O Little Town of Bethlehem is in G major and 4/4 here, and in its first measure the melody makes a small chromatic turn, B4 to A#4 and back to B4. You can hear that turn slowed down in the interactive player below. The sheet music, fingering and a free printable PDF follow.
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 pickup and measures 1-8. Three B4s on the middle finger (3) dip to the black key A#4 with the index (2) and come back, then measure 2 climbs to D5 with the pinky and drops to E4 on the thumb. Measure 5 starts the same way, but the index takes B4 so the pinky can reach E5. The left hand plays half notes underneath, G2 and D3, then B2 and C3. Loop measures 2-3 at x0.5, where the thumb lands on E4 and then D4.
Section B (the pickup and measures 9-16) starts with the middle line at mf: B4, B4, A4, G4 fall to three F#4s, and E4, F#4, G4, A4 climb back with fingers 1-2-3-4. The left hand goes lowest here, A2 in measure 10 and E2 in measure 11. Measure 13 brings back the A#4 turn at mp. Then comes the octave jump in measure 14, from E4 on the thumb to E5 on the pinky, before the thumb takes G4 in measure 15 for the cadence. Try x0.75 once the jump is clean.
The full score
The whole carol is in 4/4 at Andante, 80 to the quarter: a pickup, then 16 measures. Since the left hand never moves faster than half notes, count four even beats and let every long note in both hands last its full value. Play hands together at x0.5 first. Measures 1-8 stay at mp and measures 9-12 open up to mf. At the end, hold the last G4 and G2 under the fermata.
Note by note: keys and fingering
- Right hand: Middle finger (3) on B4, index (2) on the black key A#4, ring (4) on C5 and pinky (5) on D5 for the opening turn. The thumb (1) drops to E4 in measure 2 and to D4 in measure 3, with G4 on 3, F#4 on 2 and A4 on 4. In measure 5 the index takes B4 so the pinky reaches E5. Measures 9-12 sit in a five-finger position from thumb on E4 to pinky on B4, and measure 14 jumps from the thumb on E4 to the pinky on E5.
- Left hand: Pinky (5) on G2 and thumb (1) on D3, with the middle (3) on B2 and the index (2) on C3: one half note or longer at a time. The ring (4) reaches A2 in measure 10, and in measure 11 the pinky stretches down to E2 with the thumb on B2.
| Note | On the Staff | On the Keyboard | Finger |
|---|---|---|---|
| D4 | Just below the bottom line of the treble staff | White key between the two black keys right of middle C | RH Thumb (1) |
| E4 | Bottom line of treble staff | White key right of the two black keys above middle C | RH Thumb (1) |
| F#4 | First space of treble staff, sharp in the key signature | Black key, first of the three black keys above middle C | RH Index (2) |
| G4 | Second line of treble staff | White key between the first two of three black keys above middle C | RH Middle (3) |
| A4 | Second space of treble staff | White key between the last two of three black keys above middle C | RH Ring (4) |
| A#4 | Second space of treble staff with a sharp sign | Black key, last of the 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) |
| E2 | First ledger line below the bass staff | White key right of the two black keys, an octave and a sixth below middle C | LH Pinky (5) |
| G2 | Bottom line of bass staff | White key between the first two of three black keys, an octave and a fourth below middle C | LH Pinky (5) |
| A2 | First space of bass staff | White key between the last two of three black keys, an octave and a third below middle C | LH Ring (4) |
| B2 | Second line of bass staff | White key right of the three black keys, an octave and a step below middle C | LH Middle (3) |
| C3 | Second space of bass staff | One octave below middle C | LH Index (2) |
| D3 | Third line of bass staff | White key between the two 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 O Little Town of Bethlehem
The tune is ST. LOUIS, written by Lewis H. Redner (d. 1908) in 1868. It was first printed as a leaflet, then in The Church Porch, edited by W. R. Huntington (1874). Phillips Brooks (d. 1893) wrote the words, which this page leaves out. We read the melody from the 1899 edition of The Church Porch (New York: Dutton, No. 48). Two details follow The Church Hymnal edited by C. L. Hutchins (Boston, 1894): the D5 on beat 4 of measure 5, where The Church Porch prints B4, and the dotted half note in measure 12. We kept the source key, G major, and did not change the melody. The left hand plays single notes.
Get the printable PDF
The printable PDF has the full score of O Little Town of Bethlehem, fingering for both hands and a practice tip for each section. It is a free direct download, with no email to give. Door 15 of the Free Piano Advent Calendar holds the same carol, and the calendar's doors open December 1-24.
A solid-wood kids piano bench gives a child learning this carol to play for the family a seat of their own, and if their feet do not reach the pedals yet, a piano pedal extender for kids adjusts from 1.5 to 5.4 inches.
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FAQ
How hard is O Little Town of Bethlehem on piano?
Two spots in the right hand need care: the black key A#4 in measures 1 and 13, and the octave jump from E4 to E5 in measure 14. The left hand plays single notes, none faster than a half note. In our Advent calendar collection it is Level 2.
How long does it take to learn O Little Town of Bethlehem?
About two weeks for most beginners who practice a little each day. Most of the new material is in measures 1-8. The second half goes faster, because measures 9-12 are a five-finger line from E4 to B4 and measures 13-14 reuse the opening before a new cadence.
What level is O Little Town of Bethlehem?
Level 2 in our Advent calendar collection. It is in G major and 4/4, Andante at 80 BPM, with a one-beat pickup and 16 measures. Right hand from D4 to E5, left hand from E2 to D3, single notes only.
What are the notes for O Little Town of Bethlehem?
After a B4 pickup the melody plays B4, B4, A#4, B4, then D5, C5, E4, A4, then G4, F#4, G4, A4, D4 and a long B4. The left hand begins with G2 and D3, then B2 and C3. Every note and its finger is in the table above.