What Christmas Would Be Like without Music?

Who doesn't love to play Christmas sheet music on the piano, organ, or other instrument? For many people, sitting down at the keyboard to play the first carols of the season—or other traditional Christmas music—really mean the holidays have begun. Fortunately, we have abundant sources of Christmas sheet music available, for all instruments and difficulty ranges; even the smallest of us can learn to play simple versions of Christmas songs and enjoy them.

Christmas Carol Piano Music

Christmas Carol sheet music is so much a part of our holiday now that we may not think about where it came from or how it's been passed down to us today. The fact is the tradition of carol singing is very old—and not exclusive to Christmas.

The word "carol" is medieval, with roots in both French and Anglo-Normal languages; its original meaning has more to do with dance than Christmas carol sheet music! "Carols" didn't necessarily pertain only to Christmas, or even religious holidays. Over the ages, many "carol" tunes have come down to us that tell other stories in the pattern of verse/refrain (also called "burden"). But while many of us may encounter this type of carol in our musical experience, the odds are we think more of religious expression when we sing carols, as so many of them directly relate the story of Christ's birth.