They are in order of range, narrowest first, because on a steel drumthe 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
The carols, easiest first
The large line is the note stamped on the pan. A dash holds a note another beat and an underline is half a beat.
1. Jingle Bells
James Lord Pierpont, 1857 · United States · F4–C5 · fifth · 51 notes
Its notes sit in 2 of the pan’s three rings, so the stick moves in and out as well as around. The whole of Jingle Bells for steel drum →
2. Jolly Old Saint Nicholas
1874 (music in print) · United States · C5–A5 · major sixth · 48 notes
Every note is in one ring of the pan, so the stick never crosses between rings. The whole of Jolly Old Saint Nicholas for steel drum →
3. Up on the Housetop
Benjamin Hanby, 1864 · Ohio, United States · F4–D5 · major sixth · 67 notes
Its notes sit in 2 of the pan’s three rings, so the stick moves in and out as well as around. The whole of Up on the Housetop for steel drum →
4. Away in a Manger
James R. Murray, 1887 · United States · C5–C6 · octave · 44 notes
Its notes sit in 2 of the pan’s three rings, so the stick moves in and out as well as around. The whole of Away in a Manger for steel drum →
5. We Wish You a Merry Christmas
19th century or earlier · England, West Country · C5–C6 · octave · 52 notes
Its notes sit in 2 of the pan’s three rings, so the stick moves in and out as well as around. The whole of We Wish You a Merry Christmas for steel drum →
6. Good King Wenceslas
1582 (tune) · Finland and Sweden · C5–C6 · octave · 53 notes
Its notes sit in 2 of the pan’s three rings, so the stick moves in and out as well as around. The whole of Good King Wenceslas for steel drum →
7. Joy to the World
Lowell Mason (arranger), 1836 · United States · F4–F5 · octave · 57 notes
Its notes sit in 2 of the pan’s three rings, so the stick moves in and out as well as around. The whole of Joy to the World for steel drum →
8. O Come, All Ye Faithful
John Francis Wade (attributed), c. 1743 · England and France · C5–C6 · octave · 61 notes
Its notes sit in 2 of the pan’s three rings, so the stick moves in and out as well as around. The whole of O Come, All Ye Faithful for steel drum →
9. The First Noel
1823 (in print) · Cornwall, England · F4–F5 · octave · 72 notes
Its notes sit in 2 of the pan’s three rings, so the stick moves in and out as well as around. The whole of The First Noel for steel drum →
10. Deck the Halls
16th century (tune) · Wales · E4–F5 · octave and a semitone · an octave lower · 68 notes
Its notes sit in 2 of the pan’s three rings, so the stick moves in and out as well as around. The whole of Deck the Halls for steel drum →
11. Auld Lang Syne
18th century · Scotland · C5–D6 · octave and a whole step · 56 notes
Its notes sit in 2 of the pan’s three rings, so the stick moves in and out as well as around. The whole of Auld Lang Syne for steel drum →
12. O Christmas Tree
16th century (tune) · Germany · C5–D6 · octave and a whole step · 61 notes
Its notes sit in 2 of the pan’s three rings, so the stick moves in and out as well as around. The whole of O Christmas Tree for steel drum →
13. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
18th century or earlier · England · C5–D6 · octave and a whole step · 67 notes
Its notes sit in 2 of the pan’s three rings, so the stick moves in and out as well as around. The whole of God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen for steel drum →
14. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Felix Mendelssohn, 1840 · Germany and England · C5–D6 · octave and a whole step · 76 notes
Its notes sit in 2 of the pan’s three rings, so the stick moves in and out as well as around. The whole of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing for steel drum →
15. O Holy Night
Adolphe Adam, 1847 · France · F4–A5 · octave and a major third · 95 notes
Its notes sit in 2 of the pan’s three rings, so the stick moves in and out as well as around. The whole of O Holy Night for steel drum →
16. Silent Night
Franz Xaver Gruber, 1818 · Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria · F4–B♭5 · octave and a fourth · 46 notes
Its notes sit in 2 of the pan’s three rings, so the stick moves in and out as well as around. The whole of Silent Night for steel drum →
17. Carol of the Bells
Mykola Leontovych, 1916 · Ukraine · A4–D6 · octave and a fourth · 92 notes
Its notes sit in 3 of the pan’s three rings, so the stick moves in and out as well as around. The whole of Carol of the Bells for steel drum →
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 steel drum 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 steel drum songs · Christmas songs on every instrument · The online steel drum