Piano chords · Waltz garden
How to play Clementine on piano
By Percy Montrose
- G major
- 3/4
- 132 BPM
- 2000
- Medium
Learn Clementine in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – D7 – Em – D7
Clementine sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; D7 is D, F#, A and C; Em is E, G and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmivD7V7EmviD7V7- CmC · Eb · G
- D7D · F# · A · C
- EmE · G · B
- 2
Left hand: Moon River roll
A wide, flowing roll in three, the Moon River feel. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-10 (3/4) (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 441 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 132 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: C – D – G
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
- GG · B · D
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Questions about Clementine
What chords are in Clementine?
The loop is Cm – D7 – Em – D7 (iv – V7 – vi – V7) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is Clementine in?
G major, at about 132 beats a minute in 3/4.
What does the left hand play in Clementine?
Moon River roll: open arpeggio 1-5-10 (3/4), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Clementine 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 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.