Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Angels We Have Heard on High on piano
Written by Traditional
- A major
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- I–IV–V–IV loop
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Angels We Have Heard on High in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – D – E – D
How it goes
Angels We Have Heard on High sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; D is D, F# and A; E is E, G# and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIDIVEVDIV- AA · C# · E
- DD · F# · A
- EE · G# · B
- 2
Left hand: Tumble down
How it goes
Three notes falling down the chord, one per beat, then a rest. Musicians call it broken chord 8-5-1 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 635 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pinwheel
How it goes
Three notes spin in a loop that keeps landing in new places. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 BPM
How it goes
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: E – D – A
How it goes
The last chords are V – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EDA
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Questions about Angels We Have Heard on High
What chords are in Angels We Have Heard on High?
The loop is A – D – E – D (I – IV – V – IV) in A major, and the song ends on E – D – A.
What key is Angels We Have Heard on High in?
A major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Angels We Have Heard on High?
Tumble down: broken chord 8-5-1, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Angels We Have Heard on High 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 Angels We Have Heard on High?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the repeating figure 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.