Whether you’ve been a long time ukulele player, or you’ve just received your very first ukulele as a gift, there is no better time than the holiday season to learn some Christmas songs. Gather around the tree, warm up in front of the fireplace or hit up the beach for a tropical holiday! Not the holiday season yet? Why wait! Start practicing now and by the time Christmas arrives, you’ll be ready to impress friends and family!
By design, holiday songs are catchy, simple and easy to learn, making them a great way for people of all ages to learn the ukulele. I’ve handpicked the top 10 must learn Christmas songs for ukulele. Each song has a link to UkuTabs with lyrics with chords, chord diagrams, transposer and auto scroller! Let’s get started.
1. “Jingle Bells” for Ukulele
Who doesn’t know “Jingle Bells”?! It’s one of the best-known and commonly sung tunes making it a great one to play at holiday gatherings. It’s a traditional song written by James Lord Pierpont and originally published under the title “The One Horse Open Sleigh” in 1857. Before jumping into the first verse, it’s also nice to simply start with the chords to introduce the song.
- Chords in this song: Am – A7 – C – D7 – G
- Lyrics and ukulele tabs: Jingle Bells
2. “Joy To The World” for Ukulele
Looking for a three-chord easy Christmas ukulele song? This is the one for you. Written in 1719 by Isaac Watts based on Psalm 98, Psalm 96 (verses 11 and 12) and Genesis Chapter 3 (verses 17 and 18). As of the late 20th century, “Joy to the World” was the most-published Christmas hymn in North America. This song also lends itself perfect to try out some finger picking or changing the strum patterns.
- Main chords in this song: C – D – G
- Lyrics and ukulele tabs: Joy To The World
3. “Mele Kalikimake”, the Hawaiian Christmas Song for Ukulele
Mele Kalikimaka means “Merry Christmas” in Hawaiian, so be sure to put this popular ukulele song at the top of your list! Written by R. Alex Anderson but popularized by Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sisters in 1950. It’s one of the most requests ukulele songs for Christmas. While it has quite a few chords, especially 7ths, they aren’t that difficult!
- Main chords in this song: A – A7 – Am – B7 – D – D7 – E7 – Em7 – G
- Lyrics and ukulele tabs (easy): Mele Kalikimaka (easy)
- Lyrics and ukulele tabs: Mele Kalikimaka
4. “Feliz Navidad”, Latin Ukulele Christmas Song
We already know “Merry Christmas” in Hawaiian, and now also in Spanish. Feliz Navidad is a Spanish phrase meaning “Happy Christmas” or “Merry Christmas”. Written in 1970 by Puerto Rican singer/songwriter José Feliciano. Probably one of the easiest ukulele chords and although not in English, you need to only remember a few phrases with a simple pronunciation.
- Main chords in this song: C – D – Em – G
- Lyrics and ukulele tabs: Feliz Navidad
5. “Deck The Halls” for Ukulele
A traditional Welsch Christmas carol dating back to the 16th century. The English lyrics though date to 1862 by the Scottish musician Thomas Oliphant. The ukulele tab for the song is instantly recognizable with the most difficult chord being E major. Learn here how to read tablature.
xA|-------------|---------------|---------------|-----------| xE|-----3-2---0-|-----0---2-----|-0-2-3-0-2---0-|-----------| xC|-------------|-2-----------2-|---------------|-2---1---2-| xG|-2-----------|---------------|---------------|-----------|
- Main chords in this song: A – Bm – D – Db – E – G
- Lyrics and ukulele tabs: Deck The Halls
6. “Silent Night” for Ukulele
Play “Silent Night” on the ukulele and people will want to sing along! It is a popular Christmas carol, composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. It was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2011. Next to “Jingle Bells” this is one of the most requested Christmas songs and it’s a very easy one to learn.
- Main chords in this song: C – F – G – G7
- Lyrics and ukulele tabs (easy + tab): Silent Night (easy + tab)
- Lyrics and ukulele tabs: Silent Night
7. “Twelve Days of Christmas” for Ukulele
Looking for a challenge? This is a long song with lots of chord changes offering pure satisfaction when finished playing. Published in England in 1780 and enumerates a series of increasingly numerous gifts given on each of the twelve days of Christmas. Luckily it’s using basic chords that every beginning ukulele players should know!
- Main chords in this song: A – Am – C – D – Em – G
- Lyrics and ukulele tabs: Twelve Days of Christmas
8. “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” for Ukulele
Written by Irving Berlin in 1942 and sung by Bing Crosby, this gorgeous song has a bittersweet backstory. The song, which sold over a whopping 100 million copies internationally, struck a chord due to its melancholic nature in America’s servicemen who were stationed overseas during the second world war, which made it an instant success. Compared to “Jingle Bells“, the chord progression is slightly more challenging, but it’s still a breeze to play on the ukulele.
- Main chords in this song: Am – C – D – D7 – G
- Lyrics and ukulele tabs: White Christmas
9. “Winter Wonderland” for Ukulele
Written in 1934, “Winter Wonderland” has been covered by more than 200 artists over the past seven decades. Richard B. Smith was inspired to write the lyrics for the song after seeing a park in his Pennsylvania hometown covered in snow. He was recovering from tuberculosis at the time, and the cheerful themes of the song almost seem like an escape from the pain he was experiencing.
There is not one “correct key” for this song. The chords shown below are for the most popular key, but feel free to use the transposer over on UkuTabs to change it to your liking.
- Main chords in this song: A – Am – C – D – Dm7 – E – G – G7
- Lyrics and ukulele tabs: Winter Wonderland
10. “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” for Ukulele
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer created by Robert Lewis May in 1936. Rudolph is usually depicted as the ninth and youngest of Santa Claus’s reindeer, using his luminous red nose to lead the reindeer team and guide Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve. This song will be easy to learn, memorize and play. If you’re looking for a challenge, try swinging the strumming pattern rather than playing it straight.
- Main chords in this song: A – A7 – Am7 – Bm7 – C – D – D7 – Em – G
- Lyrics and ukulele tabs: Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
Learn how to Play Easy Christmas Songs on Ukulele
Learning, playing and singing Christmas songs should give you joy. Using a limited set of basic chords you can practically play all of these popular Christmas songs on ukulele. Even if you’re a beginner, within a few sessions you’ll notice that the rhythm and chord come to you more naturally. These songs are perfect for learning the ukulele as their melody comes almost naturally.
Need more input?
Whether you want to start learning the basic ukulele chords for beginners, how to read chord diagrams or ukulele tablature? UkuTabs has your back. Can’t get enough Christmas songs? Check out the complete list over on UkuTabs.
Always feel free to contact me whenever you need more information or just want to say hi! Perhaps you’re also interested in checking out the Top 10 Children Songs.
