Right-hand pattern · Lullaby boat
Pendulum swing
One note ticking on every quick beat, rocking in two big swings. Musicians call it repeated-note pulse (6/8).
Want to mix it with other hands?
How Pendulum swing 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.
Repeated-note pulse: One note repeating like a ticking clock.
Songs with Pendulum swing
Each one opens with this pattern in its player.
Often comes next
The patterns songs move to after Pendulum swing, from verse to chorus.
More twinkles & ticks
All patternsQuestions about Pendulum swing
What is Pendulum swing on piano?
One note ticking on every quick beat, rocking in two big swings. Musicians call it repeated-note pulse (6/8), one of the repeated-note pulse patterns: one note repeating like a ticking clock.
How do I play repeated-note pulse (6/8) with the right hand?
Over C major it is C4 (1), then C4 (1), then C4 (1), then C4 (1), then C4 (1), then C4 (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 Pendulum swing?
It is heard in 47 songs of the library, as the main groove of 9 songs, such as Abc-Def-Ghi, Babel, Before The Parade Passes By, Don’t Go Away.
Is Pendulum swing easy?
It is a medium pattern, in 6/8, usually around 120 beats a minute.