Last Christmas (Wham!) - Kalimba Tabs
Released in 1984 by the British pop duo Wham!, "Last Christmas" has become a cultural phenomenon. Unlike traditional carols, this is a synth-pop masterpiece mixed with holiday melancholy.
This specific arrangement is designed for Intermediate players. It features the iconic melody paired with rhythmic bass notes (chords) to recreate that bouncy 80s beat.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Tuning: Standard C Major (No tuning changes needed)
Key: C Major
🎵 Text Version (Letter & Number Notes)
Notes in brackets ( ) are chords/bass notes played together with the melody. The small dot ° indicates a high note.
Legend:
Numbers: 1=C, 2=D, 3=E, 4=F, 5=G, 6=A, 7=B
Letters: C D E F G A B
--- CHORUS (The Famous Part) ---
(2 1°) 5 2° 1° 1° 5 (1 5)
(D C°) G D° C° C° G (C G)
Last... Christ-mas
2° 2° 3° 1° 1° (6 6)
D° D° E° C° C° (A A)
I gave you my heart
6 2° 2° 3° (6 1°) 3 6
A D° D° E° (A C°) E A
But the ve-ry next day
(6 7) 1° 7 6 3
(A B) C° B A E
You gave it a-way
(2 1°) 5 2° 1° 1° 5 (1 5)
(D C°) G D° C° C° G (C G)
This... year
2° 2° 3° 1° (6 6)
D° D° E° C° (A A)
To save me from tears
6 2° 2° 3° (2 4°) 3° 2° 1° (1 1°)
A D° D° E° (D F°) E° D° C° (C C°)
I'll give it to some-one spe-cial
--- VERSE (Once bitten and twice shy...) ---
(3 3°) 3° 4° 3° 2° 6
(E E°) E° F° E° D° A
Once bit-ten and twice shy
4 1° 7 (5 1°) 1° 5 7 5
F C° B (G C°) C° G B G
I keep my dis-tance, but you still catch my eye
(2 5) 2° 3° 1° 1
(D G) D° E° C° C
Tell me ba-by
6 6 2° 2° 3° (6 1°) 3 6
A A D° D° E° (A C°) E A
Do you re-cog-nize me?
(6 7) 1° 7 6 7 1° 7 6 3°
(A B) C° B A B C° B A E°
Well, it's been a year, it does-n't sur-prise me
🎼 Picture Version (Save to Phone)
This visual sheet music (Arranged by Hammubara) includes the full melody and accompaniment. Save it to your phone to practice offline.
💡 Playing Tips
- The Bass Rhythm: In the chorus, try to play the bass notes (the left-hand numbers in the brackets) slightly softer than the high melody notes. This helps the song sound balanced.
- Syncopation: This song has a "bouncy" feel. Don't play it too straight! Listen to the original song to get the groove right.
- Arpeggios: In the sheet music image, you will see notes stacked up (like chords). You can strum them (slide your thumb) or pluck them together for a fuller sound.
