Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play Chanukah Sim Shalom on piano
Written by Aaron Schroeder & David Grover
- F major
- 2/4
- 104 BPM
- vi–iii–vi–iii loop
- 1992
- Medium
Learn Chanukah Sim Shalom in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Dm – Am – Dm – Am
Chanukah Sim Shalom sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm is D, F and A; Am is A, C and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmviAmiiiDmviAmiii- DmD · F · A
- AmA · C · E
- 2
Left hand: Ragtime bounce
Quick bass-chord-bass-chord: the bouncy left hand of ragtime. Musicians call it boom-chick (2/4) (stride & boom-chick), a medium pattern heard in 137 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Polka-hop chords
Chords only on the “ands” in a quick two-beat bar: the “pah” of a polka. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 104 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: Bb – C – F
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
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Questions about Chanukah Sim Shalom
What chords are in Chanukah Sim Shalom?
The loop is Dm – Am – Dm – Am (vi – iii – vi – iii) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Chanukah Sim Shalom in?
F major, at about 104 beats a minute in 2/4.
What does the left hand play in Chanukah Sim Shalom?
Ragtime bounce: boom-chick (2/4), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Chanukah Sim Shalom 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.