Major view
C major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = B (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = F (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Mariah Carey - When Christmas Comes - Chord
Key C major – A minor Chords F, Am7, Dm7, Gsus4, G9, C9, G, C … Easy key G (capo 5)
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Key: C | Am
Capo: 0
C9 Am7 G9 F Dm7 F Gsus4
C9 Am7
The whole world feels a little bit more love
Dm7 F
When Christmas comes, when Christmas comes
C9 Am7
And everywhere that you go people singing Let It Snow
Dm7 F
And hanging up that mistletoe
Am7 G9 F Dm7 F Gsus4
And me and you gonna have ourselves a holiday
Am7 G9 F Dm7 F Gsus4
And we don't need nobody else to celebrate
Am7 G9 F Dm7 F Gsus4
And we're gon' kiss our worries and our cares away
F
I can't wait
F G Am7 Dm7
Because this Christmas time get together
F Am7
It's gonna be so nice better than ever
F Am7 Dm7
And baby you're the one special treasure
F Gsus4
I can't wait to unwrap your love
Am7
Until Christmas comes
Am7 G9 F Dm7 F Gsus4
C9 Am7
So many souls hurt, so many don't have enough
Dm7 F
When Christmas comes, when Christmas comes
C9 Am7
But baby if you spread love someday it might be enough
Dm7 F
To heal each other one by one
Am7 G9 F Dm7 F Gsus4
And we gonna get together and rejoice and pray
Am7 G9 F Dm7 F Gsus4
And we gonna help the world become a better place
Am7 G9 F Dm7 F Gsus4
And we gonna sing and shout because the Savior reigns
F
So don't dismay
F G Am7 Dm7
Because this Christmas time get together
F Am7
It's gonna be so nice better than ever
F Am7 Dm7
And baby you're the one special treasure
F Gsus4
The Lord makes our hearts open up
Am7
Soon as Christmas comes
Am7 G9 F Dm7 F Gsus4
It's gonna be alright when Christmas comes
C Em7 F Em7 G Dm C
Oh jingle all the way. Oh what fun, hmm
Am7 G9 F Dm7 F Gsus4
And we ggonna reminisce about the good old days
Am7 G9 F Dm7 F Gsus4
And we gonna laugh together as the children play
Am7 G9 F Dm7 F Gsus4
And through the years is always gonna be this way
F
Come what may
F G Am7 Dm7
Because this Christmas time get together
F Am7
It's gonna be so nice better than ever
F Am7 Dm7
And baby you're the one special treasure
F Gsus4
I can't wait to unwrap your love
Am7
Until Christmas comes
Am7 G9 F Dm7 F Gsus4
Lalala dada dada dada dadada dada
End of song Play again?
Mariah Carey - When Christmas Comes Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Mariah Carey – When Christmas Comes: key and chord analysis
The song opens on C9 and ends on Gsus4. Its chords belong to both C major and Am, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
A minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = F (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = G (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: we can't honestly pick a side here — the song moves freely between C major and A minor because it opens on C and Am is heard 29 times against 7 for C. Try reading the chords both ways and see which feels more like home to you.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to C or to Am; 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 | C | Tonic — home | C · E · G | 2× |
| V7/IV | C9 | Secondary dominant V/IV — leads to Fsecondary dominant | C · E · G · Bb · D | 5× |
| ii7 | Dm7 | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · A · C | 23× |
| ii | Dm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · A | 1× |
| iii7 | Em7 | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | E · G · B · D | 2× |
| V/vi | E | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant | E · G# · B | — |
| IV | F | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · A · C | 46× |
| Vsus4 | Gsus4 | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · C · D | 16× |
| V7 | G9 | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · B · D · F · A | 13× |
| V | G | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · B · D | 4× |
| vi7 | Am7 | Relative minor — the melancholy side | A · C · E · G | 29× |
| vii° | Bdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | B · D · F | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i7 | Am7 | Tonic — home | A · C · E · G | 29× |
| ii° | Bdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F | — |
| III | C | Relative major — the bright side | C · E · G | 2× |
| V7/VI | C9 | Secondary dominant V/VI — leads to Fsecondary dominant | C · E · G · Bb · D | 5× |
| iv7 | Dm7 | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F · A · C | 23× |
| iv | Dm | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F · A | 1× |
| v7 | Em7 | Minor dominant — soft pull | E · G · B · D | 2× |
| V | E | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | E · G# · B | — |
| VI | F | Submediant — warm colour | F · A · C | 46× |
| VIIsus4 | Gsus4 | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · C · D | 16× |
| VII7 | G9 | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · B · D · F · A | 13× |
| VII | G | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · B · D | 4× |
Analysis
The key pair is C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 10 different chords appear 141 times in total; 9 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. C9 acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
- F Gsus4 CIV → Vsus4IV → V AmVI → VIIsus4VI → VII ×16
- Gsus4 Am7 CVsus4 → vi7deceptive cadence AmVIIsus4 → i7Aeolian arrival ×9
- F Am7 CIV → vi7 AmVI → i7VI → i ×8
- G Am7 CV → vi7deceptive cadence AmVII → i7Aeolian arrival ×3
- F G CIV → VIV → V AmVI → VIIVI → VII ×3
- Gsus4 C9 CVsus4 → V7/IVauthentic cadence AmVIIsus4 → V7/VI ×2
The move to watch is F → Gsus4, heard 16 times. From the C side it reads IV → Vsus4 (IV → V: the lift that builds tension before home); from the Am side it is VI → VIIsus4 (VI → VII: the rising step that heads for the tonic). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- C major pentatonic and A minor pentatonic are the same five notes (C – D – E – G – A): start from C for a brighter phrase, from A for a bluesier one.
- Over F, land on F, A, C — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Am7, land on A, C, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Dm7, land on D, F, A — 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 C major shapes
- No capo — open C shapes
- Capo 3 + A shapes
- Capo 5 + G shapes
With A minor shapes
- No capo — open Am shapes
- Capo 5 + Em shapes
- Capo 7 + Dm shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 5 semitones down · capo 5 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
Starting on C9, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. F, Am7, Dm7, Gsus4 carry the song: IV–vi7–ii7–Vsus4 relative to C, VI–i7–iv7–VIIsus4 relative to Am. C9 adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/IV — leads to F. Keep an ear on F → Gsus4 (IV → Vsus4 in C, VI → VIIsus4 in Am): IV → V — the lift that builds tension before home. Ending on Gsus4, the song seals C as home.
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 - When Christmas Comes 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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