Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Brother Sun, Sister Moon on piano
Written by Donovan
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1973
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Brother Sun, Sister Moon in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – Bb – Fm – Gm
How it goes
Brother Sun, Sister Moon sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; Bb is Bb, D and F; Fm is F, Ab and C; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmviBbVFmiiGmiii- CmC · Eb · G
- BbBb · D · F
- FmF · Ab · C
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: Power fifths
How it goes
Root and fifth together: big and bold. Musicians call it lh power fifths (left-hand chords), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Soft chords
How it goes
Soft chords on beats 1, 3 and 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- AbAb · C · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about Brother Sun, Sister Moon
What chords are in Brother Sun, Sister Moon?
The loop is Cm – Bb – Fm – Gm (vi – V – ii – iii) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is Brother Sun, Sister Moon in?
Eb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Brother Sun, Sister Moon?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Brother Sun, Sister Moon 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.