Piano chords · Waltz garden
How to play Be Thou My Vision on piano
Written by Traditional
- C major
- 3/4
- 88 BPM
- IV–I–IV–I loop
- Medium
Learn Be Thou My Vision in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – C – F – C
Be Thou My Vision sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIVCIFIVCI- FF · A · C
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Waltz rocking
Three quick notes up to the top, then one long note back down. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8-5 (3/4) (broken chord), a medium pattern heard in 70 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Chattering waltz
After the first beat, quick chords and notes chatter to the end of the bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 88 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 – C
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- GG · B · D
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Questions about Be Thou My Vision
What chords are in Be Thou My Vision?
The loop is F – C – F – C (IV – I – IV – I) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Be Thou My Vision in?
C major, at about 88 beats a minute in 3/4.
What does the left hand play in Be Thou My Vision?
Waltz rocking: broken chord 1-5-8-5 (3/4), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Be Thou My Vision 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.