Below is the lesson for “The Little Drummer Boy”.

Helpful Tips

“The Little Drummer Boy” is a Christmas classic. Our arrangement features harmonies that walk the melody up and down while keeping a steady drum-like beat throughout. While the tune is simple in its chord progression (1 4 5), the most important aspect is the timing and rhythm. I would suggest using the on-screen tab viewer to loop a couple bars at a time, memorize the rhythm, and then sing it back before playing it. Understanding the rhythm behind the melody is key to nailing this tune. One other thing to mention is that everything should ring out. Let the chords and melody notes bleed into each other and sustain. This song makes use of ‘open chords’ (open string chords), which help to add sustain. I hope you enjoy this take on a beautiful Christmas song.

* Note: This song uses an altered tuning. The C string is raised a whole step to D. The other strings remain unchanged.

Part 1 – Performance & Free Lesson

Part 2 – For Premium Members

Tab Play Along