Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Child’s Song on piano
Written by Murray McLaughlin
- E major
- 4/4
- 84 BPM
- IV–I–V–vi loop
- 1970
- Medium
Learn Child’s Song in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – E – B – C#m
Child’s Song sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; E is E, G# and B; B is B, D# and F#; C#m is C#, E and G#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIVEIBVC#mvi- AA · C# · E
- EE · G# · B
- BB · D# · F#
- C#mC# · E · G#
- 2
Left hand: Bumblebee buzz
Two low notes buzz back and forth on quick, even beats. Musicians call it broken chord 1-3 (broken chord), a medium pattern heard in 160 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Twinkle
Two notes twinkling back and forth. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 84 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: E – A – E
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EAE
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Questions about Child’s Song
What chords are in Child’s Song?
The loop is A – E – B – C#m (IV – I – V – vi) in E major, and the song ends on E – A – E.
What key is Child’s Song in?
E major, at about 84 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Child’s Song?
Bumblebee buzz: broken chord 1-3, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Child’s Song 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.