Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Child Is Father Of The Man on piano
By Brian Wilson
- B major
- 4/4
- 160 BPM
- 2004
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Child Is Father Of The Man in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F#7 – B – F#7 – A
How it goes
Child Is Father Of The Man sits in B major: B is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F#7 is F#, A#, C# and E; B is B, D# and F#; A is A, C# and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
F#7V7BIF#7V7AbVII- F#7F# · A# · C# · E
- BB · D# · F#
- AA · C# · E
- 2
Left hand: Boogie walker
How it goes
A walking line that climbs and falls through the chord. Musicians call it boogie-woogie line (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 807 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hopscotch bells
How it goes
A high bell note, a chord, a skipped beat, and one more chord. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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: E – F# – B
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EF#B- EE · G# · B
- F#F# · A# · C#
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Questions about Child Is Father Of The Man
What chords are in Child Is Father Of The Man?
The loop is F#7 – B – F#7 – A (V7 – I – V7 – bVII) in B major, and the song ends on E – F# – B.
What key is Child Is Father Of The Man in?
B major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Child Is Father Of The Man?
Boogie walker: boogie-woogie line, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Child Is Father Of The Man 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.