Left-hand pattern · Lullaby boat
Hammock rocking
Low, high, top, high in a long-short sway, like a swinging hammock. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8-5 (6/8).
Want to mix it with other hands?
How Hammock rocking goes
One bar over a C chord: a row for each key, a column for each step, the finger on each note. Over another chord, move the same shape to its root.
Broken chord: The chord, one note at a time, close together.
Songs with Hammock rocking
Each one opens with this pattern in its player.
Often comes next
The patterns songs move to after Hammock rocking, from verse to chorus.
More ripples
All patternsQuestions about Hammock rocking
What is Hammock rocking on piano?
Low, high, top, high in a long-short sway, like a swinging hammock. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8-5 (6/8), one of the broken chord patterns: the chord, one note at a time, close together.
How do I play broken chord 1-5-8-5 (6/8) with the left hand?
Over C major it is C3 (5), then G3 (2), then C4 (1), then G3 (2); the number after each note is the finger (1 is the thumb). Over any other chord, move the same shape to that chord's root.
What songs use Hammock rocking?
It is heard in 34 songs of the library, as the main groove of 26 songs, such as Starlight, Overcome, Aimless, Angels We Have Heard On High.
Is Hammock rocking easy?
It is a medium pattern, in 6/8, usually around 81 beats a minute.