Jingle Bells — Dulcimer Tab

• Notes51, 5 pitches
• RangeD4–A4
• Key hereD major
• Tempo132 bpm · about 28 s
• LevelEasy

Can a dulcimer play Jingle Bells?

Yes — every one on this page plays it. The check is made note by note against what each one can actually sound. Where the tune does not fit as the library writes it, another key or octave is tried, and the table says which; where nothing fits, it names the notes that are missing.

• DAD✓ Plays as writtenIn D major, D4–A4 · loaded above
• DAA✓ Plays as writtenIn D major, D4–A4 · load it

Jingle Bells: dulcimer tab

The large line is the fret, on the melody string unless a string is named; the small line under it is the note. 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.

The 5 notes it uses

Lowest to highest, with how many times each is played. Learn these 5 and you can play the whole tune.

• 0D4×3
• 1E4×6
• 2F♯4×26
• 3G4×11
• 4A4×5

What to expect on a dulcimer

• It runs from D4 to A4, a fifth, using 5 different notes. That leaves 12 semitones unused below and 17 above.
• 84% of its moves are a step or a repeated note. The widest is a fifth, A4 to D4, at note 9.
• It uses 5 fret positions: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4.
• The whole tune is on the melody string, so it can be played with a noter while the other strings drone.

About the tune

James Lord Pierpont published it in Boston in 1857 under the title “One Horse Open Sleigh”; it was reissued two years later with the name everyone knows. It is a sleighing song and does not mention Christmas at all, but it has belonged to the season for well over a century.

James Lord Pierpont, published 1857 as “One Horse Open Sleigh”. Public domain. The chorus. The notes follow Paul Hardy’s Xmas Tunebook, 2019 (2024), cross-checked against 1 other transcription. More about Jingle Bells →

Jingle Bells on other instruments

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

• Jingle Bells — kalimbatabs
• Jingle Bells — pianoletter notes
• Jingle Bells — mbiratabs
• Jingle Bells — handpantabs
• Jingle Bells — oudnotes
• Jingle Bells — violinnotes
• Jingle Bells — cellonotes
• Jingle Bells — erhunotes
• Jingle Bells — xylophoneletter notes
• Jingle Bells — marimbaletter notes
• Jingle Bells — glockenspielletter notes
• Jingle Bells — steel drumletter notes
• Jingle Bells — ocarinanotes
• Jingle Bells — harmonicatabs
• Jingle Bells — trumpetnotes
• Jingle Bells — clarinetnotes
• Jingle Bells — saxophonenotes
• Jingle Bells — flutenotes
• Jingle Bells — recordernotes
• Jingle Bells — tubanotes
• Jingle Bells — euphoniumnotes
• Jingle Bells — trombonenotes
• Jingle Bells — accordionletter notes
• Jingle Bells — harpletter notes
• Jingle Bells — lyretabs

More songs for the dulcimer

• We Wish You a Merry ChristmasChristmas songs · octave
• Silent NightChristmas songs · octave and a fourth
• Deck the HallsChristmas songs · octave and a semitone
• O Christmas TreeChristmas songs · octave and a whole step
• Joy to the WorldChristmas songs · octave
• Hark! The Herald Angels SingChristmas songs · octave and a whole step
• O Come, All Ye FaithfulChristmas songs · octave
• God Rest Ye Merry, GentlemenChristmas songs · octave and a whole step

All 35 dulcimer songs · Christmas songs for dulcimer · The online dulcimer on its own