“Silent Night” is another three-chord Christmas song, so it’s quite friendly for even very new ukulele players. Like “The First Noel,” this song is set in 3/4 time and when we play we have to strum and count 1-2-3, 1-2-3. If this is a song you’re familiar with, you already know what it’s supposed to sound like and that can help you intuitively find the rhythm of the song. If Time Signature is a new concept for you, play this song with a very basic down or down/up strum.
This song uses the same three chords as “Joy to the World,” so it’s another great candidate for experimenting with playing in different keys. Oh, What Fun! Christmas Songs for the Ukulele includes songs formatted using the Nashville Number System and a chord chart so you can easily transpose (change the key of a song) into five popular keys. But even if you only know C, F, and G7— the three most important chords for the key of C— there are still plenty of songs you can play, and I hope you’ll sing and strum along with me this holiday season!
Resources:
This video explains the difference between 4/4 and 3/4 time signature.
Learn to play this song and twelve other Christmas classics with Oh, What Fun! Christmas Songs for the Ukulele, my beginner-friendly holiday songbook available in paperback and as a digital download.
Learn to play the ukulele with my book, Let's Play! The Ukulele Handbook for Beginners, available in paperback and as a digital download.
