Let It Snow (Piano Tutorial)

Welcome to our piano tutorial for ‘Let It Snow’. This is a happy, cheerful holiday song, and I’m very excited to teach it to you! 🙌

We’ve got a bit of a jazzier arrangement on this one with some more advanced chords, but don’t be concerned: I’ve got the full sheet music for you, and some handy tips along the way, so you can bring a little extra holiday cheer to the piano this season!

Nighttime photo of a small church in snowy landscape with glowing christmas tree in yard.

Let it Snow ❄️

“Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!“, also known as simply ”Let It Snow”, is a song written by lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne in July 1945. It was actually written in California during a heat-wave as Cahn and Styne imagined cooler conditions. 🌞🌞🌞

Despite the lyrics making no mention of any holiday, the song has become one of the most recognized Christmas songs in North America due to its winter theme, being played on radio stations during the holiday season, and having often been covered by various artists on Christmas-themed albums.

💡🧠Interesting Stuff: South of the equator, this classic is popular in the months of June, July, and August. In New Zealand, some play it at Matariki (A new year’s celebration).

Getting Started 🎹📝

The song is in the key of F Major, which includes just 1 flat. Watch out though, some of the chord voicings will ask you to break this rule!

F, G, A, B♭, C, D, E

To begin, get familiar and practice the top melody. I recommend going through it in 2-4 bar chunks so you can spend the time and really get to know it.

I’ll take some extra time with you on bars 1 through 9, as it’s the real ‘theme’ of the song, and it will help to cement the rest of the piece in your mind. Don’t be intimidated by some of the more complicated-looking chords. We’ll go through them together, and with a little time, you’ll be playing it all like a pro!

For fingering suggestions and tips on reaching those big chords, follow along on the video, and let’s do this!

Next Up:

If you’re looking for more Christmas songs to learn, check out our lesson on “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”.

Happy practicing!

Lisa Witt has been teaching piano for more than 20 years and in that time has helped hundreds of students learn to play the songs they love. Lisa received classical piano training through the Royal Conservatory of Music, but she has since embraced popular music and playing by ear in order to accompany herself and others. Learn more about Lisa.