Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Auld Lang Syne on piano
By Robert Burns
- D major
- 4/4
- 146 BPM
- 2016
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Auld Lang Syne in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – Dm – D – Eb7 – Eb7 – Eb
How it goes
Auld Lang Syne sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 6 chords: D is D, F# and A; Dm is D, F and A; Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIDmiDIEb7bII7Eb7bII7EbbII- DD · F# · A
- DmD · F · A
- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- EbEb · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Pony-trot pulse
How it goes
Quick trotting notes, then a jump over beat 3 to its “and”. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 114 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pop stabs
How it goes
Chord stabs in the 3-3-2 pop rhythm. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 146 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: D – Gm – D
How it goes
The last chords are I – iv – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DGmD- GmG · Bb · D
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Questions about Auld Lang Syne
What chords are in Auld Lang Syne?
The loop is D – Dm – D – Eb7 – Eb7 – Eb (I – i – I – bII7 – bII – I) in D major, and the song ends on D – Gm – D.
What key is Auld Lang Syne in?
D major, at about 146 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Auld Lang Syne?
Pony-trot pulse: root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Auld Lang Syne 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 Auld Lang Syne?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the bass riff of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 5 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.