Notalo › Piano songs with letters › The First Noel
The First Noel — piano notes with letters
The opening verse and the “Noel, Noel” refrain, in C major. Simplified to the two most recognizable phrases of this English carol — the middle verses are left out.
Traditional (English), early 19th century (first published) · C major · 4/4 · public domain · arranged and labeled by Notalo
Hear it. A MIDI file of exactly these notes at 100 BPM — open it in any music app, or slow it down to practice.
Download MIDIAbout the song
An English carol from Cornwall, first printed in 1823 and again in William Sandys' 'Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern' in 1833. 'Noel' is the French word for Christmas, from the Latin 'natalis' (birth). The melody is unusual in that the verse and the refrain are built from the same short rising phrase, repeated at different heights.
How to play it, phrase by phrase
The verse starts low and climbs: E D C D, E F G — then A B C, B A G. Bar 5 ('was to certain poor') is A B C B, and bar 6 rests on a long A. The refrain, 'Noel, Noel', is C B A G, A B C, and the last line, 'Born is the King of Israel', comes down G F E to finish. The whole piece is white keys in C major and moves by step, so the challenge is the range — it spans a full octave from C to C.
Letter notes, bar by bar (right hand)
Read left to right; a | is a bar line. Chord symbols are for the left hand or a guitar.
| Bar | Chord | Right-hand letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | E D C D |
| 2 | G7 | E F G |
| 3 | F | A B C |
| 4 | Cmaj7 | B A G |
| 5 | F | A B C B |
| 6 | Am7 | A |
| 7 | Cmaj7 | C B A G |
| 8 | G | A B C |
| 9 | C | G F E |
Three things to watch
- The verse climbs step by step from C up to the high C — a good stretch for a beginner.
- “Noel, Noel” (the refrain) is the same short phrase sung twice.
- The last line — “Born is the King of Israel” — is the highest and longest phrase; take it slowly.
Have a different version, or a different song? Upload your own sheet music — a photo or PDF — and Notalo writes the letters under every note the same way, plus chords and a MIDI file.
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Frequently asked questions
Is this sheet music free to print and use?
Yes. The First Noel is in the public domain and this arrangement was written and rendered by Notalo. Print it, share it, use it in lessons.
What do the colors mean?
Red letters are the right hand (treble clef), blue letters are the left hand (bass clef), green is the chord for the bar. This is the same output Notalo gives for any sheet music you upload.
Can I get it with Do Re Mi or numbers instead of letters?
Yes — download the image above, upload it to Notalo, and pick solfège (Do Re Mi), German letters, or numbers (1 2 3) as the label style.