John Francis Wade · Key of G · Public domain
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This chart is written in G. Tap any key above the chart to see the whole song in that key, with every chord already worked out. To stay in G with different chord shapes, play it capo 3 with the E shapes, or capo 5 with the D shapes, or capo 7 with the C shapes. Singing with a group? Pick the key where the highest note is comfortable for everyone, then print that page.
O Come, All Ye Faithful began as a Latin hymn, Adeste Fideles, and the oldest copies we have are in the handwriting of John Francis Wade, an English Catholic who made his living copying music at the English college in Douai, France. His manuscripts date from the 1740s, and although the hymn has been credited to everyone from medieval monks to a king of Portugal, Wade is the name scholars most often settle on for both the words and the tune.
The English version sung today is the work of Frederick Oakeley, a London clergyman who translated it in 1841 for his congregation at Margaret Chapel. His first attempt opened "Ye faithful, approach ye"; the revised wording that everyone knows appeared in 1852. The carol is built like a procession: each verse gathers more voices, and the refrain climbs through three repetitions of "O come, let us adore him," which is why choirs love to save it for the end of a service. The Latin text, the English translation, and the melody are all in the public domain.
A stately 4/4, more hymn than folk song, so think of each chord as a step in a procession. The verse uses G, D, Em, and A7, and the A7 leading into D (it appears twice in the second line) is the sound of the whole carol. The refrain is built to grow: the first "O come, let us adore him" sits on G, the second lifts to D, and the third starts on C and walks G, D, G, with one quick C as the lead-in to "Christ the Lord." Start each refrain quietly and let the third line be the loud one. The chords change quickly near the ends of lines, so one firm strum per chord works better than a busy pattern.
Tap any chord for its diagram, other voicings, and the notes inside it.
Keep the choir going: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing chords and lyrics
All the Christmas carol chord sheets, each one in every key.
Further reading: O Come, All Ye Faithful at Hymnary.org (texts, tunes, and history)
