Major view
Ab major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = G (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = Db (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Brenda Lee - Rockin Around The Christmas Tree - Chord
Key Ab major – F minor Chords Eb7, Ab, Bbm7, Fm, Db, Cm, Fmmaj7, Fm7 … Easy key G (capo 1)
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Key: Ab | Fm
Capo: 0
Ab Fm Db Eb7 Ab Eb7 Rockin' around the Christmas tree, at the Christmas party hop Bbm7 Eb7 Bbm7 Eb7 Bbm7 Eb7 Ab Mistletoe hung where you can see, every couple wants to stop Ab Eb7 Rockin' around the Christmas tree, let the Christmas spirit ring Bbm7 Eb7 Bbm7 Eb7 Bbm7 Eb7 Ab Later we'll have some pumpkin pie, and we'll do some caroling Db Cm You will get a sentimental feeling, when you hear Fm Fmmaj7 Fm7 Bb7 Eb7 Voices singing, "let's be jolly, deck the halls with boughs of holly" Ab Eb7 Rockin' around the Christmas tree, have a happy holiday Bbm7 Eb7 Bbm7 Eb7 Bbm7 Eb7 Ab Ev'ryone dancing merrily, in the new old-fashioned way Ab Eb7 Bbm7 Eb7 Bbm Eb7 Bbm Eb7 Ab Db Cm You will get a sentimental feeling, when you hear Fm Fmmaj7 Fm7 Bb7 Eb7 Voices singing, "let's be jolly, deck the halls with boughs of holly" Ab Eb7 Rockin' around the Christmas tree, have a happy holiday Bbm7 Eb7 Bbm7 Eb7 Eb7 Ab Fm Db Ab Ev'ryone dancing merrily, in the new old-fashioned way
End of song Play again?
Brenda Lee - Rockin Around The Christmas Tree Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Brenda Lee – Rockin Around The Christmas Tree: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Ab and ends on Ab. Its chords belong to both Ab major and Fm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
F minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = Db (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = Eb (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the Ab major side because it both starts and finishes on Ab and Ab is heard 12 times against 8 for Fm. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from F minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to Ab or to Fm; comparing both readings is a practice of its own.
Every chord of the key, listed 1 to 7 separately for each key. Chords played in the song show how often they appear; chords from outside the scale sit next to their own degree.
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Ab | Tonic — home | Ab · C · Eb | 12× |
| ii7 | Bbm7 | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | Bb · Db · F · Ab | 12× |
| ii | Bbm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | Bb · Db · F | 2× |
| V7/V | Bb7 | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Ebsecondary dominant | Bb · D · F · Ab | 2× |
| iii | Cm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | C · Eb · G | 2× |
| V/vi | C | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Fmsecondary dominant | C · E · G | — |
| IV | Db | Subdominant — moves away from home | Db · F · Ab | 4× |
| V7 | Eb7 | Dominant — strongest pull home | Eb · G · Bb · Db | 23× |
| vi | Fm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | F · Ab · C | 4× |
| vi7 | Fm7 | Relative minor — the melancholy side | F · Ab · C · Eb | 2× |
| vimaj7 | Fmmaj7 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | F · Ab · C · E | 2× |
| vii° | Gdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | G · Bb · Db | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Fm | Tonic — home | F · Ab · C | 4× |
| i7 | Fm7 | Tonic — home | F · Ab · C · Eb | 2× |
| imaj7 | Fmmaj7 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | F · Ab · C · E | 2× |
| ii° | Gdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | G · Bb · Db | — |
| III | Ab | Relative major — the bright side | Ab · C · Eb | 12× |
| iv7 | Bbm7 | Subdominant — moves away from home | Bb · Db · F · Ab | 12× |
| iv | Bbm | Subdominant — moves away from home | Bb · Db · F | 2× |
| IV7 | Bb7 | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | Bb · D · F · Ab | 2× |
| v | Cm | Minor dominant — soft pull | C · Eb · G | 2× |
| V | C | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | C · E · G | — |
| VI | Db | Submediant — warm colour | Db · F · Ab | 4× |
| VII7 | Eb7 | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | Eb · G · Bb · Db | 23× |
Analysis
The key pair is Ab major and its relative F minor (4 flats). 10 different chords appear 65 times in total; 8 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. Bb7 acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
- Bbm7 Eb7 Abii7 → V7ii → V Fmiv7 → VII7 ×12
- Eb7 Ab AbV7 → Iauthentic cadence FmVII7 → III ×8
- Cm Fm Abiii → vi Fmv → inatural-minor cadence ×2
- Bb7 Eb7 AbV7/V → V7secondary resolution FmIV7 → VII7 ×2
- Bbm Eb7 Abii → V7ii → V Fmiv → VII7 ×2
- Db Ab AbIV → Iplagal cadence FmVI → III ×1
The move to watch is Bbm7 → Eb7, heard 12 times. From the Ab side it reads ii7 → V7 (ii → V: the classic preparation of the dominant); from the Fm side it is iv7 → VII7. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- Ab major pentatonic and F minor pentatonic are the same five notes (Ab – Bb – C – Eb – F): start from Ab for a brighter phrase, from F for a bluesier one.
- Over Eb7, land on Eb, G, Bb — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Ab, land on Ab, C, Eb — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Bbm7, land on Bb, Db, F — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
The song on the circle of fifths
- Played in the song — chord of the key
- Played — the minor's harmonic V or a secondary dominant
- Played — borrowed or outside chord
- Home region: IV–I–V and ii–vi–iii
Empty slices are chords the song doesn't use.
Capo and easier keys
With Ab major shapes
- Capo 1 + G shapes
- Capo 4 + E shapes
- Capo 6 + D shapes
With F minor shapes
- Capo 1 + Em shapes
- Capo 3 + Dm shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 1 semitone down · capo 1 keeps the original pitch
- 4 semitones up
The song's harmonic story
The opening Ab lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The chords that keep coming back are Eb7, Ab, Bbm7, Fm; read them as V7–I–ii7–vi in Ab or VII7–III–iv7–i in Fm. Bb7 adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/V — leads to Eb. Keep an ear on Bbm7 → Eb7 (ii7 → V7 in Ab, iv7 → VII7 in Fm): ii → V — the classic preparation of the dominant. Ending on Ab, the song seals Ab as home.
This analysis is generated from the song's chords by akorculuk's harmony engine using consistent rules. When you change key, the degrees stay the same; only the chord names change.
Brenda Lee - Rockin Around The Christmas Tree Chords on Guitar, Ukulele and Piano
Hover over or tap a chord in the lyrics for its shapes, its degree in both keys and a listen button. Here you have every chord of the song side by side.
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