Christmas songs

O Come, All Ye Faithful chords for guitar

O Come, All Ye Faithful needs 6 chords in G: G, D, C, Em, A7 and D7. Here it is bar by bar: press any chord to hear it, Play to go through the whole carol, and the Key menu to move it to suit your voice.

Tempo95

↓ · ↓ ↑ · ↑ ↓ ↑ · Down, down-up, up-down-up: the campfire strum, also called the calypso strum.

Colours

homethe pullthe doorthe shadowthe lift

What each chord does in its key. Press a chord to hear it and read more.

O Come, All Ye Faithful

4/4, four beats a bar · 20 bars

Verse

Refrain

Chord chart The chords of G major ›

O Come, All Ye Faithful, 20 bars: verse and refrain. Press a chord to hear it; Play goes through the whole carol.

The chords

Press a chord to hear it, or its name for every way to play it.

G

FamousStandard

I

R3RGBDGBG

D

Standard

V

5R3DADF♯

C

Standard

IV

R3RCEGCE

Em

Standard

vi

5REBEGBE

A7

Standard

II7

53AEGC♯E

D7

Standard

V7

5♭73DACF♯

How to play it

  • The strum. Four beats to the bar: four down strums is enough to start; then the folk strum (down, down-up, up-down-up). On guitar a bass note then a strum sounds fuller. Start slow, around 76 beats a minute, and change chord on the first beat of the bar.
  • The first note. The tune starts just before the first bar, on a pickup: count in and come in with the first chord on beat 1.
  • Too low or too high to sing? Change the key above. Or keep these shapes and put a capo on: two frets up raises the song a whole step (the capo chart works it out).
  • A new chord? Press its card for every way to play it, or start from the beginner chords.

About the carol

The Latin hymn Adeste Fideles and its tune are attributed to John Francis Wade, an English Catholic copyist working in France, whose manuscripts date from about 1743-44; the usual English words are Frederick Oakeley's translation of 1841. (source)

Questions

What chords are in O Come, All Ye Faithful?

In G: G, D, C, Em, A7 and D7.

What key is O Come, All Ye Faithful in?

It is sung in many keys. On guitar G is the easiest, with open chords; use the Key menu for any other.

What strumming pattern does O Come, All Ye Faithful use?

Four beats to the bar: four down strums is enough to start; then the folk strum (down, down-up, up-down-up). On guitar a bass note then a strum sounds fuller.

Sources

The chords were checked against these, bar by bar; where they differ, this page gives the version most beginner sheets agree on.

More Christmas songs

Silent NightJingle BellsWe Wish You a Merry ChristmasDeck the HallsO Christmas Tree (O Tannenbaum)Away in a MangerJoy to the WorldHark! The Herald Angels SingThe First NoelGod Rest Ye Merry GentlemenGood King WenceslasWe Three KingsO Little Town of BethlehemJolly Old Saint NicholasUp on the HousetopAngels We Have Heard on HighAuld Lang SyneAll Christmas songs