Carol of the Bells

Lesson Notes

Breaking it down

• Note-by-note breakdown:

  The right hand plays the same 4-note pattern 4 times in a row. Each time through, the left hand plays one new note underneath it.

  Measure	Left hand	Right hand
  1	E	G, F♯, G, E
  2	D	G, F♯, G, E
  3	C	G, F♯, G, E
  4	B	G, F♯, G, E

• 🎹 Try This on the Virtual Piano Play the opening notes above yourself, right in your browser — free, no instrument required.

  Try It Now →
• Practice tips:
  • Practice each hand alone first — the right hand's 4-note pattern (G F♯ G E) repeats identically all 4 measures; only the left-hand bass note changes.
  • Keep the tempo steady and even — this piece is about rhythm, not speed.
  • Once comfortable, add a slight swell in volume through the pattern for that "bells ringing" feel.
• History: Composed by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych in 1916 as "Shchedryk," based on a traditional folk song about a swallow announcing a bountiful harvest — it only became a Christmas carol in the West after a later English adaptation.