Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play Alice In Wonderland on piano
Written by Danny Elfman
- A minor
- 6/8
- 120 BPM
- 2010
- Medium
Learn Alice In Wonderland in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Dm7 – Am – Am – Am
Alice In Wonderland sits in A minor: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm7 is D, F, A and C; Am is A, C and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Dm7iv7AmiAmiAmi- Dm7D · F · A · C
- AmA · C · E
- 2
Left hand: Swelling 6/8
Rises to the top and falls back in one rocking six-note wave. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-8-5 (6/8) (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 73 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Rowing-boat chords
Six even chords per bar, rolling along like oars on water. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 BPM
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: F – G – Am
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGAm- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
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Questions about Alice In Wonderland
What chords are in Alice In Wonderland?
The loop is Dm7 – Am – Am – Am (iv7 – i – iv7 – i) in A minor, and the song ends on F – G – Am.
What key is Alice In Wonderland in?
A minor, at about 120 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Alice In Wonderland?
Swelling 6/8: open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-8-5 (6/8), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Alice In Wonderland easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Alice In Wonderland?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.