Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Carry Me To The Cross on piano
Written by Nick Departee, Mark Stuart & others
- C major
- 4/4
- 76 BPM
- vi–V–IV–I loop
- 2012
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Carry Me To The Cross in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Am – G – F – C
How it goes
Carry Me To The Cross sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Am is A, C and E; G is G, B and D; 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.
AmviGVFIVCI- AmA · C · E
- GG · B · D
- FF · A · C
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
How it goes
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Freeze-tag chords
How it goes
Chord, chord-and, then freeze for the rest of the bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 76 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 – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are I – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CGC
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Questions about Carry Me To The Cross
What chords are in Carry Me To The Cross?
The loop is Am – G – F – C (vi – V – IV – I) in C major, and the song ends on C – G – C.
What key is Carry Me To The Cross in?
C major, at about 76 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Carry Me To The Cross?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Carry Me To The Cross 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.