Other arrangements of Once Upon A Christmas
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Once up on a (C)Christ mas in a (Am)man ger far a way
a (G)King was born; His pal ace cense was a (D)man ger filled with (Am)hay.
His roy al robe was (C)swad dling cloth; a (Am)ha lo was His crown,
(G)once up on a Christ mas a (D)way in Beth le (Am)hem.
And (G)all the world re joiced be cause the (D)King was born at (G)last.
A sav ior had been prom ised, now (D)it had come to (G)pass.
And the (Em)joy ful news that (G)He was born spread (Em)quick ly far and wide,
(D)once up on a Christ mas, and the (Em)birth of Je sus (E)Christ.
Once up on a (C)Christ mas from the (Am)Far East wise men came
with (G)gold and myrrh and frank in cense to a (D)praise the new born (Am)King.
And shep herds left their (C)flocks and came to (Am)see and wor ship Him,
(G)once up on a Christ mas a (D)way in Beth le (Am)hem.
And (G)all the world re joiced be cause the (D)King was born at (G)last.
A sav ior had been prom ised, now (D)it had come to (G)pass.
And the (Em)joy ful news that (G)He was born spread (Em)quick ly far and wide,
(D)once up on a Christ mas, and the (Em)birth of Je sus (E)Christ.
(E)Christ.
And (E)Christ.
(Am)Once up on a (C)Christ mas far a (Am)way in Beth le hem.
Once Upon A Christmas โ Classic Piano Sheet Music
4 people have learned this song
Read "Once Upon A Christmas" by Dolly Parton in classic piano notation โ both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of A. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 66 BPM.
Tip: Use the speed control to practice at 70% tempo first. Focus on tricky chord transitions before attempting the full arrangement.
Try other practice modes:
About โOnce Upon A Christmasโ
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Once Upon A Christmas"?
- Yes โ the score is rendered server-side from the publisher MusicXML using Verovio (the same engine RISM and OpenScore use). Standard piano notation, treble + bass staves, real chord symbols, key signature A. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
- What key is "Once Upon A Christmas" by Dolly Parton played in?
- Once Upon A Christmas is arranged in the key of A on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "Once Upon A Christmas"?
- The arrangement plays at 66 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Once Upon A Christmas" easy to play on piano?
- This is a medium-difficulty arrangement. Most players can learn it within a few practice sessions using the speed control.
- Can I download sheet music for "Once Upon A Christmas"?
- Yes โ registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Once Upon A Christmas"?
- "Once Upon A Christmas" was originally performed by Dolly Parton. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "Once Upon A Christmas"?
- This arrangement uses 6 chords: Am, C, D, E, Em, G.
- What other songs by Dolly Parton can I play here?
- Try "NINE TO FIVE", "HE'S EVERYTHING", "HERE YOU COME AGAIN". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Is this the same notation a piano teacher would hand me?
- Yes โ "Once Upon A Christmas" is rendered at engraver quality (the Verovio engine, the same toolkit RISM and OpenScore editions use) from the original publisher MusicXML. You get standard piano notation: treble + bass clefs, key signature A, time signature, beams, dynamics โ everything a printed sheet music book would have. Great for piano students learning to read music properly.
- What's the difference between Sheet Music and the other modes here?
- Sheet Music is the "classic" view โ the one your piano teacher uses. Other modes (Beginner, Fall Down, Simple Sheet, Lead Sheet) trade real notation for color-coded notes and falling shapes to help absolute beginners. Use Sheet Music once you're ready to read both hands at once from real notation.
- Can I practice from this view at my own pace?
- Yes โ slow the tempo from 66 BPM down (or up) without changing the pitch. The score scrolls in time and the currently playing note is highlighted, so you can drill a tough bar at half speed and bump it up once it feels comfortable.
- Why can I click a note in the score?
- Every notehead is interactive. Click and the audio jumps to that moment so you can drill a specific phrase or bar instead of replaying from the top. The currently playing note is highlighted as the music advances so your eye never loses its place.
- Can I download the sheet music as a PDF?
- Yes โ Sheet Music PDF is one of the download formats for this song. The engraved score prints page-perfect on A4 / Letter so you can practice from paper as well as on screen.


