Left-hand pattern · Lullaby boat
Rocking stairs up
Root twice in a lilting sway, then two quick steps up. Musicians call it walk-up 1-1-2-3 (6/8).
Want to mix it with other hands?
How Rocking stairs up 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.
Walk-up: Step by step up into the next chord.
Songs with Rocking stairs up
Each one opens with this pattern in its player.
Often comes next
The patterns songs move to after Rocking stairs up, from verse to chorus.
More walks & steps
All patternsQuestions about Rocking stairs up
What is Rocking stairs up on piano?
Root twice in a lilting sway, then two quick steps up. Musicians call it walk-up 1-1-2-3 (6/8), one of the walk-up patterns: step by step up into the next chord.
How do I play walk-up 1-1-2-3 (6/8) with the left hand?
Over C major it is C3 (5), then C3 (5), then D3 (4), then E3 (3); 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 Rocking stairs up?
It is heard in 75 songs of the library, as the main groove of 3 songs, such as Hallelujah, Perfect, Breathe, Cry Baby.
Is Rocking stairs up easy?
It is a medium pattern, in 6/8, usually around 87 beats a minute.