The Night Before Christmas Song

by Johnny Marks
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Lyrics

’Twas the (C)night be fore (Em)Christ mas and (F)all through the (C)house, not a (Dm)crea ture was (C)sitr ring, not (F6)e ven (G)a (C)mouse.

All the stock ings were (Em)hung by the (F)chim ney with (C)care in the (Dm)hope that Saint (C)Nich o las (F6)soon (G7sus)would (G7)be (C)there.

(C7)Then (F)what to my (F)won der ing (C)eyes should ap (C)pear, a (Dm)min ia ture (G7)sleigh and eight (C)ti ny rein (C7)deer.

A (F)lit tle old (F)driv er so (C)live ly and (C)quick, I (D7)knew in a mo ment it (Dm7)must be Saint (G)Nick.

And more (C)rap id than (Em)ea gles his (F)rein deer all (C)came, as he (Dm)shout ed, “On (C)Dash er” and (F6)each (G7sus)rein (G7)deer’s (C)name.

And so (C)up to the (Em)house top the (F)rein deer soon (C)flew, with the (Dm)sleigh full of (C)toys and Saint (F6)Nich o (G)las, (C)too.

Down the chim ney he (Em)came with a (F)leap and a (C)bound.

He was (Dm)dressed all in (C)fur and his (F6)bel (G7sus)ly (G7)was (C)round.

(C7)He (F)spoke not a (F)word but went (C)straight to his (C)work and (Dm)filled all the (G7)stock ings, then (C)turned with a (C7)jerk.

And (F)lay ing his (F)fin ger a (C)side of his (C)nose, then (D7)giv ing a nod up the (Dm7)chim ney he (G)rose.

But I (C)heard him ex (Em)claim as he (F)drove out of (C)sight, “Mer ry (Dm)Christ mas to (C)all and to (F6)each (G7sus)rein (G7)deer’s (C)name.

And so (D7)all a (G7)good (C)night.”

The Night Before Christmas Song — Classic Piano Sheet Music

1 person has learned this song

Read "The Night Before Christmas Song" by Johnny Marks in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of C. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 160 BPM.

Tip: Break this song into sections and master each one separately. The speed control lets you drill difficult passages at any tempo.

About “The Night Before Christmas Song

Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "The Night Before Christmas Song"?
Yes — 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 C. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
What key is "The Night Before Christmas Song" by Johnny Marks played in?
The Night Before Christmas Song is arranged in the key of C on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
What's the tempo (BPM) of "The Night Before Christmas Song"?
The arrangement plays at 160 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
Is "The Night Before Christmas Song" easy to play on piano?
This is an advanced arrangement. We recommend breaking it into sections and using the speed control to drill harder passages.
Can I download sheet music for "The Night Before Christmas Song"?
Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
Who composed "The Night Before Christmas Song"?
"The Night Before Christmas Song" was originally performed by Johnny Marks. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
What other songs by Johnny Marks can I play here?
Try "A Holly Jolly Christmas", "A Holly Jolly Christmas", "A Holly Jolly Christmas". 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 — "The Night Before Christmas Song" 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 C, time signature, beams, dynamics — 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 — 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 — slow the tempo from 160 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 — 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.

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