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Carol of the Bells (Shchedryk) — melody and tolling bass

Play Carol of the Bells with both hands, combining the sparkling right-hand bell ostinato with a descending bass line.

DevelopingMykola Leontovych · Bell ostinato and descending bass in A minor · piano both handsPiano · Both hands · A minor · 3/4

120 beats per minute. Changing speed stops playback; press Play to start again.

Try it at the keyboard

  1. Practise the right-hand C–B–C–A ostinato until it feels automatic before adding the descending left-hand notes (A–G–F–E).
  2. Each left-hand note holds for a full three-beat bar — strike it like a deep church bell on beat 1.
  3. Keep both hands crisp and rhythmic rather than heavy.

About this score

Transposed to A minor, pairing the four-note ostinato and descending sequence with the signature descending A–G–F–E bass line.

Composed by Mykola Leontovych (1914–1916, premiered 1916); piano arrangement by NotePlayMusic. The 1916 musical composition by Mykola Leontovych (1877–1921) is in the public domain worldwide. Instrumental piano arrangement only; no 1936 English lyrics are used.

Source notation · Source score & rights notice