Left-hand pattern · Dreamy ballad
Jack-in-the-box
One note jumping up and down an octave on every beat. Musicians call it broken chord 3-10.
Want to mix it with other hands?
How Jack-in-the-box 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 Jack-in-the-box
Each one opens with this pattern in its player.
Often comes next
The patterns songs move to after Jack-in-the-box, from verse to chorus.
More ripples
All patternsQuestions about Jack-in-the-box
What is Jack-in-the-box on piano?
One note jumping up and down an octave on every beat. Musicians call it broken chord 3-10, one of the broken chord patterns: the chord, one note at a time, close together.
How do I play broken chord 3-10 with the left hand?
Over C major it is E3 (5), then E4 (1), then E3 (5), then E4 (1); 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 Jack-in-the-box?
It is heard in 164 songs of the library, as the main groove of 22 songs, such as Mary, Did You Know?, How Will I Know?, Marry Me, Copycat.
Is Jack-in-the-box easy?
It is an easy pattern, in 4/4, usually around 115 beats a minute.