Piano chords · Waltz garden
How to play Beautiful Ohio on piano
Written by Mary Earl
- Eb major
- 3/4
- 100 BPM
- V7–I–V7–I loop
- 1996
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Beautiful Ohio in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb7 – Eb – Bb7 – Eb
How it goes
Beautiful Ohio sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Bb7V7EbIBb7V7EbI- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Moon River roll
How it goes
A wide, flowing roll in three, the Moon River feel. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-10 (3/4) (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 441 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: Eb – Bb7 – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbBb7Eb
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Questions about Beautiful Ohio
What chords are in Beautiful Ohio?
The loop is Bb7 – Eb – Bb7 – Eb (V7 – I – V7 – I) in Eb major, and the song ends on Eb – Bb7 – Eb.
What key is Beautiful Ohio in?
Eb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 3/4.
What does the left hand play in Beautiful Ohio?
Moon River roll: open arpeggio 1-5-10 (3/4), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Beautiful Ohio 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.