We Wish You a Merry Christmas Ukulele Tutorial

by | Dec 30, 2018 | Video lessons

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Learn how to play We Wish You a Merry Christmas with this easy ukulele tutorial with on-screen lyrics, chords and tab. Considering that the song has seven chords, you can follow a simple all-down strum pattern while singing. On the other hand, you can learn to fingerpick the melody. Or you can do both!

We Wish You a Merry Christmas is one of the songs in our best-selling and award-winning book 21 Easy Ukulele Songs for Christmas. So don’t forget to visit here to get your copy of the book!
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WE WISH YOU  A MERRY CHRISTMAS UKULELE TUTORIAL

First of all, we’ll need seven chords for We Wish You a Merry Christmas: C, F, G7, Am, D7, E7 and G. And Jenny shows these chords in the video. Secondly, she plays a sing and strum version following an easy all-down strum pattern. In addition, the video features a split-screen which has Jenny fingerpicking the melody on the left side and continuing with the all-down strum on the right side.

Although We Wish You a Merry Christmas is a pretty simple holiday song, it carries a meaningful message and a festive vibe. Thus, people commonly include the song in Christmas carols and musicals as well as community celebrations or family get-togethers during the holidays.
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SONG HISTORY

Historians do not have a clear account of the origin and author of this jolly Christmas carol. They are not able to find the song in collections and anthologies of carols and songs. But they have determined the song is from the West Country in England. One characteristic feature of the song is about keenly requesting for “figgy pudding” that the lyrics include “we won’t go until we get some.” Accordingly, this is based on English tradition wherein carolers visit homes of wealthy people on Christmas Eve and they are given treats such as pudding.
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AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Festive greeting card design with snowflakes.

Moreover, another distinctive feature of the song is the addition of the greeting “and a Happy New Year”. Very few traditional English Christmas carols included this line. Actually, January 1 was not considered the beginning of the new year in England until 1752. But the presence of this line referring to New Year makes the song a great addition to Christmas carols list as it encompasses two holiday celebrations.

Finally, we hope you liked our We Wish You a Merry Christmas ukulele tutorial. And here’s to a wonderful start of 2019 to all of you!
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  1. Teach a Rest Position

Create a standard position players use whenever they are listening:

  • Place the ukulele flat against the body.
  • Rest the strumming hand gently on the strings.
  • Keep both hands still.
  • Look toward the leader.

Call it “rest position” and demonstrate it at the group’s first meeting. Use the same phrase consistently: “Ukuleles in rest position, please.”

This physically mutes the strings and gives everyone a clear visual signal that playing has stopped.

  1. Use One Attention Signal

Choose a signal that can be seen or heard across the room. Possibilities include:

  • Raising one hand
  • Playing a short, distinctive chord
  • Saying, “Rest position”

Explain the signal before rehearsal begins: “When you see my hand raised, finish the chord you are playing, mute your strings, and look up.”

Avoid competing with the group by repeatedly talking over the instruments. Give the signal, pause, and wait until everyone is ready.

  1. Set a Clear “No Noodling” Expectation

Many players noodle because they are excited, nervous, practicing a difficult chord, or unaware that it is distracting. Address the behavior without embarrassing anyone.

Try saying:

“Between songs, please mute your strings so everyone can hear the instructions. We’ll always give you a moment to check chords before we begin.”

Then build short, intentional practice windows into the session:

  • “Take 20 seconds to find the opening chord.”
  • “Quietly check the change from C to G7.”
  • “Let’s try that strum together once.”

Players are more likely to stop playing at random when they know when practice is welcome.

  1. Amplify the Leader, Not the Entire Room

In larger groups, a small microphone, portable speaker, or amplified ukulele can save the leader’s voice and make directions easier to follow. Amplification should provide clarity—not to overpower the players.

Test the equipment before the session, position the speaker where everyone can hear it, and keep spoken instructions short. A microphone cannot replace an attention routine, but it makes a good routine much more effective.

  1. Create Predictable Transitions

Noodling often fills uncertainty. Tell players exactly what is happening next:

    1. “Finish the final chord.”
    2. “Rest position.”
    3. “Turn to page 14.”
    4. “Find a C chord.”
    5. “Watch for my count-in.”

Use a visible or audible count-in before every song. Once players learn that nothing begins until the leader counts them in, spontaneous starts become less common.

6. Operate iPads for music.

Many ukulele groups read off iPads, and everyone buys the same app. forScore is one of the common ones, but don’t get anything until the group leader tells you which one they use. From there, the leader or the singer/songwriter shares the music by AirDrop, so everyone is reading off the same page. Corrections land with the whole group at once, and nobody is working from an outdated copy.

 

A Simple Group Agreement

At the beginning of a session, say:

“To help everyone hear and learn, we use rest position whenever someone is speaking. When I raise my hand, please mute your strings and look up. You’ll have time to check chords before each song, and we’ll always start together on the count-in.”

The goal is not silence for its own sake. It is to create a group in which instructions are brief, rehearsals move smoothly, and everyone gets more time to make music together.

 

Here’s a list of etiquette expectations from ukulele group members to make the group learning more effective and fruitful for everyone. 

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