Silent Night - Chords & Structure Guide
Original FretCompare guide - no tab or lyrics reproduced. First line (public-domain incipit): Silent night, holy night
| Key | G major |
|---|---|
| Capo | Optional capo 1-3 to suit your voice |
| Difficulty | Beginner - slow 3/4 (often felt in 6/8) |
| Chords used | G, D, C (fingerings in our chord library) |
Section chord map
Verse (repeats)
G (2 bars) - D (1 bar) - G (1 bar) | C (1 bar) - G (1 bar) - G / D (1 bar) - G (1 bar)
Very slow changes. C appears once per verse as the warm lift before home.
Strumming suggestion
Bass on beat 1, feather-light strums on 2 and 3. Quiet is the whole point. See our strumming patterns and practise slowly with the metronome.
Easier / substitute chords
D7 instead of D while learning.
Practice tip
A perfect December practice piece: record yourself in week one and again on Christmas Eve.
Public-domain basis
Composed 1818 (words Joseph Mohr, music Franz Xaver Gruber); English translation 1859. Original words and music public domain; later arrangements/recordings are separate works.
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