Play O Holy Night Beautifully on Piano: 3 Christmas Techniques

To play O Holy Night beautifully on piano, use a flowing 6/8 arpeggio in the left hand, add slides and quick arpeggiated chords to the melody, play the pre-chorus melody in slightly delayed octaves, and in the chorus play faster right-hand arpeggios inverted so the melody note stays on top.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Intermediate · 13 min

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What this lesson teaches

In this Christmas tutorial, Jason Zac shows three techniques for making O Holy Night sound full and expressive on the piano. The lesson is built in layers, so there is something for every player: a beginner-friendly 6/8 arpeggio pattern, ornaments and octaves for players who want more character in the melody, and a more advanced chorus technique with fast right-hand arpeggios.

These ideas work for O Holy Night, but you can apply them to almost any slow ballad or Christmas song.

Technique 1: the 6/8 ballad arpeggio

Many ballads follow a gentle 6/8 flow, which makes them a good place for newer pianists to start. The song is played in C major, and the left hand breaks the chord into a rolling arpeggio across the six beats of each bar rather than playing the notes together.

• Hold the root with your little finger. Keep the lowest note of the chord held down while the other fingers move through the arpeggio, so the bass keeps ringing.
• Play the melody in the right hand. Let the right hand carry the tune and shift the chords underneath as the harmony changes, for example moving to an F major chord (F A C) when the song calls for it.

Technique 2: ornaments and octaves

Slides and quick arpeggiated chords

In the second verse, the melody gets small ornaments. Instead of simply playing an A, slide into it from the G just below. Another touch is to play the whole right-hand chord as a quick arpeggio rather than striking it at once.

These ornaments suit melodies that are slow, need to stand out and were originally written for a singer. Vocalists have vibrato and other expressive tools, so the aim is to make the piano just as expressive.

Octaves in the pre-chorus

In the pre-chorus, keep the same 6/8 pattern in the left hand and play the melody in octaves in the right hand. This makes the tune stand out strongly. Do not strike both notes of the octave exactly together; delay one note slightly for a richer, more relaxed sound.

Using the sustain pedal

Use the sustain pedal regularly throughout. Without it the music still works, but you lose the smooth legato that makes a ballad flow. Do not hold the pedal down for a whole section. Press and lift it, and a reliable habit is to lift the pedal just before you play the next chord, so the previous chord does not blur into the new one and create dissonance.

Technique 3: fast arpeggios in the chorus

In the chorus, the left hand keeps the same 6/8 arpeggio, while the right hand does two jobs at once:

1. Double the arpeggio. Play the right-hand arpeggio at double, four times or even six times the speed of the left hand.
2. Keep the melody on top. Invert the chord so that the melody note sits at the top of each arpeggio, letting the tune sing out above the movement.

Playing fast arpeggios in only one area of the keyboard can sound messy, so spread them across the range of the keyboard while still bringing out the melody. Wherever there is a long gap before the next melody note, fill that space with an arpeggio.

If one-handed fast arpeggios feel difficult, share them between both hands. This is easier and still fills the sound.

How to practise

• Start with the left-hand 6/8 arpeggio on C major alone until it flows evenly.
• Add the right-hand melody, then the chord changes.
• Try one slide, such as G to A, in a slow phrase before adding more ornaments.
• Practise the pre-chorus octaves with a slight delay between the two notes.
• Work on pedal changes, lifting just before each new chord.
• Finally, try the chorus arpeggios slowly, checking that the melody note is always on top.

Questions about this lesson

What left-hand pattern works for O Holy Night on piano?

A flowing arpeggio in 6/8, starting on C major, works well. Hold the root with your little finger while the other notes roll through the six beats of the bar.

How do I make a slow piano melody sound more expressive?

Add small ornaments such as sliding into a note from the one just below, like G to A, and occasionally play a chord as a quick arpeggio. Playing the melody in octaves with one note slightly delayed also helps it stand out.

How should I use the sustain pedal in a ballad like this?

Press and lift the pedal regularly rather than holding it for a whole section. Lift it just before the next chord so the previous chord does not clash with the new one.

How do I play fast arpeggios and still keep the melody audible?

Invert each chord so the melody note is at the top of the right-hand arpeggio, and spread the arpeggios across the keyboard so they do not sound muddy. If one hand is too hard, split the arpeggio between both hands.

Practise it

• Chord TreesStart from a note and explore related chords, inversions and voicings.
• Piano classes at Nathaniel School of MusicLive online or in Bangalore, with a teacher.
• All free music apps40 practice tools for harmony, rhythm, ear training and more.

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