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The First Noel — Sheet Music, Tab & Chord Directory

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About The First Noel

The First Noel is a carol in D major — beginner-friendly, running from D to d and staying in first position on banjo, mandolin and fiddle.

Type
Carol
Key
D major · 3/4
Range
D to d · first position
Notes used
C♯ D E F♯ G A B
Level
Beginner-friendly

The First Noel — sheet music

D major · 3/4

The notes

Letter names, bar by bar · capitals up to C in the third space, lower case from the D on the 4th line

F♯ E | D E F♯ G | A B C♯ | d C♯ B A B C♯ | d C♯ B | A B C♯ | d A G F♯ F♯ E | D E F♯ G | A B C♯ | d C♯ B A B C♯ | d C♯ B | A B C♯ | d A G F♯ F♯ E | D E F♯ G | A d C♯ | B B A | d C♯ B | A B C♯ | d A G F♯

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The First Noel — tab

Tenor banjo · mandolin · fiddle · guitar · ukulele — tap one to open it

The First Noel — Tenor banjo tab

G D A E (Irish tuning) · open position

E|-----|---------|-------|-------|
A|-----|---------|-0-2-4-|-5-4-2-|
D|-4-2-|-0-2-4-5-|-------|-------|
G|-----|---------|-------|-------|
E|-------|-------|-------|-------|
A|-0-2-4-|-5-4-2-|-0-2-4-|-5-0---|
D|-------|-------|-------|-----5-|
G|-------|-------|-------|-------|
E|-------|---------|-------|-------|
A|-------|---------|-0-2-4-|-5-4-2-|
D|-4-4-2-|-0-2-4-5-|-------|-------|
G|-------|---------|-------|-------|
E|-------|-------|-------|-------|
A|-0-2-4-|-5-4-2-|-0-2-4-|-5-0---|
D|-------|-------|-------|-----5-|
G|-------|-------|-------|-------|
E|-------|---------|-------|-----|
A|-------|---------|-0-5-4-|-2-2-|
D|-4-4-2-|-0-2-4-5-|-------|-----|
G|-------|---------|-------|-----|
E|---|-------|-------|-------|
A|-0-|-5-4-2-|-0-2-4-|-5-0---|
D|---|-------|-------|-----5-|
G|---|-------|-------|-------|
E|---|
A|---|
D|-4-|
G|---|

Numbers are frets. Tenor banjo sounds an octave below the written notes.

The First Noel — Mandolin tab

G D A E · open position

E|-----|---------|-------|-------|
A|-----|---------|-0-2-4-|-5-4-2-|
D|-4-2-|-0-2-4-5-|-------|-------|
G|-----|---------|-------|-------|
E|-------|-------|-------|-------|
A|-0-2-4-|-5-4-2-|-0-2-4-|-5-0---|
D|-------|-------|-------|-----5-|
G|-------|-------|-------|-------|
E|-------|---------|-------|-------|
A|-------|---------|-0-2-4-|-5-4-2-|
D|-4-4-2-|-0-2-4-5-|-------|-------|
G|-------|---------|-------|-------|
E|-------|-------|-------|-------|
A|-0-2-4-|-5-4-2-|-0-2-4-|-5-0---|
D|-------|-------|-------|-----5-|
G|-------|-------|-------|-------|
E|-------|---------|-------|-----|
A|-------|---------|-0-5-4-|-2-2-|
D|-4-4-2-|-0-2-4-5-|-------|-----|
G|-------|---------|-------|-----|
E|---|-------|-------|-------|
A|-0-|-5-4-2-|-0-2-4-|-5-0---|
D|---|-------|-------|-----5-|
G|---|-------|-------|-------|
E|---|
A|---|
D|-4-|
G|---|

Numbers are frets. Same strings as the fiddle, so the same notes fall in the same places.

The First Noel — fiddle fingering

G D A E · first position — finger numbers

E|-----|---------|-------|-------|
A|-----|---------|-0-1-2-|-3-2-1-|
D|-2-1-|-0-1-2-3-|-------|-------|
G|-----|---------|-------|-------|
E|-------|-------|-------|-------|
A|-0-1-2-|-3-2-1-|-0-1-2-|-3-0---|
D|-------|-------|-------|-----3-|
G|-------|-------|-------|-------|
E|-------|---------|-------|-------|
A|-------|---------|-0-1-2-|-3-2-1-|
D|-2-2-1-|-0-1-2-3-|-------|-------|
G|-------|---------|-------|-------|
E|-------|-------|-------|-------|
A|-0-1-2-|-3-2-1-|-0-1-2-|-3-0---|
D|-------|-------|-------|-----3-|
G|-------|-------|-------|-------|
E|-------|---------|-------|-----|
A|-------|---------|-0-3-2-|-1-1-|
D|-2-2-1-|-0-1-2-3-|-------|-----|
G|-------|---------|-------|-----|
E|---|-------|-------|-------|
A|-0-|-3-2-1-|-0-1-2-|-3-0---|
D|---|-------|-------|-----3-|
G|---|-------|-------|-------|
E|---|
A|---|
D|-2-|
G|---|

0 = open string · 1–4 = finger · L = low (half step back), H = high.

The First Noel — Guitar tab

E A D G B E · open position

e|-----|---------|-------|-------|
B|-----|---------|---0-2-|-3-2-0-|
G|-----|-------0-|-2-----|-------|
D|-4-2-|-0-2-4---|-------|-------|
A|-----|---------|-------|-------|
E|-----|---------|-------|-------|
e|-------|-------|-------|-------|
B|---0-2-|-3-2-0-|---0-2-|-3-----|
G|-2-----|-------|-2-----|---2-0-|
D|-------|-------|-------|-------|
A|-------|-------|-------|-------|
E|-------|-------|-------|-------|
e|-------|---------|-------|-------|
B|-------|---------|---0-2-|-3-2-0-|
G|-------|-------0-|-2-----|-------|
D|-4-4-2-|-0-2-4---|-------|-------|
A|-------|---------|-------|-------|
E|-------|---------|-------|-------|
e|-------|-------|-------|-------|
B|---0-2-|-3-2-0-|---0-2-|-3-----|
G|-2-----|-------|-2-----|---2-0-|
D|-------|-------|-------|-------|
A|-------|-------|-------|-------|
E|-------|-------|-------|-------|
e|-------|---------|-------|-----|
B|-------|---------|---3-2-|-0-0-|
G|-------|-------0-|-2-----|-----|
D|-4-4-2-|-0-2-4---|-------|-----|
A|-------|---------|-------|-----|
E|-------|---------|-------|-----|
e|---|-------|-------|-------|
B|---|-3-2-0-|---0-2-|-3-----|
G|-2-|-------|-2-----|---2-0-|
D|---|-------|-------|-------|
A|---|-------|-------|-------|
E|---|-------|-------|-------|
e|---|
B|---|
G|---|
D|-4-|
A|---|
E|---|

Numbers are frets; the bottom line is the low E string.

The First Noel — Ukulele tab

G C E A (high G) · open position

A|-----|---------|-0-2-4-|-5-4-2-|
E|-2-0-|---0-2---|-------|-------|
C|-----|-2-------|-------|-------|
G|-----|-------0-|-------|-------|
A|-0-2-4-|-5-4-2-|-0-2-4-|-5-0---|
E|-------|-------|-------|-------|
C|-------|-------|-------|-------|
G|-------|-------|-------|-----0-|
A|-------|---------|-0-2-4-|-5-4-2-|
E|-2-2-0-|---0-2---|-------|-------|
C|-------|-2-------|-------|-------|
G|-------|-------0-|-------|-------|
A|-0-2-4-|-5-4-2-|-0-2-4-|-5-0---|
E|-------|-------|-------|-------|
C|-------|-------|-------|-------|
G|-------|-------|-------|-----0-|
A|-------|---------|-0-5-4-|-2-2-|
E|-2-2-0-|---0-2---|-------|-----|
C|-------|-2-------|-------|-----|
G|-------|-------0-|-------|-----|
A|-0-|-5-4-2-|-0-2-4-|-5-0---|
E|---|-------|-------|-------|
C|---|-------|-------|-------|
G|---|-------|-------|-----0-|
A|---|
E|-2-|
C|---|
G|---|

Numbers are frets; the top line is the A string, the bottom line the high G.

The First Noel chords

D major · 9 chords: D, G♯dim, D/A, Bm, F♯m7, G, A7, F♯m, Bm7

pickup
D
D
D G♯dim
D/A
Bm F♯m7 G♯dim
D/A G A7
D/A A7
D
D
D
D G♯dim
D/A
Bm F♯m7 G♯dim
D/A G A7
D/A A7
D
D Bm
F♯m
G G♯dim
D/A
Bm7 F♯m7 G♯dim
D/A G A7
D/A A7
D

One box per bar, in the same order as the sheet music. A faded chord carries on from the bar before. A slash chord like D/A means play D with A as the lowest note.

Guitar chords for The First Noel

Strings E A D G B E, low to high · o = open string, × = don't play it

D××G♯dim××D/A×Bm×F♯m7GA7×F♯mBm7×

Ukulele chords for The First Noel

Strings G C E A, low to high · o = open string, × = don't play it

DG♯dimD/ABmF♯m7GA7F♯mBm7

Tenor banjo & mandolin chords for The First Noel

Strings G D A E, low to high · o = open string, × = don't play it

DG♯dimD/ABmF♯m7GA7F♯mBm7

More carols and tunes like it

Joy To The WorldSilent NightJingle BellsDeck The HallsO TannenbaumHark! The Herald Angels SingGod Rest Ye Merry GentlemenO Little Town Of Bethlehem

This melody comes from The Public Domain Song Anthology (David Berger & Chuck Israels), released CC0. The song is in the public domain. Tabs and letter names worked out by The Music Arcade.

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