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SongsO Christmas Tree (O Tannenbaum)
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  1. 5,
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  28. 7,
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  31. 5
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  35. 5
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  59. 7,
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  61. 1

German traditional melody, sung as “O Tannenbaum” since 1824. Public domain.

4 strings · C2–A3 open · E5 up the A string in thumb position · Perfect fifths, exactly an octave below a viola. The C string is the deepest note in a string quartet.

Tap a string, or slide along a string and the pitch follows your finger, under a bow that never stops. On a keyboard the letters on the strings are the ones to press — they run down the strings, the A at the top — hold a key and the note holds.

CelloFree · printable · plays in your browser

O Christmas Tree — Cello Notes

O Christmas Tree (O Tannenbaum), written out for the cello as every note with its string and how far up it. Press Play to hear it, Practice to learn it one note at a time — the cello waits for you — or Play along to keep time with it.

  • Notes61, 8 pitches
  • RangeG3–A4
  • Key hereC major
  • Tempo104 bpm · about 28 s
  • LevelIntermediate

Can a cello play O Christmas Tree?

✓ Plays as written Every note of it is on the cello, in C major from G3 to A4. The check is made note by note against what the instrument can actually sound.

O Christmas Tree: cello notes

The large line is the note; the small line under it is the string, and how many semitones above its open note to stop it. A dash holds the note another beat, an underline is half a beat, and a dot beside a note makes it half as long again. Each line is one phrase.

▶ Play it above

O Christmas Tree (O Tannenbaum) — cello notes · tonalics.com

The 8 notes it uses

Lowest to highest, with how many times each is played. Learn these 8 and you can play the whole tune.

  • GD·5×3
  • BA·2×3
  • CA·3×12
  • DA·5×10
  • EA·7×18
  • FA·8×9
  • GA·10×5
  • AA·12×1

What to expect on a cello

  • It runs from G3 to A4, an octave and a whole step, using 8 different notes. That leaves 19 semitones unused below and 7 above.
  • 73% of its moves are a step or a repeated note. The widest is a major sixth, E4 to G3, at note 47.
  • It is played on 2 strings (D and A), crossing between strings 5 times.
  • 0 notes are an open string, and the highest stop is 12 semitones above the open string.

About the tune

A German folk melody with roots in the 16th century, sung as “O Tannenbaum” since the Leipzig organist Ernst Anschütz wrote the words used today in 1824. The same tune carries several unrelated songs, among them the British labour anthem “The Red Flag” and the state song of Iowa.

German traditional melody, sung as “O Tannenbaum” since 1824. Public domain. The notes follow Paul Hardy’s Xmas Tunebook, 2019 (2024), cross-checked against 1 other transcription. More about O Christmas Tree →

O Christmas Tree on other instruments

The same melody, in each instrument’s own notation. It is not offered for the guzheng, handpan or ocarina, which do not have the notes.

More songs for the cello

All 36 cello songs · Christmas songs for cello · The online cello on its own

Playing it on a real cello?

If it sounds wrong, check the instrument before the notes. The cello tuner listens through your microphone and names what each note is actually sounding.

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