We Wish You a Merry Christmas is the cheekiest carol in our Christmas collection, and the interactive player below is the quickest way in: listen at half speed, watch the notes and keys light up, and drag the score to replay any wish. The sheet music, fingering for both hands, and a free printable PDF come right after.
Learn it with the interactive player
- Slow it down: x0.5 or x0.75 while you learn the notes, back to x1 once they flow.
- Pause anywhere: the current keys stay lit so you can find them on your own piano.
- Drag the score left or right, or use the 15s buttons, to replay a phrase.
The sheet music, section by section
Section A is the three rising wishes: after the upbeat G4, each wish starts a step higher, C5 then D5 then E5, with the same quarter-plus-eighths rhythm and the same 4, 4-5-4-3 fingering, before the tag A4-D5-B4 settles on a half-note C5. Learn wish one at x0.5 and the other two follow by pattern.
Section B is calmer: repeated C5s with finger 4, a held B4, and a walk down to a long G4, all in G position. Then comes the leap in measure 14, C5 up to G5 with the pinky and the thumb answering on G4 an octave below; loop that bar at x0.5 before joining the ending.
The full score
Hands together, feel one pulse per bar: the left hand plays one dotted half note per measure on C3, F3, D3, G3, E3, F3, G3, C3, so it is a waltz. Start around 80 BPM and build toward the 132 BPM Allegro.
Note by note: keys and fingering
- Right hand: A climbing hand: each wish sits in its own five-finger position, thumb (1) on G4 for the first, A4 for the second and B4 for the third, with the thumb dipping one key below for the Christmas notes. The final line leaps to G5 with the pinky (5) and lands back in G position.
- Left hand: One five-finger bass position that never moves: pinky (5) on C3, ring (4) on D3, middle (3) on E3, index (2) on F3, thumb (1) on G3, one dotted half note per measure.
| Note | On the Staff | On the Keyboard | Finger |
|---|---|---|---|
| F4 | First space of treble staff | White key left of the three black keys above middle C | RH Thumb (1) |
| G4 | Second line of treble staff | White key between the first two of three black keys above middle C | RH Thumb (1) |
| A4 | Second space of treble staff | White key between the last two of three black keys above middle C | RH Index (2) |
| B4 | Middle line of treble staff | White key right of the three black keys above middle C | RH Middle (3) |
| C5 | Third space of treble staff | One octave above middle C | RH Ring (4) |
| D5 | Fourth line of treble staff | White key between the two black keys above C5 | RH Pinky (5) |
| E5 | Fourth space of treble staff | White key right of the two black keys above C5 | RH Pinky (5) |
| F5 | Top line of treble staff | White key left of the three black keys above C5 | RH Pinky (5) |
| G5 | Space just above the treble staff | White key between the first two of three black keys above C5 | RH Pinky (5) |
| C3 | Second space of bass staff | One octave below middle C | LH Pinky (5) |
| D3 | Third line of bass staff | White key between the two black keys below middle C | LH Ring (4) |
| E3 | Third space of bass staff | White key right of the two black keys below middle C | LH Middle (3) |
| F3 | Fourth line of bass staff | White key left of the three black keys below middle C | LH Index (2) |
| G3 | Fourth space of bass staff | White key between the first two of three black keys below middle C | LH Thumb (1) |
Prefer a video? Watch the keys light up
Same color code as the player: green marks the right hand, blue the left hand, with the score and keyboard in one vertical video.
The story behind We Wish You a Merry Christmas
We Wish You a Merry Christmas comes from the West Country of England, where carolers went from door to door five centuries ago singing for treats. This was their cheekiest number: having wished the household a merry Christmas three times, the original verses demand figgy pudding and refuse to leave until it arrives. The song remained a local wassailing tradition until the Bristol composer Arthur Warrell arranged it for his university singers in 1935, after which it spread around the world. Each We wish you begins one step higher than the last, which turns the tune into a small ladder for a beginner's hand, and the joyful leap to high G near the end is the biggest thrill in our Christmas collection.
Get the printable PDF
The printable PDF of We Wish You a Merry Christmas - full score, hand positions, and a step-by-step practice guide - ships inside our free Christmas pack together with fourteen other carols.
Sixteen bars of bright 3/4 at 132 BPM go better when your forearms sit level with the keys, which is exactly what an Adjustable Piano Bench with Back Support is for.
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FAQ
How hard is We Wish You a Merry Christmas on piano?
It is a Level 1 piece in our Christmas collection, but one with a real leap. Each wish uses the same finger pattern one step higher, the left hand never leaves its five-finger position on C3 to G3, and the only challenge is the jump from C5 up to G5 in measure 14.
How long does it take to learn We Wish You a Merry Christmas?
A week or two for most beginners. Wish one takes an evening, wishes two and three copy its fingering a step higher, and the middle section is stepwise. Reserve a few extra days for the pinky leap to G5 and for keeping the eighth notes even at 132 BPM.
What level is We Wish You a Merry Christmas?
Level 1 of our Christmas collection. C major, 3/4 time with an upbeat, Allegro at 132 BPM. The right hand covers F4 to G5 through three neighboring five-finger positions and the left hand plays one dotted half note per bar on C3, D3, E3, F3 or G3.
What are the notes for We Wish You a Merry Christmas?
After the upbeat G4, the first wish runs C5, C5, D5, C5, B4, then A4, F4, A4 for Christmas; the second starts on D5 and the third on E5. The tag is A4, D5, B4 resting on C5, and the finale leaps C5 to G5 then G4. The left hand plays C3, F3, D3, G3, E3, F3, G3, C3; the full table is above.