They are in order of range, narrowest first, because on a flutethe distance between a tune’s lowest and highest note decides more about how hard it is than its speed does. Jingle Bells covers the least ground and is the one to start with; Carol of the Bells covers the most.
- Jingle Bells
- Jolly Old Saint Nicholas
- Up on the Housetop
- Away in a Manger
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas
- Good King Wenceslas
- Joy to the World
- O Come, All Ye Faithful
- The First Noel
- Deck the Halls
- Auld Lang Syne
- O Christmas Tree
- God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
- Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
- O Holy Night
- Silent Night
- Carol of the Bells
Which flute plays how many
| Foot joint | As written | Moved | Cannot |
|---|---|---|---|
| C foot | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| B foot | 17 | 0 | 0 |
The carols, easiest first
The large line is the note. A dash holds a note another beat and an underline is half a beat.
1. Jingle Bells
James Lord Pierpont, 1857 · United States · G4–D5 · fifth · 51 notes
It is played on gentle air and faster air, and the air speed changes 8 times — a flute’s octaves are a speed of air, not a key. The whole of Jingle Bells for flute →
2. Jolly Old Saint Nicholas
1874 (music in print) · United States · D5–B5 · major sixth · 48 notes
The whole tune is played on faster air: the air speed never has to change. The whole of Jolly Old Saint Nicholas for flute →
3. Up on the Housetop
Benjamin Hanby, 1864 · Ohio, United States · G4–E5 · major sixth · 67 notes
It is played on gentle air and faster air, and the air speed changes 19 times — a flute’s octaves are a speed of air, not a key. The whole of Up on the Housetop for flute →
4. Away in a Manger
James R. Murray, 1887 · United States · D5–D6 · octave · 44 notes
It is played on faster air and fastest air, and the air speed changes 3 times — a flute’s octaves are a speed of air, not a key. The whole of Away in a Manger for flute →
5. We Wish You a Merry Christmas
19th century or earlier · England, West Country · D5–D6 · octave · 52 notes
It is played on faster air and fastest air, and the air speed changes 2 times — a flute’s octaves are a speed of air, not a key. The whole of We Wish You a Merry Christmas for flute →
6. Good King Wenceslas
1582 (tune) · Finland and Sweden · D5–D6 · octave · 53 notes
It is played on faster air and fastest air, and the air speed changes 4 times — a flute’s octaves are a speed of air, not a key. The whole of Good King Wenceslas for flute →
7. Joy to the World
Lowell Mason (arranger), 1836 · United States · G4–G5 · octave · 57 notes
It is played on gentle air and faster air, and the air speed changes 9 times — a flute’s octaves are a speed of air, not a key. The whole of Joy to the World for flute →
8. O Come, All Ye Faithful
John Francis Wade (attributed), c. 1743 · England and France · D5–D6 · octave · 61 notes
It is played on faster air and fastest air, and the air speed changes 2 times — a flute’s octaves are a speed of air, not a key. The whole of O Come, All Ye Faithful for flute →
9. The First Noel
1823 (in print) · Cornwall, England · G4–G5 · octave · 72 notes
It is played on gentle air and faster air, and the air speed changes 6 times — a flute’s octaves are a speed of air, not a key. The whole of The First Noel for flute →
10. Deck the Halls
16th century (tune) · Wales · F♯5–G6 · octave and a semitone · 68 notes
It is played on faster air and fastest air, and the air speed changes 9 times — a flute’s octaves are a speed of air, not a key. The whole of Deck the Halls for flute →
11. Auld Lang Syne
18th century · Scotland · D5–E6 · octave and a whole step · 56 notes
It is played on faster air and fastest air, and the air speed changes 8 times — a flute’s octaves are a speed of air, not a key. The whole of Auld Lang Syne for flute →
12. O Christmas Tree
16th century (tune) · Germany · D5–E6 · octave and a whole step · 61 notes
It is played on faster air and fastest air, and the air speed changes 6 times — a flute’s octaves are a speed of air, not a key. The whole of O Christmas Tree for flute →
13. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
18th century or earlier · England · D5–E6 · octave and a whole step · 67 notes
It is played on faster air and fastest air, and the air speed changes 4 times — a flute’s octaves are a speed of air, not a key. The whole of God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen for flute →
14. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Felix Mendelssohn, 1840 · Germany and England · D5–E6 · octave and a whole step · 76 notes
It is played on faster air and fastest air, and the air speed changes 16 times — a flute’s octaves are a speed of air, not a key. The whole of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing for flute →
15. O Holy Night
Adolphe Adam, 1847 · France · G4–B5 · octave and a major third · 95 notes
It is played on gentle air and faster air, and the air speed changes 21 times — a flute’s octaves are a speed of air, not a key. The whole of O Holy Night for flute →
16. Silent Night
Franz Xaver Gruber, 1818 · Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria · G4–C6 · octave and a fourth · 46 notes
It is played on gentle air and faster air, and the air speed changes 11 times — a flute’s octaves are a speed of air, not a key. The whole of Silent Night for flute →
17. Carol of the Bells
Mykola Leontovych, 1916 · Ukraine · B4–E6 · octave and a fourth · 92 notes
It is played on gentle air, faster air and fastest air, and the air speed changes 6 times — a flute’s octaves are a speed of air, not a key. The whole of Carol of the Bells for flute →
Why some Christmas songs are missing
Every tune here is in the public domain, which for Christmas music means carols and 19th-century songs. The 20th-century standards people also think of as Christmas songs are still in copyright, and a flute arrangement of one is a copy of its melody whatever notation it is written in, so they are not published here. Melodies only, too: there are no lyrics on any of these pages.
All flute songs · Christmas songs on every instrument · The online flute