Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Christmas Island on piano
Written by Lyle Moraine
- G major
- 2/2
- 96 BPM
- 1946
- Tricky
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Christmas Island in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D7 – C – G – E7
How it goes
Christmas Island sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D7 is D, F#, A and C; C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D; E7 is E, G#, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
D7V7CIVGIE7VI7- D7D · F# · A · C
- CC · E · G
- GG · B · D
- E7E · G# · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Trotting-sleigh chords
How it goes
Three quick chords on every beat: a rolling, joyful gallop. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 96 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 – D – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- DD · F# · A
Questions about Christmas Island
What chords are in Christmas Island?
The loop is D7 – C – G – E7 (V7 – IV – I – VI7) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is Christmas Island in?
G major, at about 96 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Christmas Island?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Christmas Island easy to play on piano?
It is a tricky 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.