Piano, Organ and Lead Sheet arrangements of the Christmas song “Carol of the Drum”. Each collection provides a variety of versions in increasing levels of difficulty. Everyone can play and sing these arrangements!
Carol of the Drum is a traditional Czech Christmas Carol. The tune became popular when American composer Katherine Kennicott Davis added lyrics in 1941 to create “The Little Drummer Boy“.
The melody for Carol of the Drum is in the public domain, however the version with Katherine’s Little Drummer Boy lyrics are still under copyright. As such, the arrangements available for purchase on this site do not have the lyrics included. If you would like the lyrics included with the score, please see “The Little Drummer Boy“.
Easy Arrangements for Piano / Organ / Vocal
These arrangements are either in:
- a singable key – in this case, F major.
- a 5 finger position for beginners in G major, with each hand playing no more than 5 notes in a middle C position, without sharps or flats. A simplified melody avoids quavers / eighth notes.
What’s Included in the Carol of the Drum Collections
The lead sheet / fake book included in each collection contains the melody with chord symbols. Suitable for all level of abilities on piano / organ / vocal / guitar etc.
The piano collection is ideal for music teachers / beginner students, and contains the melody along with a variety of left hand accompaniment options. Options are provided for complete beginners through to increasingly more involved easy level pieces. They are great for a teacher to use with their students and includes a studio license. Students may enjoy the full collections themselves to have options to move through as confidence increases.
The organ set contains an arrangement where the foot pedal simulates a drum beat, as well as the fake book version.
Download Choices
- Fake Book: a 2 page PDF in A4 format
- Piano Collection: a 7 page PDF in A4 format, including the lead sheet, 2 five finger versions, and 2 hands together melody plus accompaniment versions
- Organ Collection: a 4 page PDF in A4 format, including the lead sheet, and an organ arrangement with notated left hand and pedal accompaniment
