Joy to the World

Isaac Watts published these words in 1719 in The Psalms of David Imitated, as a paraphrase of Psalm 98. The tune most churches sing today, called “Antioch,” was arranged by Lowell Mason and printed in 1839.

The first line is a C major scale played from the top down: 7, -7, -6, 6, -5, 5, -4, 4. If you can play that cleanly, you can play most of this carol. Everything stays between holes 4 and 7.

Harmonica tabs

Verse 1

7   -7 -6  6      -5  5    -4 4
Joy to the world! The Lord is come;

6   -6    -6  -7    -7  7
Let earth re- ceive her King;

7   7   -7  -6    6    6    -5  5
Let ev- ery heart pre- pare Him room,

7   7 -7   -6  6   6 -5 5
And heav'n and na- ture sing,

5   5      5   5 -5 6    -5 5
And heav'n and na-  ture sing,

-4  -4     -4  -4 5 -5   5 -4
And heav'n and na-  ture sing,

4   7       -6  6 -5    5   -5  5 -4 4
And heav'n, and heav'n, and na- ture sing.

Where two numbers sit over one word, play both notes on that syllable, one after the other.

Playing tips

• Hold “Joy” a little longer than the notes after it. The line should sound like a bell ringing down the scale.
• “And heav’n, and heav’n” jumps from hole 4 straight up to hole 7. Slide the harmonica three holes to the left in one quick move rather than stepping through holes 5 and 6.
• Lyrics: Isaac Watts, 1719. Public domain.