Agnus Dei Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Agnus Dei in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: A – A – Bm7 – F#m – E – C#m7
How it goes
Agnus Dei sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 6 chords: A is A, C# and E; Bm7 is B, D, F# and A; F#m is F#, A and C#; E is E, G# and B; C#m7 is C#, E, G# and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIAIBm7ii7F#mviEVC#m7iii7
- AA · C# · E
- Bm7B · D · F# · A
- F#mF# · A · C#
- EE · G# · B
- C#m7C# · E · G# · B
76 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Giant steps
How it goes
A full chord on every beat, low and heavy, like a giant walking. Musicians call it lh chords (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Giant stepsLeft-hand chords · RockLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Double island chords
How it goes
The island rhythm squeezed in twice per bar: quick and dancy. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Double island chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handMedium
4
Both hands at 80 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: A – Bm – A
How it goes
The last chords are I – ii – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ABmA
- BmB · D · F#

What chords are in Agnus Dei?

The loop is A – A – Bm7 – F#m – E – C#m7 (I – ii7 – vi – V – iii7 – I) in A major, and the song ends on A – Bm – A.

What key is Agnus Dei in?

A major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Agnus Dei?

Giant steps: lh chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Agnus Dei easy to play on piano?

It is a medium one: learn the 6 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.

Can I hear the real melody of Agnus Dei?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.