you to learn and play Go Tell It on the Mountain:
Check out our piano recording of the song to see if you got it right. You can also slow it down and play along as you practice.
Piano Sheet Music for Go Tell It on the Mountain
The sheet music for Go Tell It on the Mountain is pretty simple, but it does require a basic understanding of musical notation. You’ll need to be familiar with basic elements such as notes, rhythms and symbols in order to fully understand how to play it. For those new to reading music, especially young beginners, these aspects may seem a bit challenging at first. However, if you’re just beginning to explore how music is written, Go Tell It on the Mountain might be an excellent song to start. Its simple melody make it an accessible choice for learning music notation.
Here are the music notes for Go Tell It on the Mountain:
Free PDF Printables for Go Tell It on the Mountain
You can download our free PDF printables of Go Tell It on the Mountain for free, which include both the lyrics piano letter notes and traditional sheet music. Whether you’re a teacher looking to integrate this song into your lessons or a student practicing at home, these printables are a convenient way to have the music at your fingertips.
Interested in instruments other than the piano? You can also find a free lesson on how to play Go Tell It on the Mountain on the guitar.
