Written by Ambre Montespan - Updated on May 8, 2026
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Does the Christmas season put a sparkle in your eyes every year with its colourful decorations and that unmistakable holiday atmosphere? Would you like to join in by playing the melody of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" on your kalimba? With the sheet music weâre about to share, youâll be able to play this tune easily on your thumb piano.
Letâs sing along with Santa Claus and jump right into the sheet music.
A few details to take care of before diving into the sheet music for this English carol
Before playing any sheet music, itâs essential to make sure your kalimba is in tune. Tuning lets you check that the notes played by the instrument match what theyâre supposed to be. If your thumb piano is out of tune, the melody wonât sound right, which can be frustrating. So donât skip this step, and check out our tutorial on tuning a kalimba. Itâs an easy process to understand, even if youâve never owned or played a musical instrument before.
Along the same lines, it would be counterproductive to try to play a score or tablature without being able to understand what itâs telling you. The good news is that itâs very approachable, and you can learn how to read kalimba sheet music by checking out this completely free article. Youâll quickly understand what to do to play the songs on the page correctly.
Preview the melody of We Wish You a Merry Christmas on the kalimba
Youâll quickly realise that the melody of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is pretty easy to learn. To make things even simpler, we recommend watching this short video, which will show you exactly what youâll be able to play in just a few minutes.
And to get you in the Christmas spirit, you can find the original music below:
Play We Wish You a Merry Christmas on the thumb piano with a numbered score
Just follow the instructions in this numbered score to play the melody of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" with confidence. Youâll get it right for sure!
Simplified sheet music for mbira of We Wish You a Merry Christmas
This version of the sheet music with letters uses the English letter-note system. Since these letters are sometimes engraved directly on the tines, some players prefer this notation.
This famous Christmas carol in tablature for finger piano
Often easier to grasp than traditional sheet music, tablature has the advantage of giving players a more intuitive visual guide than a simple string of numbers or letters.
Save all the sheet music with this PDF file
Weâre offering a free download of the PDF file containing all the sheet music and tablature for "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". This way, you can easily print the page you need and learn the melody at your own pace, even without an internet connection.
Who composed We Wish You a Merry Christmas?
The song currently known as "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is actually an arrangement created in 1935 by Arthur Warrell, an English conductor and composer, based largely on a much older folk song. Since then, dozens of other versions of this song have emerged, but all are inspired by Arthur Warrellâs arrangement.
The origins of the earlier song Warrell drew from remain unclear. As early as the beginning of the 18th century, you can find historical traces of the phrase "A merry Christmas and a happy New Year." Since that line appears in the song, it suggests the carol may be older than the 18th century. On the other hand, this hymn is completely absent from period works that catalogued traditional songs. So the mystery remains, even though some historians place it around the 16th century based on hints found in the lyrics. The only thing we can say for certain is that "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" was largely unknown before the 1935 arrangement.
Who sang We Wish You a Merry Christmas?
Traditionally, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is sung by "mummers," people who go from door to door during the Christmas season to perform traditional songs as a group and ask the public for a small gift in return. Mummers are still widely recognised today, since they often appear in movies set during the Christmas season.
But thanks to the growing popularity of this Christmas carol, you can now hear it in all kinds of settings throughout the holiday season. Several professional choirs have also added it to their repertoire, such as the Celtic music group "Celtic Women", as well as conductors like André Rieu.
Give a beautiful kalimba as a Christmas gift
The melody of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is fairly easy to learn, since it uses just a few notes and a beginner-friendly rhythm. With the help of the sheet music and tablature youâve just discovered, youâll be able to play this tune on a kalimba. Then you can bring the Christmas spirit to life with family, friends, or simply for your own enjoyment.
That said, while the holiday season is perfect for giving gifts, itâs not always easy to find a high-quality thumb piano that will truly delight your loved ones. Thatâs why Instruments du Monde offers a kalimba that is 100% made in France by a small artisan located in Occitanie, in the Gard area. With this instrument, you can be sure youâre giving an original, beautifully crafted gift while supporting local businesses.
Get this French kalimba by clicking on the image below:
Do you love the wizarding world created by J. K. Rowling? Learn to play Hedwigâs Theme from the Harry Potter film series by checking out our other sheet music for 8-tine kalimbas. Youâre sure to relive the best moments from the films alongside Hermione, Ron, and Dumbledore.
