Major view
E major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = D# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = A (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Mariah Carey - O Holy Night - Chord
Key E major – C# minor Chords E, B7, A, G#m, C#m, D#7, F#m, B Easy key C (capo 4)
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Key: E | Dbm | C#m
Capo: 0
E A E
O holy night, the stars are brightly shining
B7 E
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth
E A E
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
G#m D#7 G#m
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth
B7 E
A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices
B7 E
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
C#m G#m F#m C#m B
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices
E B7 C#m A B7 E
O night divine, O night when Christ was born
B7 E A E B7 E
O night, O hooly night, O night divine
E A E
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming
B7 E
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand
E A E
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
G#m D#7 G#m
Here came the wise men from Orient land
B7 E
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger
B7 E
In all our trials born to be our friend
C#m G#m F#m C#m B
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices
E B7 C#m A B7 E
O night divine, O night when Christ was born
B7 E A E B7 E
O night, O hooly night, O night divine
E A E
Truly He taught us to love one another
B7 E
His law is love and His Gospel is peace
E A E
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
G#m D#7 G#m
And in His Name all oppression shall cease
B7 E
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
B7 E
Let all within us praise His holy Name
C#m G#m F#m C#m B
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices
E B7 C#m A B7 E
O night divine, O night when Christ was born
B7 E A E B7 E
O night, O hooly night, O night divine
End of song Play again?
Mariah Carey - O Holy Night Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Mariah Carey – O Holy Night: key and chord analysis
The song opens on E and ends on E. Its chords belong to both E major and C#m, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
C# minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = A (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = B (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the E major side because it both starts and finishes on E and E is heard 36 times against 9 for C#m. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from C# minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to E or to C#m; comparing both readings is a practice of its own.
Every chord of the key, listed 1 to 7 separately for each key. Chords played in the song show how often they appear; chords from outside the scale sit next to their own degree.
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | E | Tonic — home | E · G# · B | 36× |
| ii | F#m | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C# | 3× |
| iii | G#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | G# · B · D# | 9× |
| V/vi | G# | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to C#msecondary dominant | G# · B# · D# | — |
| IV | A | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C# · E | 12× |
| V7 | B7 | Dominant — strongest pull home | B · D# · F# · A | 21× |
| V | B | Dominant — strongest pull home | B · D# · F# | 3× |
| vi | C#m | Relative minor — the melancholy side | C# · E · G# | 9× |
| vii° | D#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | D# · F# · A | — |
| V7/iii | D#7 | Secondary dominant V/iii — leads to G#msecondary dominant | D# · G · A# · C# | 3× |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | C#m | Tonic — home | C# · E · G# | 9× |
| ii° | D#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D# · F# · A | — |
| V7/v | D#7 | Secondary dominant V/v — leads to G#msecondary dominant | D# · G · A# · C# | 3× |
| III | E | Relative major — the bright side | E · G# · B | 36× |
| iv | F#m | Subdominant — moves away from home | F# · A · C# | 3× |
| v | G#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | G# · B · D# | 9× |
| V | G# | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | G# · B# · D# | — |
| VI | A | Submediant — warm colour | A · C# · E | 12× |
| VII7 | B7 | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | B · D# · F# · A | 21× |
| VII | B | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | B · D# · F# | 3× |
Analysis
The key pair is E major and its relative C# minor (4 sharps). 8 different chords appear 96 times in total; 7 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. D#7 acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
- B7 E EV7 → Iauthentic cadence C#mVII7 → III ×18
- A E EIV → Iplagal cadence C#mVI → III ×9
- B E EV → Iauthentic cadence C#mVII → III ×3
- F#m C#m Eii → vi C#miv → iminor plagal ×3
- B7 C#m EV7 → videceptive cadence C#mVII7 → iAeolian arrival ×3
- D#7 G#m EV7/iii → iiisecondary resolution C#mV7/v → v ×3
The move to watch is B7 → E, heard 18 times. From the E side it reads V7 → I (authentic cadence: the strongest arrival home); from the C#m side it is VII7 → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- E major pentatonic and C# minor pentatonic are the same five notes (E – F# – G# – B – C#): start from E for a brighter phrase, from C# for a bluesier one.
- Over E, land on E, G#, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over B7, land on B, D#, F# — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over A, land on A, C#, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
The song on the circle of fifths
- Played in the song — chord of the key
- Played — the minor's harmonic V or a secondary dominant
- Played — borrowed or outside chord
- Home region: IV–I–V and ii–vi–iii
Empty slices are chords the song doesn't use.
Capo and easier keys
With E major shapes
- No capo — open E shapes
- Capo 2 + D shapes
- Capo 4 + C shapes
With C# minor shapes
- Capo 4 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 4 semitones down · capo 4 keeps the original pitch
- 3 semitones up
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is E; the ear learns where home is within a second. The backbone is E, B7, A, G#m — I–V7–IV–iii from the E side, III–VII7–VI–v from the C#m side. D#7 adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/iii — leads to G#m. Keep an ear on B7 → E (V7 → I in E, VII7 → III in C#m): authentic cadence — the strongest arrival home. The final chord is E; the ear comes to rest in E.
This analysis is generated from the song's chords by akorculuk's harmony engine using consistent rules. When you change key, the degrees stay the same; only the chord names change.
Mariah Carey - O Holy Night Chords on Guitar, Ukulele and Piano
Hover over or tap a chord in the lyrics for its shapes, its degree in both keys and a listen button. Here you have every chord of the song side by side.
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