Jingle Bells ✧
The familiar chorus uses just five notes in the low register.
Sheet music
Tap a staff note or finger tab to hear it.
Chorus · first half
Chorus · closing half
D whistle · D major · 4/4 · 120 BPM · + upper octave
Chorus · first half
Chorus · closing half
Lyrics
James Lord Pierpont · 1857
Four verses and the chorus. The tab above plays the chorus only; the verses use a different melody.
Dashing through the snow In a one-horse open sleigh O'er the fields we go Laughing all the way. Bells on bob-tail ring Making spirits bright What fun it is to ride and sing A sleighing song tonight.
Chorus Jingle bells, jingle bells Jingle all the way, Oh what fun it is to ride In a one-horse open sleigh, O Jingle bells, jingle bells Jingle all the way, Oh what fun it is to ride In a one-horse open sleigh.
A day or two ago I thought I'd take a ride And soon Miss Fanny Bright Was seated by my side; The horse was lean and lank Misfortune seemed his lot, We got into a drifted bank And there we got upsot.
A day or two ago The story I must tell I went out on the snow And on my back I fell; A gent was riding by In a one-horse open sleigh He laughed as there I sprawling lie But quickly drove away.
Now the ground is white, Go it while you're young, Take the girls tonight And sing this sleighing song. Just get a bob-tailed bay, Two-forty for his speed, Then hitch him to an open sleigh And crack! You'll take the lead.
About this tune
James Lord Pierpont wrote Jingle Bells in 1857. Its sleigh-ride imagery and ringing refrain have made it one of the most recognizable seasonal songs.
The chorus begins with repeated notes before opening into a wider melodic phrase. That combination of a simple hook and a strong pulse makes it easy for a group to sing together.
Performances
Watch musicians play this tune on tin whistle. Keys and arrangements may differ from the tabs above.
Jingle Bells — tin whistle performance and lesson
whistletutor
A close-up whistle demonstration followed by a lesson on the melody.
Watch on YouTube — Jingle Bells — tin whistle performance and lesson by whistletutor (opens in a new tab) ↗