“Joy to the World” is probably the easiest song in my Christmas songbook, so if you’re a very new ukulele player, this might be the place to start! I’m playing it in the key of C using the first three chords most beginners learn— C, F, and G7. Because this song only uses three chords, it’s a 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. After trying it out in a few different keys, I’ve discovered that playing this song in the key of G is a good fit for my natural (and quite average) vocal range. But 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 click play on the video and strum and sing along with me this holiday season.
Resources:
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.
