Left-hand pattern · Dreamy ballad
Little-hill climb
Up the chord three steps, then a jump back to the starting note. Musicians call it broken chord 1-3-5-1.
Want to mix it with other hands?
How Little-hill climb 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 Little-hill climb
Each one opens with this pattern in its player.
Often comes next
The patterns songs move to after Little-hill climb, from verse to chorus.
More ripples
All patternsQuestions about Little-hill climb
What is Little-hill climb on piano?
Up the chord three steps, then a jump back to the starting note. Musicians call it broken chord 1-3-5-1, one of the broken chord patterns: the chord, one note at a time, close together.
How do I play broken chord 1-3-5-1 with the left hand?
Over C major it is C3 (5), then E3 (3), then G3 (1), then C3 (5); 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 Little-hill climb?
It is heard in 159 songs of the library, as the main groove of 15 songs, such as Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Christ The Lord Is Risen Today, A Lovely Night, A Lover’s Concerto.
Is Little-hill climb easy?
It is an easy pattern, in 4/4, usually around 120 beats a minute.