O Holy Night Violin Tutorial & Sheet Music

"O Holy Night" is a classic Christmas carol that celebrates the birth of Jesus. Written originally as a French poem in 1843, it highlights the arrival of a new dawn through Christ's birth, bringing peace and joy to a weary world.

This version of the tune is violin-beginner-friendly, as you do not need to shift to third position. It's in the key of D Major, so there are 2 sharps, F# and C#. The trickiest thing about this tune is the time signature and the rhythm. We start in 6/8, which means that there are 6 eighth notes per measure, but spend the majority of the piece in 12/8, which means that there are 12 eighth notes per measure. When approaching tricky rhythms, first take out all of the ties and bowings. Then, figure out how many of the smallest note value fit inside the larger note values. This is called subdividing and will help you determine how long to hold each note. Download the free sheet music and watch the tutorial below!