Download FREE Joy to the World piano sheet music that can easily be saved to your computer or google drive! I’m excited to share several versions of this song with you today, in different keys and levels.
Keep reading for the history and tips for playing Joy to the World, or scroll down for the sheet music download buttons.
History Of Joy to the world
Joy to the World was written by Isaac Watts, a prolific hymn writer in the 1700’s. Interestingly, he never meant for the song to become a Christmas carol. Rather, he wrote the song about the coming of Christ, derriving the lyrics from Psalm 98.
Read the full story behind Joy to the World here.
Is Joy to the World a religious song?
Yes, Joy to the World was meant to be a faith-based song from the beginning. The theme of the song is the coming of Christ—whether you think of it as his first coming (in correlation with Christmas) or his second coming. Either way, this is not a secular song.
How do you play joy to the world on piano?
There are a variety of ways you can play Joy to the World on the piano. Arrangements range from traditional and hymn-like, to jazzy and contemporary.
In the sheet music downloads I have for you, we will play joy to the world with simple chords in the left hand, and the melody in the right hand.
What chords do i need to know?
You will only need to know a few chords to play Joy to the World. This makes it nice and easy! In the sheet music farther down, I have made 2 versions: one in C, and one in D.
For the C version, you’ll need to know the C major chord, G7 chord, and F major chord.
For the D version, you’ll need to know the D major chord, A7 chord, and G major chord.
You can tell this is a joyous song because there are no minor chords in it! 😉
What is the time signature for joy to the world?
The time signature of Joy to the World is 2/4, which is a less common time to play in, compared to 4/4.
Keep in mind that there will only be 2 quarter notes per measure, and 4 eighth notes per measure.
Joy to the World also has some dotted rhythms that you’ll want to look out for—both dotted quarters and dotted eighths.
Is Joy to the world fast or slow?
The tempo of Joy to the World can really vary depending on the sound you are looking for! Generally speaking, it is a song that is upbeat, so it can feel like it is on the faster side. However, you really don’t want to go too fast, or singing will be difficult.
Tips For Playing Joy to the world On Piano
- Practice slow as you first learn Joy to the World! Take your time and learn each hand separately before putting both hands together.
- For the easy version, the left hand stays on C position without moving much. But the right hand moves around quite a bit. It starts on the C above middle C and then goes down in scale form. Keep in mind that this is just a regular C scale! You can use the same fingering.
- Joy to the World, as the name suggests, is a very joyous song. You should play it as such! Try to get the notes to sound triumphant!
More Christmas Sheet Music:
Interested in learning more piano music for Christmas? I’ve also arranged the following songs in several versions:
- O Come O Come Emmanuel Sheet Music
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas Sheet Music
- O Holy Night Sheet Music
- Carol of the Bells Sheet Music
- The First Noel Sheet Music
- Away in a Manger Sheet Music
Joy to the world Sheet Music
Without further ado, let’s get to the PDF Joy to the World sheet music for you to download!
Easy Version
This easy sheet music of Joy to the World uses only 3 simple chords in the left hand: C, G7, and F. This version is best if you have only played in C major and sharps still seem a bit daunting. 🙂
This is the same version as above but transposed into the key of D. This is a more classic key to play Joy to the World in. If you are a beginner but comfortable with a few sharps, try this key!
Full Lyrics
Verse 1
Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let Earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And Heaven and nature sing
And Heaven and nature sing
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing
Verse 2
Joy to the Earth, the Savior reigns
Let all their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy
Verse 3
He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonders, wonders, of His love
Conclusion
Joy to the World is a wonderful, joyous Christmas carol! If you love this carol, it is a great idea to start learning it a month or so before Christmas so you’ll be ready to play it for family and friends during the holidays. Download the version that works best for you, and don’t forget to check out my practice tips to learn it even quicker!
Don’t forget to check out O Christmas Tree or Deck the Halls next!