Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play Before The Parade Passes By on piano
Written by Jerry Herman
- C major
- 6/8
- 113 BPM
- 1964
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Before The Parade Passes By in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – Cdim – Dm – G7
How it goes
Before The Parade Passes By sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Cdim is C, Eb and Gb; Dm is D, F and A; G7 is G, B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CICdimi°DmiiG7V7- CC · E · G
- CdimC · Eb · Gb
- DmD · F · A
- G7G · B · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Swelling 6/8
How it goes
Rises to the top and falls back in one rocking six-note wave. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-8-5 (6/8) (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 73 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pendulum swing
How it goes
One note ticking on every quick beat, rocking in two big swings. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 113 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: C – G7 – C
How it goes
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CG7C
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Questions about Before The Parade Passes By
What chords are in Before The Parade Passes By?
The loop is C – Cdim – Dm – G7 (I – io – ii – V7) in C major, and the song ends on C – G7 – C.
What key is Before The Parade Passes By in?
C major, at about 113 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Before The Parade Passes By?
Swelling 6/8: open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-8-5 (6/8), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Before The Parade Passes By 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.