A Charlie Brown Christmas is one of the most beloved holiday movies of all time, and part of what makes it so good is the music. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to play “Christmas Time Is Here” on piano, which captures that classic, jazzy, Charlie Brown sound.
“Christmas Time Is Here” was written by jazz pianist and composer Vince Guaraldi and producer Lee Mendelson. The version we’ll teach here was arranged especially for Pianote by Kevin Castro. You can find the sheet music in our Christmas Songbook. And if you’re a Pianote+ Member, you can download the sheet music in the Members Area. Not a Member yet? Check out the community (and download some sheet music!) with a free trial, just for you 🙂
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If you’re a beginner at reading chord charts, the chords in “Christmas Time Is Here” may seem intimidating. But don’t worry, we’ll break them down here!
Ex. Am7/C
When you see a slash chord, play the chord to the left of the slash (Am7) with your right hand and the note to the right of the slash (C) with your left hand. You can think of the slash as “over” and you’ll essentially play “Am7 over C.”
Am7/C
Ex. Fmaj7, E♭7
You’ll see that some chords have “maj7” and some just have “7.” These are both four-note chords. In maj7 chords, the distance between the root note and the top note is a major 7th interval.
Fmaj7, E♭7
The “7” chords are dominant 7th chords. This means the distance between the root note and top note is a minor 7th interval. So, Fmaj7 would have the notes F-A-C-E because F-E is a major 7th interval. On the other hand, F7 would have the notes F-A-C-E♭ because F-E♭ is a minor 7th interval.
Ex. Bdim
Diminished 7th chords are a little crunchy, but they add a lot of color. A diminished 7th chord is essentially a four-note stack of minor thirds. A Bdim chord has the notes B-D-F-A♭, and you’ll notice that the interval between each note in the stack is a minor third.
Bdim
Ex. Csus
A suspended (“sus”) chord means that you substitute the middle note of a triad with the 2nd or 4th note from the root. Usually, this is noted in the chord symbol (ie. Csus4). In the case of Csus, more than one note is suspended so we’ve left out the number.
Csus
Ex. C13♭9
Numbers that are greater than 7 are chord extensions. In a chord like C13, we add the 13th note from the root (A) to the chord stack. If there is also an accidental (the ♭9, in our case), that means we lower the 9th note from the root by a half-step. C13 is therefore a C7 dominant 7th chord with extensions to the 13th, and would have the notes C-E-G-Bb-Db-F-A.
C13♭9
Jazz isn’t as popular as it used to be, but many sources praising the legacy of “Christmas Time Is Here” point to how the song is perhaps the one jazz tune most people know. Part of the reason why the song remains so popular is because so many people (of multiple generations) grew up watching the Peanuts Christmas TV special. There’s a nostalgic atmosphere in the jazz tensions of the song that, together with the children’s choir, gives the song an unpolished yet wholesome atmosphere.
“Christmas Time Is Here” may also be popular because it’s a little somber. The song isn’t as rambunctiously joyful as, say, “Joy to the World” or “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” And despite Christmas being commercialized as a happy holiday, many people relate with the reality that the holidays can be complicated. Charlie Brown struggles to find the true meaning of Christmas in the movie, and not everyone has a simple Christmas. Nevertheless, many audiences find comfort and contentment in Guaraldi’s simple melody and (not so simple) chords.
As a Pianote+ Member, you’ll get access to our 10-step Method, song library, and growing community of piano players just like you. Plus: get coached by world-class pianists who have played with rock stars.
Kevin Castro is a graduate of the prestigious MacEwan University with a degree in Jazz and Contemporary Popular Music, and is the Musical Director and touring pianist for JUNO-winning Canadian pop star, JESSIA. As your instructor at Pianote, Kevin is able to break down seemingly complex and intimidating musical concepts into understandable and approachable skills that you can not only learn, but start applying in your own playing. Learn more about Kevin here.
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