How to Play Silver Bells Chords on Guitar

Silver Bells is a popular Christmas song that was first performed by Bing Crosby and Carol Richards in 1950. The song was written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, who were inspired by the sound of Salvation Army bell ringers on the streets of New York City. The song has been covered by many artists, such as Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, Johnny Mathis, and Michael Bublé.

If you want to learn how to play Silver Bells on guitar, you will need to know some basic chords and strumming patterns. In this article, we will show you two versions of the song: one in the key of C and one in the key of G. You can choose the one that suits your vocal range and preference.

Chords

     C
City sidewalks, busy sidewalks 
           F
Dressed in Holiday style 
       G                        C
In the air there's a feeling of Christmas
         C
Children laughing, people passing 
        F
Meeting smile after smile 
       G                       C
And on every street corner you hear
C             F
Silver bells, silver bells 
G                          C
It's Christmas-time in the city 
C            F
Ring-a-ling, hear them ring 
G                         C
Soon it will be Christmas Day
 
           C
Strings of street lights, even stop lights 
        F
Blink a bright red and green 
       G                            C
As the shoppers run home with their treasures 
         C
Hear the snow crunch, see the kids bunch 
        F
This is Santa's big scene 
     G                       C
And above all the bustle you hear... 
C             F
Silver bells, silver bells 
G                          C
It's Christmas-time in the city 
C            F
Ring-a-ling, hear them ring 
G                         C
Soon it will be Christmas day 

Version 1: Key of C

The chords you will need for this version are C, F, G, and D. You can play them as open chords or use a capo on the first fret to make them easier. The strumming pattern is a simple down-up-down-up pattern that you can repeat for each chord. Here is how the song goes:

C City sidewalks, busy sidewalks F Dressed in Holiday style G C In the air there’s a feeling of Christmas

C Children laughing, people passing F Meeting smile after smile G C And on every street corner you hear

C F Silver bells, silver bells G C It’s Christmas-time in the city C F Ring-a-ling, hear them ring G C Soon it will be Christmas Day

You can repeat the same chords and strumming pattern for the second verse and the chorus. You can also add some variations to make it more interesting, such as playing some single notes or adding some embellishments to the chords.

Version 2: Key of G

The chords you will need for this version are G, C, Am7, D, and D7. You can play them as open chords or use a capo on the third fret to make them easier. The strumming pattern is a bit more complex than the previous one, but still easy to follow. It consists of four beats per measure, with an accent on the second and fourth beat. Here is how it sounds: 1 2 3 4 | D U D U | D U D U |. Here is how the song goes:

G City sidewalks, busy sidewalks C Am7 Dressed in Holiday style D G In the air there’s a feeling of Christmas

G Children laughing, people passing C Am7 Meeting smile after smile D D7 G And on every street corner you hear

G C Silver bells, silver bells D D7 G It’s Christmas-time in the city G C Ring-a-ling, hear them ring D D7 G Soon it will be Christmas day

You can repeat the same chords and strumming pattern for the second verse and the chorus. You can also add some variations to make it more interesting, such as playing some single notes or adding some embellishments to the chords.

Conclusion

Silver Bells is a classic Christmas song that you can easily learn to play on guitar. You can choose between two versions: one in the key of C and one in the key of G. Both versions use simple chords and strumming patterns that you can master with some practice. You can also add some personal touches to make your rendition more unique and expressive.

If you want to learn more about how to play Silver Bells on guitar, you can check out some online tutorials or tabs that show you more details and tips. For example, you can find some useful resources at Ultimate Guitar or E-Chords. Happy playing and Merry Christmas