How to play Arthur McBride on piano

Learn Arthur McBride in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: D – G – D – G
How it goes
Arthur McBride sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIGIVDIGIV
- DD · F# · A
- GG · B · D
782 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Lullaby ripple
How it goes
Up to the top and rocking there in quick notes: a lullaby in three. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8-5-8-5 (3/4) (broken chord), a medium pattern heard in 92 songs of the library.
Lullaby rippleBroken chord · WaltzLeft handMedium
3
Right hand: Waltz push chords
How it goes
Chord, a push before beat 3, then the landing: a waltz with a nudge. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Waltz push chordsSyncopated chords · WaltzRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 140 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: D – A7 – D
How it goes
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DA7D
- A7A · C# · E · G

What chords are in Arthur McBride?

The loop is D – G – D – G (I – IV – I – IV) in D major, and the song ends on D – A7 – D.

What key is Arthur McBride in?

D major, at about 140 beats a minute in 3/4.

What does the left hand play in Arthur McBride?

Lullaby ripple: broken chord 1-5-8-5-8-5 (3/4), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Arthur McBride 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.