Carol of the Bells — Harmonica Tabs

• Notes92, 11 pitches
• RangeE4–A5
• Key hereA minor
• Tempo168 bpm · about 26 s
• LevelIntermediate

Can a harmonica play Carol of the 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.

• Equal tuning↕ Plays, movedPlayed an octave lower: A minor, E4–A5 · loaded above
• Just tuning↕ Plays, movedPlayed an octave lower: A minor, E4–A5 · load it

Carol of the Bells: harmonica tabs

The large line is the hole — a minus means draw, each apostrophe a semitone of bend; the small line under it is the note it sounds. 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 11 notes it uses

Lowest to highest, with how many times each is played. Learn these 11 and you can play the whole tune.

• 2E4×2
• -2’F♯4×2
• -3’’’G♯4×2
• -3’’A4×16
• -3B4×10
• 4C5×25
• -4D5×14
• 5E5×16
• -5F5×1
• 6G5×1
• -6A5×3

What to expect on a harmonica

• It runs from E4 to A5, an octave and a fourth, using 11 different notes. That leaves 4 semitones unused below and 15 above.
• 69% of its moves are a step or a repeated note. The widest is a major sixth, C5 to A5, at note 33.
• 44 of its 92 notes are blown and 48 drawn, in holes 2 to 6.
• 20 notes need a bend (-3’’, -2’ and -3’’’), which is the part to practise first.
• The breath changes direction 65 times.

About the tune

The Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych wrote “Shchedryk” for unaccompanied choir, built on a four-note folk chant sung at the New Year; it was first performed in Kyiv in 1916. A touring Ukrainian choir brought it to the United States in the early 1920s, where English words about bells were later written for it. Leontovych died in 1921 and his music is in the public domain; the English lyric is not, and is not used here.

Mykola Leontovych, “Shchedryk”, 1916. The melody is public domain; the later English lyric is not used here. The notes follow Wikipedia, “Shchedryk (song)” (engraved score). More about Carol of the Bells →

Carol of the Bells on other instruments

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

• Carol of the Bells — pianoletter notes
• Carol of the Bells — oudnotes
• Carol of the Bells — violinnotes
• Carol of the Bells — cellonotes
• Carol of the Bells — xylophoneletter notes
• Carol of the Bells — marimbaletter notes
• Carol of the Bells — glockenspielletter notes
• Carol of the Bells — steel drumletter notes
• Carol of the Bells — trumpetnotes
• Carol of the Bells — clarinetnotes
• Carol of the Bells — saxophonenotes
• Carol of the Bells — flutenotes
• Carol of the Bells — recordernotes
• Carol of the Bells — tubanotes
• Carol of the Bells — euphoniumnotes
• Carol of the Bells — trombonenotes
• Carol of the Bells — accordionletter notes

More songs for the harmonica

• Jingle BellsChristmas songs · fifth
• 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

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