Silent Night: letter notes for piano and recorder

“Silent Night” sounds simple, and it is harder than it sounds. The tune covers eleven notes, and it rocks in a long-short rhythm. This page gives letter notes in the key of C, with tips for the piano and the recorder.

Quick facts

• Notes: eleven, from middle C up to the F above the next C
• Time signature: 6/8 in many books, and 3/4 in others
• Words by: Joseph Mohr
• Music by: Franz Gruber
• First sung: Christmas Eve, 1818, in Oberndorf, Austria

On this page, a dash after a letter means “hold this note longer.” A mark such as C’ means a note in the higher octave.

Letter notes

The tune starts on the G above middle C.

Line 1: G A G E-,

Line 2: G A G E-,

Line 3: D’ D’ B-,

Line 4: C’ C’ G-,

Line 5: A A C’ B A,

Line 6: G A G E-,

Line 7: A A C’ B A,

Line 8: G A G E-,

Line 9: D’ D’ F’ D’ B,

Line 10: C’-, E’-,

Line 11: C’ G E, G F D,

Line 12: C-

What repeats

Lines	What to notice
1 and 2	The same four notes, twice
3 and 4	Two notes the same and one below, twice
5 and 6	A rise and a fall, and then line 1 again
7 and 8	Lines 5 and 6 again
9 and 10	The climb to the highest notes
11 and 12	The long walk down to the home note

A child who learns lines 1, 3, 5, and 9 has most of the song.

The rocking rhythm

The first three notes of line 1 go long, short, long. That pattern comes back all through the song, and it gives the tune the sway of a lullaby.

Say “long, short, long” while playing G, A, G. The first note lasts three times as long as the second.

For the note that makes this rhythm, read dotted notes and ties explained for kids. For the time signature, read 6/8 time explained.

On the piano

The tune is too wide for one hand position, so the right hand has to move.

• Lines 1 and 2 sit around E, G, and A.
• Lines 3 and 4 sit higher, around B, C’, and D’.
• Lines 5 to 8 move between the two places.
• Line 9 reaches the top note, F’.
• Line 11 walks down to finish on middle C.

Move the hand during the long notes. Each long note gives time to look ahead.

A teacher will mark exact finger numbers. This tune has more than one good fingering.

On the recorder

The letters above work on a soprano recorder as they are. The tune uses every note from the lowest C to the high F. It suits a player in the second year.

A newer player can play lines 1 and 2 with three notes: G, A, and low E.

Add the left hand

Lines	Left-hand note
1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10	C
3 and 9	G
5 and 7	F
11	C, and then G under the last three notes
12	C

Hold each note for the whole line.

How to learn it

1. Sing it. Feel the sway of the rhythm.
2. Play line 1 until the long-short-long pattern is easy.
3. Play lines 3 and 4. The hand moves up for these.
4. Play line 5. It returns in line 7.
5. Save lines 9 to 12 for last. They hold the highest note and the longest run.
6. Play it slow. This song is never fast.

The story of the first night

Joseph Mohr was a young priest in Austria. Franz Gruber was a schoolteacher who played the organ. On Christmas Eve in 1818, in the village of Oberndorf, the two men sang their new carol for the first time. Gruber wrote the tune, and a guitar played along.

People say the church organ was broken that night. Nobody knows for sure. Read Christmas carols for kids.

Things to do together

Guitar night. If someone in the family plays the guitar, play the tune with a guitar, as it was first heard.

Rock to it. Sway from side to side, one sway for each bar.

Soft to the end. Play each line a little softer than the one before.

Print and play

Print the piano keyboard chart and the December listening calendar. For easier carols, read Jingle Bells: letter notes and easy Christmas piano songs for kids. For music to play in December, read Christmas classical music for kids.