Learn a Solo-Guitar Arrangement of “Silent Night”

This fingerstyle arrangement is set in the key of A major.

A perennial holiday favorite, “Silent Night” was first performed in 1818 on Christmas Eve in a small church in Austria. At the request of the lyricist Father Joseph Mohr, the music for this song was composed by Franz Gruber, an organist who wrote the original version in the key of D major.

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Silent Night Acoustic Guitar music notation

This solo-guitar arrangement is set in the key of A major. The melody (the first eight bars of which are shown below) starts on the open E string, setting up a sustaining, lyrical approach to the song.

Holiday Songs for Fingerstyle Guitar.

Learn to play holiday songs and christmas carols on acoustic guitar
Sean McGowan
Sean McGowan

Sean McGowan's work focuses on jazz, fingerstyle, composition, and injury prevention for musicians. He is a professor of music at the University of Colorado Denver and has authored several instructional books.

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