The Christmas Song tab by Nat King Cole

Tabs (Ver. 2)

• Capo on 2nd

Tuning: Standard (E MajorE A augmentedA D MajorD G+G BB E MajorE)

NOTE:
Play bass quarters consequently with your right-hand thumb. Play with a swinging feel.
Each quarter consist of a triplet, i.e. the "quarter beat" is followed by 0, 1 or 2 "triplet beats".
Triplet beats are marked "t". The last two measure in the Code have 4/4 time; here eighths are marked '+'.
Emphasize the melody notes. The chord names above the tab lines indicate the left-hand position;
The C majorC chord in the 2nd measure is in fact Cmaj7, but never mind. Use thumb-fretting for D MajorD and Bb.


Verse:  (2x)
  G+G t   t   t   t t  C majorC t   t   t   t t   t   t D7D7 t   t t  G+G   t  E minorEm t   t
E MajorE|----------3--2-p0----------|-0a----------0-------------|----------0----------------|----------------------|
BB|----------------------3-p1-|-0a-0--0--------------3-p1-|-0-----------3-p1-----0----|----------------------|
G+G|----0----------------------|-0a-------0-----0----------|----0--------------------2-|-0a-------------------|
D MajorD|-------0-----------2-------|-------2-----------2-------|-------2-----------0-------|-0a-----0-----2-----2-|
A augmentedA|-------------2-------------|-3a----------3-------------|---------------------------|-----2-----------2----|
E MajorE|-3-------------------------|---------------------------|-0-----------2-------------|-3a--------0----------|
   Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,          Jack Frost nipping at your nose,
   A augmentedA turkey  and some   mistletoe,          Help to make the season  bright.

  A minorAm  t    t    t    t  t   E minorEm  t    t  t  B7B7     t
E MajorE|---------------0------------------------|------------------0---2a-------------|
BB|-------------------3---p1-------0-------|-0------------3-------0a-------------|
G+G|------2-----------------------------2---|------0---------------2a---------2---|
D MajorD|----------2-----------------2-----------|----------2-----------------1--------|
A augmentedA|-0-----------------0--------------------|----------------------2a-------------|
E MajorE|----------------------------------------|-0-----------------------------------|
    Yuletide   carols    being   sung     by a  choir,   And
    Tiny     tots  with their   eyes     all aglow     Will

 /------------1st pass--------------------------------\ /--------------2nd pass----------------------------\
  A minorAm   t (E minorEm) t   t  t  A minorAm    t D MajorD  t   t  C majorC  t G+G  t C majorC  D MajorD  t  G+G t   t G7G7 t   t
E MajorE|-3a--------3--p0-----------|-0a-----------------------|-3a-p0--------------------|-------------------------|
BB|-1a------------------3--p0-|-1a-----------------------|-1a-----3a-p0-------------|-------------------------|
G+G|-2a-----2------------------|-2a-------2------2------2-|-0a-----0a-----0a---2--p0-|----0------0-----0-----0-|
D MajorD|-----2------------2--------|------2-------------0-----|--------0a-----2a---0-----|-------0------------3----|
A augmentedA|-0a------------------------|-0a-----------------------|-3a------------3a---------|--------------2----------|
E MajorE|-----------0---------------|-------------2------------|--------------------------|-3-----------------------|
  folks dressed up like Eski- mos,   everybody knows
                             find it hard to sleep tonight.    They know that


Bridge:
  C majorC   t   t   t  D MajorD    t   t   t  C majorC    t   t   t  D MajorD    t   t   t
E MajorE|-3a---------------------|-2a-----------------------|-3a------------------------|-2a------------------------|
BB|-1a-----------0---------|--------------------------|-1a----------1--p0---------|-3a------------------------|
G+G|-0a-----0--------2--p0--|-2a-------2-----2------2--|-0a-------0---------2--p0--|-2a-------2------0--2--p0--|
D MajorD|-----2-----------0------|------0-------------------|------2-------------0------|------0--------------------|
A augmentedA|-3a---------------------|-0a----------------0------|-3a------------------------|-0a-----------------0------|
E MajorE|-----------3------------|-------------2------------|-------------3-------------|-------------2-------------|
  Saan-    ta's on his way;     He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh.   And every

  Bb majorBb   t   t   t  C majorC    t   t   t  Bb majorBb   t   t   t  D MajorD    t   t   t
E MajorE|-1a---------1-------------|--------------------------|-1a---------1-------------|-2a-----------------------|
BB|-3a-------------3--1------|-1a-----------------------|-3a-------------3--1------|-3a-------------3-p0------|
G+G|-3a------3-------------3--|-0a-------0-----0------0--|-3a------3-------------3--|-2a-------2------------2--|
D MajorD|-----3-------------3------|------2------------3------|-----3-------------3------|------0-------------------|
A augmentedA|--------------------------|-3a-----------------------|--------------------------|-0a----------------0------|
E MajorE|-1a---------1-------------|-------------3------------|-1a---------1-------------|-------------2------------|
  mother's child is going to spy,      To see if reindeer really know how to fly.

Verse:

  G+G t   t   t   t t  C majorC t   t   t   t t   t   t D7D7 t   t t  G+G   t E minorEm t   t
E MajorE|----------3--2-p0----------|-0a----------0-------------|----------0----------------|----------------------|
BB|----------------------3-p1-|-0a-0--0--------------3-p1-|-0-----------3-p1-----0----|----------------------|
G+G|----0----------------------|-0a-------0-----0----------|----0--------------------2-|-0a-------------------|
D MajorD|-------0-----------2-------|-------2-----------2-------|-------2-----------0-------|-0a-----0-----2-----2-|
A augmentedA|-------------2-------------|-3a----------3-------------|---------------------------|-----2-----------2----|
E MajorE|-3-------------------------|---------------------------|-0-----------2-------------|-3a--------0----------|
   And so I'm offering this simple phrase,         To kids from one to ninety-two,

  A minorAm t   t   t   t t  E minorEm t    t  B7B7   t  C majorC  t G+G  t C majorC  D MajorD  t  G+G t   t G7G7 t   t
E MajorE|-----------0-----------------|-------------0---2--------|-3a-p0-------------------|-----------------------|
BB|--------------3--p1-----0----|-0--------3------0--------|-1a-----3a-p0------------|-----------------------|
G+G|-----2---------------------2-|-----0-----------2------2-|-0a-----0a-----0a--2--p0-|----0-----0----0-----0-|
D MajorD|--------2------------2-------|--------2------------1----|--------0a-----2a--0-----|-------0----------3----|
A augmentedA|-0------------0--------------|-----------------2--------|-3a------------3a--------|-------------2---------|
E MajorE|-----------------------------|-0------------------------|-------------------------|-3---------------------|
    Although its been said many times, many ways,   Merry Christmas  to you!


Instrumental:   (corresponds to the Bridge)
  C majorC  t  t    t  t    t  t    t   D MajorD  t  t    t  t    t  t    t
E MajorE|-0--------------------------------------------|-2-----------------------------------2--------|
BB|-----1-------1-------1----------p0------------|-----3-------3-------3-------3----------------|
G+G|---------0-------0-----------0-------2---p0---|---------2-------2---------------2--------2---|
D MajorD|-------------2-----------------------0--------|-------------0--------------------------------|
A augmentedA|-3--------------------------------------------|-0-----------------------------------0--------|
E MajorE|-------------------------3--------------------|-------------------------2--------------------|

  C majorC  t  t    t  t    t  t    t   D MajorD  t  t    t  t    t  t    t
E MajorE|-0--------------------------------------------|-2--------------------------------------------|
BB|-----1-------1-------1----------p0------------|-----3-------3-------3-------3----------------|
G+G|---------0-------0-----------0-------2---p0---|---------2-------2---------------0---2---p0---|
D MajorD|-------------2-----------------------0--------|-------------0--------------------------------|
A augmentedA|-3--------------------------------------------|-0-----------------------------------0--------|
E MajorE|-------------------------3--------------------|-------------------------2--------------------|

  Bb majorBb t  t    t  t    t  t    t   C majorC  t  t    t  t    t  t    t
E MajorE|-1-----------------------1--------------------|-0--------------------------------------------|
BB|-----3-------3-------3-----------3---1--------|-----1-------1-------1----------p0------------|
G+G|---------3-------3-----------3------------3---|---------0-------0-----------0-------2---p0---|
D MajorD|-------------3-----------------------3--------|-------------2-----------------------0--------|
A augmentedA|----------------------------------------------|-3--------------------------------------------|
E MajorE|-1-----------------------1--------------------|-------------------------3--------------------|

  Bb majorBb t  t    t  t    t  t    t   D MajorD  t  t    t  t    t  t    t
E MajorE|-1-----------------------1--------------------|-2-----------------------------------------|
BB|-----3-------3-------3-----------3---1--------|-----3-------3-------3--------3--p0--------|
G+G|---------3-------3-----------3------------3---|---------2-------2---------------------2---|
D MajorD|-------------3-----------------------3--------|-------------0-----------------------------|
A augmentedA|----------------------------------------------|-0--------------------------------0--------|
E MajorE|-1-----------------------1--------------------|-------------------------2-----------------|


Coda:
  G+G  t    t    t   t  t  C majorC  t    t   t   t  t     t   t  D7D7  t    t  t
E MajorE|-------------3---2--p0------------|-0a-------------0-----------------|------------0------------------------|
BB|---------------------------3--p1--|-0a--0---0----------------3--p1---|-0--------------3---p1-------0-------|
G+G|-----0----------------------------|-0a----------0------0-------------|-----0---------------------------2---|
D MajorD|---------0--------------2---------|---------2-------------2----------|---------2---------------0-----------|
A augmentedA|-----------------2----------------|-3a-------------3-----------------|-------------------------------------|
E MajorE|-3--------------------------------|----------------------------------|-0--------------2--------------------|
    And so I'm offering   this simple phrase,             To kids from one to   ninety-

  G+G     t  E minorEm t    t  A minorAm  t    t    t    t  t  E minor 7Em7 t    t  t  B7B7  C majorC  t
E MajorE|-------------------------------|--------------0-----------------------|------------------0---2a----3a--p0--|
BB|-------------------------------|------------------3---p1-------0------|-0------------3-------0a----1a------|
G+G|-0a----------------------------|------2----------------------------2--|------0---------------2a----0a------|
D MajorD|-0a--------0-------2--------2--|----------2----------------2----------|----------2-------------------------|
A augmentedA|------2----------------2-------|-0----------------0-------------------|----------------------2a----3a------|
E MajorE|-3a------------0---------------|--------------------------------------|-0----------------------------------|
  two,                 Although its been said  many   times,    many  ways, Merry

  G+G  t (slow down) D MajorD   G+G  +     +     +     +     +     +    +     +
E MajorE|--------------------------|-7----7----7---------7----7----7--------|-7---10\---3---/5---7------------------|
BB|-3a--p0-------------------|----------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
G+G|-0a------------------2----|-0--------------0-------------------0---|-------------------------0---------0---|
D MajorD|---------------------0----|-----------0-------------------0--------|-----------0------------------0--------|
A augmentedA|----------2---------------|----------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
E MajorE|-3a-------------3---------|-3-------------------7------------------|-3------------------3------------------|
  Christmas      to   you!


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| a  Arpeggio = harp-like (pick all strings in fast sequence upward)
| h  Hammer-on
| p  Pull-off
| /  Slide up
| \  Slide down

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Other versions of The Christmas Song

Alternative guitar chords and tabs for The very thought of you by Nat King Cole