Piano chords · Waltz garden
How to play Cliffs Of Doneen on piano
Written by Traditional Irish Folk Song
- G major
- 3/4
- 135 BPM
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Cliffs Of Doneen in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – D7 – D – G
How it goes
Cliffs Of Doneen sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; D7 is D, F#, A and C; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GID7V7DVGI- GG · B · D
- D7D · F# · A · C
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Waltz rocking
How it goes
Three quick notes up to the top, then one long note back down. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8-5 (3/4) (broken chord), a medium pattern heard in 70 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Waltz chords
How it goes
A chord on each of the three beats: a simple waltz. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 135 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 – D7 – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CD7G- CC · E · G
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Questions about Cliffs Of Doneen
What chords are in Cliffs Of Doneen?
The loop is G – D7 – D – G (I – V7 – V – I) in G major, and the song ends on C – D7 – G.
What key is Cliffs Of Doneen in?
G major, at about 135 beats a minute in 3/4.
What does the left hand play in Cliffs Of Doneen?
Waltz rocking: broken chord 1-5-8-5 (3/4), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Cliffs Of Doneen 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.