Home · Song Guides · What Child Is This?
How to Play What Child Is This on Piano
What Child Is This borrows the haunting Greensleeves melody and sets the Christmas story to it — same notes, completely different mood. Learn it here and you can play both songs.
Its slow 6/8 lilt makes it ideal for practicing expressive, singing tone rather than speed.
🎼 Key: A minor
📊 Level: easy
🎵 30 notes
💡 Tip: start at 50% speed in Practice Mode
🎹 What Child Is This? — Notes to Play (in order)
A4 – C5 – D5 – E5 – F5 – E5 – D5 – B4 – G4 – A4 – B4 – C5 – A4 – A4 – A4 – C5 – D5 – E5 – F5 – E5 – D5 – B4 – G4 – A4 – B4 – C5 – B4 – A4 – G#4 – A4
Notes marked with + play at the same time (two hands). Open the piano above, switch to Practice Mode, and follow the green highlights.
✅ 4 Tips to Learn It Faster
- Think in gentle triplets — let the melody sway, never march.
- The G# before the final A is the emotional peak of the carol.
- Play the 'crown Him the King' phrases slightly louder than the verses.
- Pair it with Greensleeves: same fingers, two songs for the holidays.