Piano chords · Film & wonder
How to play Immanuel on piano
By Michael Card
- D major
- 4/4
- 104 BPM
- IV–V–iii–vi loop
- 1986
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Immanuel in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – A – F#m – Bm
How it goes
Immanuel sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; A is A, C# and E; F#m is F#, A and C#; Bm is B, D and F#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIVAVF#miiiBmvi- GG · B · D
- AA · C# · E
- F#mF# · A · C#
- BmB · D · F#
- 2
Left hand: Rising tide
How it goes
Five notes roll up wide and high, then hold: a tide coming in. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-12 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 187 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Heartbeat chords
How it goes
Long, short, long: chords on the pop heartbeat, then a rest. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 104 BPM
How it goes
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: G – A – D
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD- DD · F# · A
Play next
Questions about Immanuel
What chords are in Immanuel?
The loop is G – A – F#m – Bm (IV – V – iii – vi) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Immanuel in?
D major, at about 104 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Immanuel?
Rising tide: open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-12, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Immanuel easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.