All I Want For Christmas Is You | TAB
Let’s go through all of All I Want for Christmas Is You using TAB so you can play it with a band.
You’ll notice that sometimes the chord written above the TAB doesn’t exactly match the voicing being played—this is because the TAB only picks out part of the full chord.
Here’s the intro, before the vocals begin. It actually reminds me a bit of Mr. Sandman!
Here we have the slow first verse, and this section brings to mind American Pie and Don’t Stop Me Now.
What you’ve just seen is essentially the same as all the other verses—well, almost.
Before we launch into the main section (the verse at tempo), there’s an instrumental section that also returns after each verse. In the chords and lyrics lesson, I’ve notated this section both as a stand-alone part and as part of the verse within the chart.
During this instrumental, we establish the comping style. I should have put small dots above each quarter note—which means to “play short”. I could have notated them as eighth notes followed by rests, but that would have made the part look unnecessarily cluttered.
Make sure you spot how the chords repeat rhythmically, with a muted strum at the end to transition smoothly to the next chord. That mute could also be played as open strings—it’s up to you.
Now here’s the verse. Pay attention to how the rhythm is slightly different this time around. There are no muted strums when the chord stretches over two bars.
Next is the middle 8. Take note of how the chords have been recycled from the verse. That’s a key insight if you’re interested in how hit songs are written!
Lastly, we come to the outro. It’s similar to the instrumental section—but not exactly the same.
First, we play on strings 2–4, then move that shape up to strings 1–3. This naturally increases the intensity. The Am7 might look like the earlier C chord, but the bass has shifted, and when moved to the higher strings, it clearly becomes something else.
As nice as those subtle changes are, it’s the D chord that really stands out. First, it’s a D6, then a D9. That little slide really lifts the moment.
Paying attention to small details like the intro melody, the consistency of your comping, and that final D chord—that’s what separates the happy amateur from the dedicated pro.
You have to prove you’re the latter to every musician you play with—and the way you do that is by taking care of your parts. They’ll notice.
All I Want For Christmas Is You Backing Tracks + TAB | Related Pages
All I Want For Christmas Is You | Chords + Lyrics
Learn All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| G | G | G/B | G/B |
I don’t want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need…
Five similar tunes | Chords + Lyrics
- Build Me Up Buttercup
- Fairytale of New York
- I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
- Last Christmas
- Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree
