Add a little bit of merry to your Christmas by learning how to play "Deck the Halls" on the piano.  "Deck the Halls" is a traditional carol sung during the Christmas season and it could become part of an impromptu Christmas sing-along at a Christmas party.  The song could be played to entertain children during the holidays or at any holiday celebration.  Impress your friends by learning this song with a little bit of practice.

The earliest recording of the tune "Deck the Halls" can be found in a compilation of manuscripts from the 1700s by the Welsh harpist John Dall.http://www.sibeliusmusic.com/index.php?sm=home.score&?scoreid=30959   The song could actually have originated from the secular Christmas carol "Nos Galan" some years earlier.http://www.holiday-ideas.us/article21.html   Mozart used the tune in his violin and piano duet, Sonata No. 18.http://www.sibeliusmusic.com/index.php?sm=home.score&?scoreid=30959   J.P. McCaskey edited the words that are seen in the song today, but was not the actual songwriter.http://www.holiday-ideas.us/article21.html   The words for the American version were printed in a newspaper in 1881.http://www.sibeliusmusic.com/index.php?sm=home.score&?scoreid=30959   

In "Deck the Halls", both hands will play in the C position.  To help with with the fingering of this song, number your fingers from one to five, starting with the thumb as number one.  If you look at the keyboard of the piano, you will notice that the black keys are in groups of twos and threes.  The white key, just to the left of a group of two black keys, is the C key.  For the left hand, place the pinkie, or finger number five on a C key.  For the right hand, the thumb, or finger number one, will rest on middle C.  Middle C is found in the middle of the keyboard.http://www.edly.com/pianobasics.html#c   

There are several finger crossovers in the melody of this song.  A crossover occurs when a finger leaves its regular position on the keys and reaches over or under another finger.  In this song, the number two finger will reach over the thumb to play the B key right next to it.  In another part of the song, the thumb will cross under fingers two and three to play the E note and shift the whole hand down a few keys.  Practice doing these crossovers until they are smooth.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bYnhs9HC8k 

The melody of this song is played on the right hand in the C position.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bYnhs9HC8k   Place the thumb on middle C and follow the fingering below.      * indicates the cross over to B.                                                                

Right hand:   5      4    3      2     1          2  3   1, 2  3 4  2  3, 2  1  2*     1

                   Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la, la la la      lahttp://www.holiday-ideas.us/article21.html 

Repeat this for the next line:

                   5      4    3    2 1   2  3  1,  2  3 4  2  3, 2  1  2* (crossover to B)    1

                   'Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la, la la la                              lahttp://www.holiday-ideas.us/article21.html 

                                                                 *  below indicates cross under to E

                    2     3   4      2   3     4  5  2  3   1* 2   345      4 3  2

                    Don we now our gay apparel, fa la  la, la la la, la la lahttp://www.holiday-ideas.us/article21.html  

Go back to the middle C position for the next line.  * indicates the number 5 finger moves up one key and the whole hand follows.  The second * indicates a crossover of the number 2 finger down to the C.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bYnhs9HC8k 

                   5      4    3  2       1   2     3   1  5*  5   5   5  4  3   2   1    2*

                    Troll the ancient Yuletide carol, fa  la  la, la  la la, la   la   lahttp://www.holiday-ideas.us/article21.html 

Deck the Halls uses three chords throughout the song.  These are the C chord, the G7 chord, and the F chord.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bYnhs9HC8k 

 The C chord is played using fingers 1, 3, and 5 on the G, E, and C keys.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bYnhs9HC8k 

 The G7 chord uses fingers 5, 2, and 1 on the B, E, and G keys.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bYnhs9HC8k   

The F chord also uses fingers 1, 3, and 5, but they are placed on the A, E, and C keys.   

Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la, la la la  la

C                                                   G               C

 'Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la, la la la

C                                      G                C

Don we now our gay apparel, fa la  la, la la la, la la la

G                      C                G                      

Troll the ancient Yuletide carol, fa  la  la, la  la la, la   la   la

C                                            F                        C   G   C