Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play Away In A Manger on piano
By John T. McFarland
- Ab major
- 2/4
- 66 BPM
- 1992
- Tricky
Learn Away In A Manger in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – Db – Ab
Away In A Manger sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 3 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Db is Db, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbIDbIVAbI- AbAb · C · Eb
- DbDb · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Kangaroo leaps
Bass, high chord, bass, high chord, fast: the hand leaps like a kangaroo. Musicians call it stride (2/4) (stride & boom-chick), a tricky pattern heard in 107 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Marching chords
Two chords per bar, left-right, like a happy little march. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 66 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: Db – Eb7 – Ab
The last chords are IV – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEb7Ab- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
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Questions about Away In A Manger
What chords are in Away In A Manger?
The loop is Ab – Db – Ab (I – IV – I) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb7 – Ab.
What key is Away In A Manger in?
Ab major, at about 66 beats a minute in 2/4.
What does the left hand play in Away In A Manger?
Kangaroo leaps: stride (2/4), a tricky pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Away In A Manger easy to play on piano?
It is a tricky one: learn the 3 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Away In A Manger?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.