Trans-Siberian Orchestra - "Carol Of The Bells" Guitar Lesson With TABS

I hope you're ready to learn what is perhaps one of the most epic Christmas songs ever: "Carol Of The Bells". We're talking about the insane lead guitar version of the song by Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I'm gonna be breaking down the epic lead opening for you step by step so that way you'll have a jaw-dropping showstopper to play for your friends and family during this magical time of year. I'll also hook you up with tabs to help you follow along with what I'm teaching you. Grab your axe and some hot choccy, take a seat, and let's get ready to shred.

Overview

For starters, this song is tuned to E standard. In the version I'll be showing you, you'll be best situated by using a guitar with 24 frets if you have one. If your guitar only has 22 frets, that works too. The 24th fret of the high E string is only hit once, so you could instead play the 22nd fret and apply a whole-step bend to it. There's also a moment where we use the 23rd fret of the B string, so when you see that note, you can replace it with fret 18 of the high E string. If your guitar only has 21 frets, you can simply switch the key to about one step lower than what is shown.

Intermediate/Advanced Considerations

This version of "Carol Of The Bells" requires you to be able to play a handful of more advanced techniques.  First, this song is most efficiently played when using alternate picking.  If you struggle with this technique, feel free to check out a previous lesson I made that will help you out with it.

In addition to alternate picking, you'll be equipped to play this song if you can play pinch harmonics.  If you are unfamiliar with this technique, I have a couple of lessons that describe how this technique can be achieved.  

It's also worth noting that this song uses a 12/8 time signature.  While it may seem intimidating if you are unfamiliar with it, the 12/8 time signature really isn't something to fret over (pun intended).  12/8 time has a very similar feel to 4/4, so it should be easy for you to get used to--especially if you're already familiar with "Carol Of The Bells".

How It's Played

Reference the tabs below to learn how to play "Carol Of The Bells" by Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The first few measures begin with an iconic motif played on the G string before a fun, rhythmic, descending pattern transitions you to a more challenging section.

You'll notice that the only instance of a pinch harmonic is indicated by the "P.H." symbol. When you play the pinch harmonic on the 10th fret of the B string, you slide up to the 12th fret, then back down to the 10th fret of the same string. In this tiny sequence, 3 notes are played, but only one is picked.

When I transcribed this song, I tried to minimize the position shifting while maintaining the same timbre of each note in the original audio recording. You'll notice there is one position shift that occurs between the 12th fret and 16th fret of the G string near the end of the intro. To make this shift happen smoothly, first commit the sequence that starts at the third to last measure to muscle memory. As you are playing that sequence, look ahead to where you are going to land on the 16th fret of the G string. This will make the jump easier for you.

Conclusion

Now you've learned how to play one of the most epic Christmas songs of all time. Getting used to that 12/8 time signature shouldn't take too long since it can kind of be broken down into a 4/4 feel. If you're having a hard time nailing the alternate picking and pinch harmonics needed to play this song accurately, feel free to check out my other lessons on those techniques. You could probably barely get by without those techniques for this song, but having those skills under your belt will be necessary to play this song and other more advanced songs smoothly and with technical proficiency.

Watch the full lesson here: Trans-Siberian Orchestra - "Carol Of The Bells" Guitar Lesson With TABS

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year!