The First Noel is one flowing phrase repeated and varied, and the interactive player below is the easiest way to learn it: hear it at half speed, watch the notes and keys light up as they play, and drag the score to repeat any bar. The sheet music, fingering for both hands, and a free printable PDF come next.
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 verse: two pickup eighths E4-D4 fall into middle C, the melody walks C4-D4-E4-F4 to a long G4 that quietly changes from finger 5 to 2, then A4-B4 lead to the pinky's C5. In fields where they lay descends C5-G4-F4 with 5-3-2 to a long E4; practice the substitution at x0.5.
Section B is the Noel refrain: it begins like the verse, but after the substitution on G4 the pinky leaps up to C5, then the line hangs on a long A4 and a full bar of G4 with finger 2. The last phrase C5-B4-A4, G4-A4-B4, C5-G4-F4 sinks onto E4; loop measure 10 at x0.75.
The full score
In the full score the left hand plays one broken chord per bar in three single quarters, so learn the four shapes, home C3-E3-G3, stretch C3-E3-A3, down B2-D3-F3 and wide C3-F3-A3, and say them at each barline. Build to the 92 BPM Andante and let the final E4 over C3 fade without hurry.
Note by note: keys and fingering
- Right hand: One octave of C major in two overlapping positions: thumb (1) on middle C, index (2) on D4, middle (3) on E4 and ring (4) on F4 for the opening scale walk, then a quiet substitution on the long G4 (pinky 5 to index 2) lifts the hand so middle (3), ring (4) and pinky (5) reach A4, B4 and C5.
- Left hand: C position: pinky (5) on C3, middle (3) on E3, thumb (1) on G3 stretching to A3. Each bar is one broken chord in three single quarter notes, C3-E3-G3, C3-E3-A3, B2-D3-F3 or C3-F3-A3, with the pinky dropping to B2 and the index on F3 in the wide shape.
| Note | On the Staff | On the Keyboard | Finger |
|---|---|---|---|
| C4 | Ledger line below the treble staff (middle C) | Middle C | RH Thumb (1) |
| D4 | Just below the bottom line of the treble staff | White key between the two black keys right of middle C | RH Index (2) |
| E4 | Bottom line of treble staff | White key right of the two black keys above middle C | RH Middle (3) |
| F4 | First space of treble staff | White key left of the three black keys above middle C | RH Ring (4) |
| G4 | Second line of treble staff | White key between the first two of three black keys above middle C | RH Pinky (5) |
| A4 | Second space of treble staff | White key between the last two of three black keys above middle C | RH Middle (3) |
| B4 | Middle line of treble staff | White key right of the three black keys above middle C | RH Ring (4) |
| C5 | Third space of treble staff | One octave above middle C | RH Pinky (5) |
| B2 | Second line of bass staff | White key right of the three black keys, an octave and a step below middle C | LH 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 Middle (3) |
| 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 Thumb (1) |
| G3 | Fourth space of bass staff | White key between the first two of three black keys below middle C | LH Thumb (1) |
| A3 | Top line of bass staff | White key between the last 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 The First Noel
The First Noel was sung in the west of England, especially Cornwall, for generations before Davies Gilbert printed it in 1823 and William Sandys again in 1833. The word Noel reaches English through French from the Latin natalis, meaning birth. Musicologists love its odd construction: nearly the whole carol is one flowing phrase repeated and varied, and every line ends on the third of the scale rather than the keynote. That is what gives the ending its floating, unfinished glow, as if the shepherds were still looking up at the star. This arrangement keeps that open ending, closing on E4 over a single low C.
Get the printable PDF
The printable PDF of The First Noel - full score, hand positions, and a step-by-step practice guide - ships inside our free Christmas pack together with fourteen other carols.
Long legato lines like these are easier to shape when your arms hang freely from a well-set seat, and an Adjustable Piano Bench with Back Support makes that height easy to find.
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FAQ
How hard is The First Noel on piano?
It is a Level 2 piece in our Christmas collection. The melody covers exactly one octave from middle C to C5, the left hand plays one broken chord per bar in single quarter notes, and the key skill is the silent finger change on the long G4 that lifts the hand for A4-B4-C5.
How long does it take to learn The First Noel?
Two to three weeks for most beginners. The verse and the refrain share most of their notes, so the second half comes quickly; the substitution on G4 and the four left-hand shapes are what take repetition hands together at 92 BPM.
What level is The First Noel?
Level 2 of our Christmas collection. C major, 3/4 with a two-eighth-note upbeat, Andante at 92 BPM, 16 measures. The right hand spans middle C to C5 and the left hand plays quarter notes from B2 to A3, one at a time.
What are the notes for The First Noel?
The pickup is E4, D4, then the verse walks C4, D4, E4, F4, a long G4, A4, B4 up to C5, B4, A4, and again G4, A4, B4, C5, B4, A4, then G4, A4, B4, C5, G4, F4 to a long E4. The refrain leaps G4 to C5, B4, then holds A4 and G4. The left hand starts C3, E3, G3; see the full table above.