No matter if you’re an experienced ukulele player or just getting started with one, Christmas-themed songs offer ample entertainment and festive tunes that any beginner player can appreciate. Many easy Christmas ukulele songs feature simple chord changes and moderate tempos for ease of learning – making this holiday-inspired music accessible even to beginners!
“Do You Hear What I Hear?” is one of the best beginner ukulele songs available, featuring an accessible melody that is predominantly scalar in nature and very easy to follow.
Deck the Halls
Deck the Halls is an iconic Christmas song sung by various artists, from country musician Chet Atkins to Bing Crosby himself and numerous choirs across the world. This holiday tune’s catchy tune can help get people in the holiday spirit!
Deck the Halls is an accessible song to learn for beginners on ukulele, making it a great song to learn for any level. The lyrics are straightforward yet enjoyable to sing along to, while many websites provide the ukulele version for download for free. Furthermore, this version of Deck the Halls offers easy-to-read tabs and sheet music.
As well as its ukulele version, there is also a piano accompaniment version. While both are very popular with ukulele players, its ukulele rendition is particularly well received due to being easy for beginner ukulele players to learn and play.
Deck the Halls dates back to the sixteenth century. It is a traditional Welsh tune from Nos Galan winter carol. Mozart later used this melody for a violin and piano duet; its characteristic “fa-la-la” riffs can also be found in medieval ballads and Middle Age madrigals, popular during Renaissance a cappella chorales.
Thomas Oliphant wrote the English lyrics for this Christmas song in 1862. Oliphant was known to specialize in creating new lyrics to old melodies as well as translating foreign songs into English; he was also an active songwriter and author, penning over 400 song lyrics himself!
Jingle Bells
Jingle Bells is a classic Christmas tune and one of the easiest songs to learn on a ukulele, using simple chords with a slow tempo that makes it simple for children and beginners alike to sing along and join in the music. Perfect for new ukulele players!
O Tanenbaum, more commonly known as Silent Night, is another iconic Christmas carol that tells an emotional tale and can easily be learned on a ukulele. German is its traditional language for this tune; English or other versions may also work just fine – making this carol popular at carol concerts across the country and being recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.
Christmas songs can be an engaging way to teach children about the holiday season while helping them develop vocabulary and literacy skills. Singing Christmas carols as a family activity promotes unity and togetherness while offering relaxation during stressful periods such as the holiday season.
Christmas music comes in all forms, and selecting songs to fit both your personality and skill level is important. Alfred’s Easy series offers melody, chords and lyrics for “strum and sing” performances; more advanced players may prefer songbooks with melodies, chords, suggested strum patterns and melodies that are tailored specifically to their level. These books provide great ways to develop skills while expanding ukulele collections!
Silent Night
Silent Night, originally composed in German and first performed on Christmas Eve 1818 in Austria by young priest Joseph Mohr at St Nicholas Church Oberndorf bei Salzburg due to being rendered useless by mice, is one of the best-known Christmas carols and songs ever sung in any language. Franz Xaver Gruber was approached to set his six stanza poem by Franz Mohr to music so it would fit with service proceedings at St Nicholas Church Oberndorf bei Salzburg on this Christmas Eve service.
The result was an unmatched masterpiece that is still beloved worldwide and translated into multiple languages today, its lyrics and melody both being in the public domain. Today, museums and memorials celebrate those responsible for this beloved tradition.
For ukulele players, this song is simple to learn as only basic chords are needed for its playing. Furthermore, its light accompaniment such as guitar, piano, flute recorder or organ can make for an engaging performance.
O Come All Ye Faithful is another easy Christmas ukulele song perfect for beginners to learn and perform, featuring straightforward chords and phrases that beginners will easily remember. This tune can help celebrate with friends and family during holiday gatherings!
Mele Kalikimaka is another classic Christmas ukulele song that’s great to play for friends and family to wish them an enjoyable holiday season. Translating literally, “Merry Christmas” means something different in Hawaiian. Singing this tune together is sure to give everyone an upbeat holiday season!
No matter your experience level, Christmas classics are great additions to your repertoire and sure to bring joy during this holiday season. Simple songs with beautiful melodies make playing them effortless while sharing these joyful tunes will put a smile on everyone’s face!
Good King Wenceslas
This classic carol depicts Wenceslas, also known by his real name of Vaclav the Good Duke of Bohemia (now Czech Republic and Slovakia), as he goes out into a snowy night to aid a poor man – at which time there was deep, crisp snow all around him! While some might view this topic as inappropriate for Christmas songs, United Methodists see lessons to apply today from his story: Wenceslas’ life remains an integral part of his homeland’s culture and history and features prominent statues in his honor both locally as well as national holidays dedicated in his honor!
No matter whether Wenceslas was indeed the generous monarch depicted in the poem, he remains an extraordinary Christian martyr who gave his life for Him – an exemplary lesson in an age when secularism, violence and animosity towards Christians seem increasingly rampant.
John Mason Neale, an Anglican priest of 19th century England who wrote his lyrics of Good King Wenceslas by hand using quill pens, was particularly taken with Wenceslas and his life and death; thus inspired him to commemorate them through including them into Christmas traditions. His lyrics commemorate Wenceslas by giving his name as its title for Good King Wenceslas and include him within that festive musical piece.
The hymn is set to the tune “Tempus Adest Flordum,” composed by a 17th century composer. Although its music and lyrics may be appealing, they may be too harsh for children of younger ages to comprehend fully. While teaching this can be challenging, using this song as an example of “pay it forward” chains allows children to discuss forgiveness and sacrifice with one another without expectation of repayment in return.
The Little Drummer Boy
Christmas songs that are performed on the ukulele bring immense pleasure to audiences everywhere, whether with friends or family. Not only can these timeless tunes easily be learned but they make any gathering more festive!
Christmas songs can also serve as an effective tool for teaching various chords and strumming patterns, like “Silent Night.” This three-chord tune was composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber with lyrics by Joseph Mohr in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria and has become one of the world’s best known intangible cultural heritages (UNESCO).
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town is another timeless classic ukulele song, employing only four basic chords and designed to bring smiles to everyone you encounter. Other popular Christmas ukulele songs include Do You Hear What I Hear, Frosty the Snowman, and All I Want for Christmas is You.
Be it holiday preparations or enjoying some tropical weather with family and friends, these ukulele songs will add some light-hearted musical joy. Just start playing one chord at a time – soon enough you’ll be playing classics!
Get practicing these ukulele Christmas songs right now! Even if you’re just a beginner, within just a few sessions you will discover that these songs come easily to you. And when your practice sessions are complete, why not check out our complete list of beginner ukulele songs to see if there is more out there for you to learn?