20 Christmas Songs You Must Play Under the Tree

Ho Ho Ho! Christmas has arrived at Guitar Pro, and I’ve put together a festive selection of 20 Christmas songs, each paired with a downloadable Guitar Pro file. Grab your guitar, settle in by the tree, and let’s explore them together.

Get full access to several of these songs by subscribing to mySongBook!

Download the Guitar Pro demo to enjoy all 20 files for free.

Christmas Arrangements in mySongBook

Jingle Bells

Here’s a guitar arrangement of Jingle Bells. This fingerpicking version combines both the accompaniment and the vocal melody. It’s a great exercise for guitarists who aren’t yet familiar with this technique, and you’ll find it again in several other pieces in this article, as most of the arrangements are designed for solo guitar.

Play Jingle Bells in mySongBook. 

O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree)

As for this other Christmas standard, the idea is mostly the same as with Jingle Bells, except for the time signature, which is in 3/4 here.

Play O Tannenbaum in mySongBook.

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

As you may have guessed, traditional Christmas carols tend to follow a familiar formula. Here again, the piece is written in 3/4 and adapted for fingerpicking on guitar. This time, the melody blends more naturally into the chords, and the transitions are slower, making We Wish You a Merry Christmas more accessible for beginners while still being enjoyable to play.

Play We Wish You a Merry Christmas in mySongBook.

White Christmas

Irving Berlin’s White Christmas is a bit more challenging than the previous pieces, with plenty of chord changes played in eighth notes and passing tones that shape the melody. A beautiful piece to play by the Christmas tree.

Play White Christmas in mySongBook.

Christmas Songs by Wham!

Last Christmas

Wham!’s iconic song, the English duo led by George Michael, never reached the top of the UK charts, as that spot was taken by the Band Aid single released the same year, which we’ll discuss later. Last Christmas is actually about a romantic breakup at Christmas, yet it carries an optimistic tone for the future. Here, we have a guitar-and-voice arrangement, perfect if you feel like singing for friends or family on December 25th. 

Play Last Christmas in mySongBook.

Christmas Songs by Gareth Evans

Carol of the Bells

Let’s take a look at Carol of the Bells, the famous piece composed by Mykola Leontovych in 1914, originally titled Shchedryk. The lyrics were added much later when it became a Christmas carol. Here, I’m sharing an excerpt from Gareth Evans’ arrangement, note that this piece is played in Drop D tuning (lowering the low E string by a whole step) and returns to the traditional 3/4 time signature.

Play Carol of the Bells in mySongBook.

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

A superb arrangement by Gareth Evans of this Meredith Willson classic. Watch out for the eighth-note triplets and the hammer-on/pull-off effects. This piece is in 2/4 time this time.

Play It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas in mySongBook.

Do They Know It’s Christmas?

As mentioned earlier, the song Do They Know It’s Christmas?, recorded by Band Aid, a group initiated by Bob Geldof in response to the Ethiopian famine, was released in November 1984. Geldof would later create Live Aid, which we all know today as one of the greatest musical events of the 20th century, highlighted by Queen’s iconic performance. Gareth Evans’ arrangement is somewhat technical, featuring hammer-ons, pull-offs, artificial harmonics, slides, and percussive effects. The key is to let the notes ring together smoothly, without interrupting the flow between the chords.

Play Do They Know It’s Christmas? in mySongBook. 

Christmas Songs by Eric Assarsson

Feliz Navidad

To step away a bit from fingerpicking, I’m offering a version of this Puerto Rican standard with Eric Assarsson’s unique touch. Of course, the main theme is still there, enriched with passing chords that give it a jazzy feel. You’ll also find some fairly fast phrases with sixteenth notes, triplets, sextuplets, bends, slides… and more! A rather powerful version, just as Eric knows how to do.

I Saw Mama Kissing Santa Claus

Eric takes on this standard by Tommie Connor, later popularized by the Jackson 5. We start gently with a theme in eighth notes, then move into faster sixteenth-note passages, finishing with a solo taken from Chet Baker’s There Will Never Be Another You.

Let It Snow

Let It Snow… a blues version? Indeed, Eric has given this Christmas standard a bluesy twist, completely changing the way it’s approached.

When You Wish Upon a Star

This piece is played in a triple meter here, unlike the original version, and is followed by a fiery blues-jazz style solo.

Christmas Songs by Sascha Rebbe

Deck the Halls

Here’s the theme of Deck the Halls, the famous Christmas carol sung by choirs all over the world, arranged in a rock version by Sascha Rebbe. Nothing too complicated here, the key is to get the sound right! Your favorite overdrive pedal will do the job perfectly. 

Jingle Bell Rock

Jingle Bell Rock, the song we all know, features eighth notes in triple meter here, some bends, and high-pitched chords approached with slides.

Christmas Songs by Tommy Emmanuel

Christmas Memories

Tommy Emmanuel needs no introduction, he’s an Australian guitarist renowned for his fingerpicking (yes, again) and his use of percussive techniques on the guitar. His piece Christmas Memories is no small feat and will require some patience to master fully. The challenge here lies in weaving the accompaniment together with the melody. It’s recommended to play this piece with a thumbpick, using a capo on the 4th fret.

Play Christmas Memories in mySongBook.

One Christmas Night

This other Christmas piece by Tommy Emmanuel presents largely the same challenges as the previous one, with the advantage of being a bit slower. You’ll need a capo on the 2nd fret, and the arrangement includes some hammer-ons and pull-offs.

Play One Christmas Night in mySongBook.

Christmas Songs by Elvis Presley

Blue Christmas

Blue Christmas, originally written by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson in 1948, was later popularized by the King in 1957. Here, I’m sharing an excerpt of the chorus, featuring a blues-like structure in triple meter over 8 measures.

Play Blue Christmas in mySongBook.

Christmas Songs by Frank Sinatra

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

This song was originally composed by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane, and performed by Judy Garland in the film Meet Me in St. Louis, before being popularized by Frank Sinatra in 1957. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas has since become a true Christmas standard, covered by artists including Ella Fitzgerald, Whitney Houston, Michael Bublé, Luther Vandross, Christina Aguilera, Sam Smith, and many more.

Play Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas in mySongBook.

Christmas Songs by Slade

Merry Xmas Everybody

This rock/glam Christmas track by Slade topped the UK charts in December 1973. The piece is in triple meter and mainly features power chords played in eighth notes, along with some strummed chords that often drive the transition between verses and the chorus.

Play Merry Xmas Everybody in mySongBook.

Christmas Songs by John Lennon

Merry Xmas (War Is Over)

Written by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1971 during the Vietnam War, Merry Xmas (War Is Over) is a far less cheerful song than any of the previous ones we’ve seen. Above all, it was a call for peace, later covered by artists such as Céline Dion and U2.

Play Merry Xmas (War Is Over) in mySongBook.

Bonus: Christmas Songs by Ryuichi Sakamoto

It’s Christmas, so I’ve saved a final surprise for you, a 21st track to end things on a high note!

Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence

The title track of the 1983 film, composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto, a highly renowned Japanese composer. Originally written for piano, it has been arranged here for guitar, with the low A string tuned down to G for easier fingering. The main theme of the piece features eighth-note triplets, and a capo on the 1st fret.

Play Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence in mySongBook.

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