Left-hand pattern · Dreamy ballad
Over-the-hill
A jump up to the top, then down through the chord to home. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-3-1.
Want to mix it with other hands?
How Over-the-hill 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 Over-the-hill
Each one opens with this pattern in its player.
Often comes next
The patterns songs move to after Over-the-hill, from verse to chorus.
More ripples
All patternsQuestions about Over-the-hill
What is Over-the-hill on piano?
A jump up to the top, then down through the chord to home. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-3-1, one of the broken chord patterns: the chord, one note at a time, close together.
How do I play broken chord 1-5-3-1 with the left hand?
Over C major it is C3 (5), then G3 (1), then E3 (3), 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 Over-the-hill?
It is heard in 204 songs of the library, as the main groove of 13 songs, such as Butterfly, The Great Pretender, Brazil, Good Luck Charm.
Is Over-the-hill easy?
It is an easy pattern, in 4/4, usually around 120 beats a minute.