Silver Bells chords

by Jim Reeves

Music & Lyrics: Jay Livingston & Jay Evans
Original Key: B♭ Major
Featured Artist: Jim Reeves - Gentleman Jim
Album: Twelve Songs Of Christmas.
Music: D Major in 3/4 time at ~ 80 bpm (♩)
Chords in D Major: D, G, Em, A7, E7

Chart Legend

Numbered Circles: Fingers used to play chords O: Optional Note
Barre Line: One finger holds down multiple strings R: Root Note
Unmarked strings: Play open X: Don't play string B: Bass Note

Silver Bells

Capo on 4 if playing with the video

Song Key is highlighted - Transpose to any other key

Intro: 3/4

    D                G                A7                         D
    Sil-ver Bells    Sil-ver Bells    Soon it will be Christ-mas day

          D                                          G          Em
1.  Ci-ty side-walks   Bu-sy side-walks   Dressed in hol-i-day  style
           A7                        D
    In the air there's a feel-ing of Christ-mas
              D                                         G            E7 
    Child-ren laugh-ing    Peo-ple pas-sing    Meet-ing smile af-ter smile
           A7                           D 
    And on ev’-ry street cor-ner you'll hear 

        D                 G                A7                         D
Chorus: Sil-ver  Bells    Sil-ver Bells    It's Chris-mas time in the ci-ty
        D              G                 A7                         D
        Ring-a-ling    Hear them ring    Soon it will be Chris-tmas day

              D                                             G              Em
2. Strings of street lights    Ev-en stop lights    Blink a bright red and green
          A7                             D
   As the shop-pers rush home with their trea-sures
            D                                            G            E7
   Hear the snow crunch    See the kids bunch    This is San-ta's big scene 
         A7                           D 
   And a-bove all this bus-tle you'll hear

        D                 G                 A7                         D
Chorus: Sil-ver  Bells    Sil-ver  Bells    It's Chris-mas time in the ci-ty
        D              G                 A7                         D
        Ring-a-ling    Hear them ring    Soon it will be Chris-tmas day
        A7                            D
        Soon it will be... Chris-tmas day...

Reading the Song Charts - a closer look at reading the song charts on this site
Chord Transposer - a better understanding of how it works
Free Sheet Music - Piano/Vocal/Chords in B♭ Major

Notes:

The original song is in the key of B♭Major and the chords include B♭, E♭, Cm, F7, C7
Video Song Key: F# Major ... 6 sharps - F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#.
If you are playing with the video, there are a couple of easier options available.

Option 1: Use a capo on the 2nd fret and play in E Major... E, A, F#m, B7 & F#7

Option 2: (Easiest option) Use a capo on the 4th fret and play in D Major... D, G, Em, A7 & E7. We have used this option for our session - beginners will find this more comfortable.
If you are not playing along with the video, you can choose any key you like... remember to use the Chord Transposer for your preferred key.

Jim Reeves

Born: James Travis Reeves on August 20th, 1923 in Galloway, Texas, U.S. He was a Country singer/songwriter who was also known as Gentleman Jim.
He died in a plane crash on the 31st July, 1964 at the early age of 40 in Williamson County, Tennessee, U.S... more

First Recording of Silver Bells: Bing Crosby & Carol Richards in 1950.

First Performance of the Song: Bob Hope & Marilyn Maxwell in a motion picture called The Lemon Drop Kid. It was filmed between July and August in 1950, and released in March 1951.