Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Ballade Pour Adeline on piano
By Richard Clayderman
- C major
- 4/4
- 75 BPM
- 1977
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Ballade Pour Adeline in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – G – C – C – Dm – Dm
How it goes
Ballade Pour Adeline sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 6 chords: G is G, B and D; C is C, E and G; Dm is D, F and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GVGVCICIDmiiDmii- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
- DmD · F · A
- 2
Left hand: Shimmering waves
How it goes
A low root, then two notes rocking fast like light on water. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 58 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Deep-breath chords
How it goes
A breath on beat 1, then quick chords pumping to the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 75 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- FF · A · C
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Questions about Ballade Pour Adeline
What chords are in Ballade Pour Adeline?
The loop is G – G – C – C – Dm – Dm (V – I – ii – V – I – ii) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Ballade Pour Adeline in?
C major, at about 75 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Ballade Pour Adeline?
Shimmering waves: open arpeggio 1-5, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Ballade Pour Adeline easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 6 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Ballade Pour Adeline?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the repeating figure of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.