Away in a Manger

Away in a Manger is a gentle Christmas carol that sits comfortably in the middle and upper range of a C harmonica. This arrangement uses the tune credited to William J. Kirkpatrick and includes all three verses from the supplied music.

The same harmonica tab is used for every verse. Start slowly and let the longer notes breathe so the melody keeps its peaceful, lullaby-like feeling.

Harmonica Tabs

Verse 1

 6   7  7 -8  8   7   7  8   -9  9  9
A - way in a man-ger no crib for a bed,

 -10  -9  -8   8   -9 -9   9   8    7   7   8  -8  -6   7  -7
the   lit-tle Lord Je-sus lay down His sweet head.

   6   7   7  -8   8   7   7   8  -9   9   9  -10
The stars in the hea-vens look down where He

-9  -8   8  -9  -9   9   8   7   7   8  -8  -6  -7   7
lay, the lit-tle Lord Je-sus a-sleep on the hay.

Verse 2

Use the same tab as Verse 1.

The cat-tle are low-ing, the ba-by a-wakes,
But lit-tle Lord Je-sus, no cry-ing He makes.
I love Thee, Lord Je-sus! Look down from the sky,
And stay by my cra-dle till morn-ing is nigh.

Verse 3

Use the same tab as Verse 1.

Be near me, Lord Je-sus; I ask Thee to stay
Close by me for-ev-er, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear chil-dren in Thy ten-der care,
And take us to heav-en to live with Thee there.

Playing Tips

• A number by itself is a blow note; a minus sign means draw.
• Keep the tempo slow and even, with a soft attack on each note.
• Let the held notes ring instead of rushing into the next phrase.
• Take a relaxed breath at the end of each line.
• Once the melody feels comfortable, add gentle hand vibrato to the longer notes.

About This Arrangement

The sheet music used for this arrangement credits the melody to William J. Kirkpatrick. Its calm range and repeated melody make it a friendly Christmas song for newer players: learn the tab once, then use it for all three verses.