Christmas Carol - Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar Am7 chord diagram
Guitar D chord diagram
Guitar G7 chord diagram
Guitar A7 chord diagram
[chorus]
You [G]better watch out, you [C]better not cry
You [G]better not pout, I’m [C]telling you why
[G]Santa [Em]Claus is [Am7]coming to [D]town [G]
[Opening]
He’s [G]making a list, and [C]checking it twice;
[G]Gonna find out who’s [C]naughty and nice.
[G]Santa [Em]Claus is [Am7]coming to [D]town [G]
[Closing]
He [G7]sees you when you’re [C]sleeping
He [G7]knows when you’re [C]awake
He [A7]knows if you’ve been [D]bad or good
So be [A7]good for goodness [D]sake
[chorus]
You [G]better watch out, you [C]better not cry
You [G]better not pout, I’m [C]telling you why
[G]Santa [Em]Claus is [Am7]coming to [D]town [G]
[G]Santa [Em]Claus is [Am7]coming to [D]town [G]
How to play Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Christmas Carol - Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town on guitar requires 7 chords and 9 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.
Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town uses these transitions most often: C → G (6), G → C (6), and D → G (5). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with G - C chord transition.
1. G → C chord transition
To move from G to C;
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
2. G → Em chord transition
To move from G to Em;
- While playing G, lift your index finger from A string fret 2.
- Lift your middle finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
3. Em → Am7 chord transition
To move from Em to Am7;
- While playing Em, lift your ring finger from D string fret 2.
- Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
- Place index finger on B string fret 1.
4. Am7 → D chord transition
To move from Am7 to D;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on B string fret 3.
5. D → G chord transition
To move from D to G;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
6. G → G7 chord transition
To move from G to G7;
- Keep index finger on A string fret 2.
- Keep middle finger on E string fret 3.
- Slide your ring finger on E string from fret 3 to fret 1.
7. G7 → C chord transition
To move from G7 to C;
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 3.
8. C → A7 chord transition
To move from C to A7;
- While playing C, lift your ring finger from A string fret 3.
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on D string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to B string fret 2.
9. A7 → D chord transition
To move from A7 to D;
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from B string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on B string fret 3.
Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town.
- Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town includes 37 chord transitions, 9 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).
- G → C: 25%
- G → Em: 9%
After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).- C → G: 35%
- C → G7: 2%