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)
Frank Sinatra - Jingle Bells - Chord
Key C major – A minor Chords C, G, G7, F, Gb, D7 Easy key D
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Key: C | Am
Capo: 0
C
I love those J i n g l e Bells Oh
G
Those holiday J i n g l e Bells Oh
C Gb
Those happy J i n g l e B E Double "L" S
C
I love those J i n g l e Bells Oh
C
Jingle bells, jingle bells, Jingle all the way
G7 C
Oh, what fun it is to ride
D7 G
In a one horse open sleigh
C
Jingle bells, jingle bells, Jingle all the way
G7 C
Oh, what fun it is to ride
G C
In a one horse open sleigh
C
Dashing through the snow (Doo Doh!)
F
In a one horse open sleigh (Doo Day!)
G
O'er the fields we go (Doo Doh!)
C
Laughing all the way (Doo Daaayyy!)
C
Bells on bob tails ring
F
Making our spirits bright
F G
What fun it is to laugh and sing
C
A sleighing song tonight
C
Jingle bells, jing jingle bells, Jingle all the way
G7 C
Oh, what fun it is to ride
G C
In a one horse open sleigh
C
I love those J i n g l e Bells Oh
G
Those holiday J i n g l e Bells Oh
C Gb
Those happy J i n g l e B E Double "L" S
C G C
I love those Jingle Bells All the way
C
Jingle All the Waaayyy
End of song Play again?
Frank Sinatra - Jingle Bells Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Frank Sinatra – Jingle Bells: key and chord analysis
The song opens on C and ends on C. 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: to us the song feels closer to the C major side because it both starts and finishes on C and C is heard 20 times while Am never appears. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from A minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
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 | 20× |
| ii | Dm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · A | — |
| V7/V | D7 | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Gsecondary dominant | D · F# · A · C | 1× |
| iii | Em | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | E · G · B | — |
| III | E | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | E · G# · B | — |
| IV | F | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · A · C | 3× |
| #IV | Gb | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Gb · Bb · Db | 2× |
| V | G | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · B · D | 8× |
| V7 | G7 | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · B · D · F | 3× |
| vi | Am | Relative minor — the melancholy side | A · C · E | — |
| vii° | Bdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | B · D · F | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | Tonic — home | A · C · E | — |
| ii° | Bdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F | — |
| III | C | Relative major — the bright side | C · E · G | 20× |
| iv | Dm | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F · A | — |
| IV7 | D7 | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | D · F# · A · C | 1× |
| v | Em | Minor dominant — soft pull | E · G · B | — |
| V | E | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | E · G# · B | — |
| VI | F | Submediant — warm colour | F · A · C | 3× |
| #VI | Gb | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Gb · Bb · Db | 2× |
| VII | G | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · B · D | 8× |
| VII7 | G7 | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · B · D · F | 3× |
Analysis
The key pair is C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 6 different chords appear 37 times in total; 4 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. D7 acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
- G C CV → Iauthentic cadence AmVII → III ×8
- G7 C CV7 → Iauthentic cadence AmVII7 → III ×3
- F G CIV → VIV → V AmVI → VIIVI → VII ×2
- D7 G CV7/V → Vsecondary resolution AmIV7 → VII ×1
The move to watch is G → C, heard 8 times. From the C side it reads V → I (authentic cadence: the strongest arrival home); from the Am side it is VII → III. 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 C, land on C, E, G — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over G, land on G, B, D — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over G7, land on G, B, D — 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
- 2 semitones up
- 5 semitones down · capo 5 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The opening C lays a solid floor for everything that follows. C, G, G7, F carry the song: I–V–V7–IV relative to C, III–VII–VII7–VI relative to Am. D7 adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/V — leads to G. Keep an ear on G → C (V → I in C, VII → III in Am): authentic cadence — the strongest arrival home. Ending on C, 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.
Frank Sinatra - Jingle Bells 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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