Nat King Cole – The Christmas Song (Guitar Acoustic Tab)

Video Lesson

Versions (6)

Auto-scroll

Chords

Title: The Christmas Song Author and Copyright: MississippiHans (arr.+tab.) Tempo: 12/8 time with q=110, Capo: 2nd fret, optionally 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 chord in the 2nd measure is in fact Cmaj7, but never mind. Use thumb-fretting for D and Bb.

[Verse]    (2x)
   G  t     t     t     t  t   C  t     t     t     t  t      t     t  D7 t     t t    G     t   Em t     t
E|----------3--2-p0----------|-0a----------0-------------|----------0----------------|----------------------|
B|----------------------3-p1-|-0a-0--0--------------3-p1-|-0-----------3-p1-----0----|----------------------|
G|----0----------------------|-0a-------0-----0----------|----0--------------------2-|-0a-------------------|
D|-------0-----------2-------|-------2-----------2-------|-------2-----------0-------|-0a-----0-----2-----2-|
A|-------------2-------------|-3a----------3-------------|---------------------------|-----2-----------2----|
E|-3-------------------------|---------------------------|-0-----------2-------------|-3a--------0----------|
      Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,                    Jack Frost nipping at your nose, 
      A turkey   and some      mistletoe,                    Help to make the season   bright. 

   Am   t        t        t       t   t     Em   t       t   t   B7         t
E|---------------0------------------------|------------------0---2a-------------|
B|-------------------3---p1-------0-------|-0------------3-------0a-------------|
G|------2-----------------------------2---|------0---------------2a---------2---|
D|----------2-----------------2-----------|----------2-----------------1--------|
A|-0-----------------0--------------------|----------------------2a-------------|
E|----------------------------------------|-0-----------------------------------|
        Yuletide     carols       being     sung          by a   choir,     And
        Tiny         tots    with their     eyes          all aglow         Will  

  /------------1st pass--------------------------------\ /--------------2nd pass----------------------------\
   Am     t (Em) t     t   t   Am       t  D   t      t   C   t  G   t  C    D   t   G  t      t  G7 t     t
E|-3a--------3--p0-----------|-0a-----------------------|-3a-p0--------------------|-------------------------|
B|-1a------------------3--p0-|-1a-----------------------|-1a-----3a-p0-------------|-------------------------|
G|-2a-----2------------------|-2a-------2------2------2-|-0a-----0a-----0a---2--p0-|----0------0-----0-----0-|
D|-----2------------2--------|------2-------------0-----|--------0a-----2a---0-----|-------0------------3----|
A|-0a------------------------|-0a-----------------------|-3a------------3a---------|--------------2----------|
E|-----------0---------------|-------------2------------|--------------------------|-3-----------------------|
   folks dressed up like Eski- mos,     everybody knows
                                                         find it hard to sleep tonight.        They know that 

[Bridge]
   C      t     t      t    D        t     t      t    C        t      t      t    D        t      t      t
E|-3a---------------------|-2a-----------------------|-3a------------------------|-2a------------------------|
B|-1a-----------0---------|--------------------------|-1a----------1--p0---------|-3a------------------------|
G|-0a-----0--------2--p0--|-2a-------2-----2------2--|-0a-------0---------2--p0--|-2a-------2------0--2--p0--|
D|-----2-----------0------|------0-------------------|------2-------------0------|------0--------------------|
A|-3a---------------------|-0a----------------0------|-3a------------------------|-0a-----------------0------|
E|-----------3------------|-------------2------------|-------------3-------------|-------------2-------------|
   Saan-        ta's on his way;          He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh.      And every

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

[Verse]

   G  t     t     t     t  t   C  t     t     t     t  t      t     t  D7 t     t  t   G      t  Em t     t
E|----------3--2-p0----------|-0a----------0-------------|----------0----------------|----------------------|
B|----------------------3-p1-|-0a-0--0--------------3-p1-|-0-----------3-p1-----0----|----------------------|
G|----0----------------------|-0a-------0-----0----------|----0--------------------2-|-0a-------------------|
D|-------0-----------2-------|-------2-----------2-------|-------2-----------0-------|-0a-----0-----2-----2-|
A|-------------2-------------|-3a----------3-------------|---------------------------|-----2-----------2----|
E|-3-------------------------|---------------------------|-0-----------2-------------|-3a--------0----------|
     And so I'm offering this simple phrase,                 To kids from one to ninety-two, 

   Am  t     t      t     t  t   Em  t       t   B7     t   C   t  G   t  C   D   t   G  t      t  G7 t     t
E|-----------0-----------------|-------------0---2--------|-3a-p0-------------------|-----------------------|
B|--------------3--p1-----0----|-0--------3------0--------|-1a-----3a-p0------------|-----------------------|
G|-----2---------------------2-|-----0-----------2------2-|-0a-----0a-----0a--2--p0-|----0-----0----0-----0-|
D|--------2------------2-------|--------2------------1----|--------0a-----2a--0-----|-------0----------3----|
A|-0------------0--------------|-----------------2--------|-3a------------3a--------|-------------2---------|
E|-----------------------------|-0------------------------|-------------------------|-3---------------------|
       Although its been said many times,  many  ways,      Merry Christmas   to you!

[Instrumental]     (corresponds to the Bridge)
   C   t   t       t   t       t   t        t     D   t   t       t   t       t   t        t
E|-0--------------------------------------------|-2-----------------------------------2--------|
B|-----1-------1-------1----------p0------------|-----3-------3-------3-------3----------------|
G|---------0-------0-----------0-------2---p0---|---------2-------2---------------2--------2---|
D|-------------2-----------------------0--------|-------------0--------------------------------|
A|-3--------------------------------------------|-0-----------------------------------0--------|
E|-------------------------3--------------------|-------------------------2--------------------|

   C   t   t       t   t       t   t        t     D   t   t       t   t       t   t        t
E|-0--------------------------------------------|-2--------------------------------------------|
B|-----1-------1-------1----------p0------------|-----3-------3-------3-------3----------------|
G|---------0-------0-----------0-------2---p0---|---------2-------2---------------0---2---p0---|
D|-------------2-----------------------0--------|-------------0--------------------------------|
A|-3--------------------------------------------|-0-----------------------------------0--------|
E|-------------------------3--------------------|-------------------------2--------------------|

   Bb  t   t       t   t       t   t        t     C   t   t       t   t       t   t        t
E|-1-----------------------1--------------------|-0--------------------------------------------|
B|-----3-------3-------3-----------3---1--------|-----1-------1-------1----------p0------------|
G|---------3-------3-----------3------------3---|---------0-------0-----------0-------2---p0---|
D|-------------3-----------------------3--------|-------------2-----------------------0--------|
A|----------------------------------------------|-3--------------------------------------------|
E|-1-----------------------1--------------------|-------------------------3--------------------|

   Bb  t   t       t   t       t   t        t     D   t   t       t   t       t   t        t
E|-1-----------------------1--------------------|-2-----------------------------------------|
B|-----3-------3-------3-----------3---1--------|-----3-------3-------3--------3--p0--------|
G|---------3-------3-----------3------------3---|---------2-------2---------------------2---|
D|-------------3-----------------------3--------|-------------0-----------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------------|-0--------------------------------0--------|
E|-1-----------------------1--------------------|-------------------------2-----------------|

[Coda]
   G   t       t       t     t   t    C   t       t      t     t   t         t      t   D7   t       t   t
E|-------------3---2--p0------------|-0a-------------0-----------------|------------0------------------------|
B|---------------------------3--p1--|-0a--0---0----------------3--p1---|-0--------------3---p1-------0-------|
G|-----0----------------------------|-0a----------0------0-------------|-----0---------------------------2---|
D|---------0--------------2---------|---------2-------------2----------|---------2---------------0-----------|
A|-----------------2----------------|-3a-------------3-----------------|-------------------------------------|
E|-3--------------------------------|----------------------------------|-0--------------2--------------------|
       And so I'm  offering      this simple phrase,                         To kids from one to     ninety-

   G         t   Em  t        t    Am   t       t        t       t   t    Em7  t       t   t   B7    C    t
E|-------------------------------|--------------0-----------------------|------------------0---2a----3a--p0--|
B|-------------------------------|------------------3---p1-------0------|-0------------3-------0a----1a------|
G|-0a----------------------------|------2----------------------------2--|------0---------------2a----0a------|
D|-0a--------0-------2--------2--|----------2----------------2----------|----------2-------------------------|
A|------2----------------2-------|-0----------------0-------------------|----------------------2a----3a------|
E|-3a------------0---------------|--------------------------------------|-0----------------------------------|
   two,                                 Although its been said   many     times,       many    ways, Merry 

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