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Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song Ukulele Chords

ChordsC, Dm7, Em7, F, Gm7, E7, Am, Fm, B7, G7, A7, Cm7, Am7, D7, G
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

Before you play, tune your ukulele and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.

CChestnutsDm7roastingonanEm7openFfire
CJackFrostGm7nippingatyourFnoseE7
AmYuletideFmcarolsbeingCsungbyaB7choir
AndEm7folksdressedFmuplike G7Eskimos
EverybodyCknowsaDm7turkeyandsomeEm7mistletoe
CHelptoGm7maketheseasonFbright.
AmTinyFmtotswiththeirCeyesall B7aglow
WillEm7finditA7hardtoDm7sleepG7tonight
TheyknowthatGm7Santa’sonhisCway
He’sloadedGm7lotsoftoysandCgoodiesonhisGm7sleigh.
AndeveryCm7mother’schildisgonnaFmspyGm7
ToseeifAm7reindeerreallyknowD7howtoGfly.
AndCsoI’mDm7offeringthisEm7simpleDm7phrase
ToCkidsfromGm7oneto FninetytwoE7
Am7Althoughit’sbeenFmsaidmanyCtimesmanyB7ways
Em7MerryAm7ChristmasG7toCyou.
AndCsoI’mDm7offeringthisEm7simpleDm7phrase
ToCkidsfromGm7oneto FninetytwoE7
Am7Althoughit’sbeenFmsaidmanyCtimesmanyB7ways
Em7MerryAm7ChristmasG7toCyou.
AlbumSingle
Year1948
KeyC
DifficultyAdvanced

How to play The Christmas Song on Ukulele (Step-by-step)

Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song on ukulele requires 15 chords and 29 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↑↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.

The Christmas Song uses these transitions most often: C → Gm7 (7), G7 → C (5), and B7 → Em7 (4). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with C - Dm7 chord transition.

1. C → Dm7 chord transition

To move from C to Dm7:

  1. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  2. Place index finger on E string fret 1.
  3. Place middle finger on G string fret 2.

This transition appears in the section, played 4 times.

C to Dm7

2. Dm7 → Em7 chord transition

Here's how to move from Dm7 to Em7:

  1. While playing Dm7, lift your ring finger from A string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on C string fret 2.
  3. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to A string fret 2.

This transition appears in the section, played 4 times.

Dm7 to Em7

3. Em7 → F chord transition

Switching from Em7 to F:

  1. Lift your index finger from C string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to G string fret 2.

This transition appears in the section, played 2 times.

Em7 to F

4. F → C chord transition

Here's how to move from F to C:

  1. While playing F, first lift your index finger and middle finger.
  2. Place ring finger on A string fret 3.

This transition appears in the section, played 2 times.

F to C

5. C → Gm7 chord transition

To move from C to Gm7:

  1. While playing C, lift your ring finger from A string fret 3.
  2. Place index finger on E string fret 1.
  3. Place middle finger on C string fret 2.

This transition appears in the section, played 7 times.

6. Gm7 → F chord transition

To move from Gm7 to F:

  1. Keep index finger on E string fret 1.
  2. Lift your middle finger from C string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.

This transition appears in the section, played 4 times.

7. F → E7 chord transition

Here's how to move from F to E7:

  1. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to C string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on A string fret 2.

This transition appears in the section, played 4 times.

8. E7 → Am chord transition

Here's how to move from E7 to Am:

  1. While playing E7, first lift your index finger and ring finger.
  2. Lift your middle finger from C string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.

This transition appears in the section, played 2 times.

9. Am → Fm chord transition

To move from Am to Fm:

  1. Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Place index finger on G string fret 1.
  3. Place pinky on A string fret 3.

This transition appears in the section, played 2 times.

10. Fm → C chord transition

To move from Fm to C:

  1. While playing Fm, first lift your index finger, middle finger, and pinky.
  2. Place ring finger on A string fret 3.

This transition appears in the section, played 4 times.

11. C → B7 chord transition

Here's how to move from C to B7:

  1. While playing C, lift your ring finger from A string fret 3.
  2. Place index finger on G string fret 2.
  3. Place middle finger on C string fret 3.

This transition appears in the section, played 4 times.

12. B7 → Em7 chord transition

To move from B7 to Em7:

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from C string fret 3 to A string fret 2.

This transition appears in the section, played 4 times.

13. Em7 → Fm chord transition

To move from Em7 to Fm:

  1. Lift your index finger from C string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to E string fret 1.
  3. Place pinky on A string fret 3.

This transition appears in the section.

14. Fm → G7 chord transition

To move from Fm to G7:

  1. While playing Fm, lift your pinky from A string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 1 to C string fret 2.
  4. Place ring finger on A string fret 2.

This transition appears in the section.

15. G7 → C chord transition

Switching from G7 to C:

  1. While playing G7, first lift your index finger and middle finger.
  2. Slide your ring finger on A string from fret 2 to fret 3.

This transition appears in the section, played 5 times.

16. Em7 → A7 chord transition

Switching from Em7 to A7:

  1. While playing Em7, lift your middle finger from A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your index finger on C string from fret 2 to fret 1.

This transition appears in the section.

17. A7 → Dm7 chord transition

Switching from A7 to Dm7:

  1. Lift your index finger from C string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Place middle finger on G string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on A string fret 3.

This transition appears in the section.

18. Dm7 → G7 chord transition

To move from Dm7 to G7:

  1. Keep index finger on E string fret 1.
  2. Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger on A string from fret 3 to fret 2.

This transition appears in the section, played 3 times.

19. C → Cm7 chord transition

Here's how to move from C to Cm7:

  1. While playing C, lift your ring finger from A string fret 3.
  2. Place index finger on G string fret 3.

This transition appears in the section.

20. Cm7 → Fm chord transition

Switching from Cm7 to Fm:

  1. Slide your index finger on G string from fret 3 to fret 1.
  2. Place middle finger on E string fret 1.
  3. Place pinky on A string fret 3.

This transition appears in the section.

21. Fm → Gm7 chord transition

Switching from Fm to Gm7:

  1. While playing Fm, lift your pinky from A string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 1 to C string fret 2.

This transition appears in the section.

22. Gm7 → Am7 chord transition

To move from Gm7 to Am7:

  1. While playing Gm7, first lift your index finger and middle finger.

This transition appears in the section.

23. Am7 → D7 chord transition

Switching from Am7 to D7:

  1. Place index finger on G string fret 2.
  2. Place ring finger on A string fret 3.

This transition appears in the section.

24. D7 → G chord transition

Here's how to move from D7 to G:

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 2.
  2. Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to E string fret 3.
  3. Place middle finger on A string fret 2.

This transition appears in the section.

25. G → G7 chord transition

Here's how to move from G to G7:

  1. Lift your index finger from C string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to C string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 2.

This transition appears in the section.

26. E7 → Am7 chord transition

Switching from E7 to Am7:

  1. While playing E7, first lift your index finger, middle finger, and ring finger.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

27. Am7 → Fm chord transition

To move from Am7 to Fm:

  1. Place index finger on G string fret 1.
  2. Place middle finger on E string fret 1.
  3. Place pinky on A string fret 3.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

28. Em7 → Am7 chord transition

Switching from Em7 to Am7:

  1. While playing Em7, first lift your index finger and middle finger.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

29. Am7 → Dm7 chord transition

Here's how to move from Am7 to Dm7:

  1. Place index finger on E string fret 1.
  2. Place middle finger on G string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on A string fret 3.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in The Christmas Song.

  • The Christmas Song includes 77 chord transitions, 29 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
  • The Christmas Song contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Ukulelearn.
  • These transition patterns show how The Christmas Song connects to the rest of Ukulelearn. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After C, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → B7: 0%
    • C → Dm7: 0%
    After Dm7, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are G7 (46%), G (13%), and C (11%).
    • Dm7 → G7: 46%
    • Dm7 → C: 11%