Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Deck The Hall on piano

By Traditional Welsh Carol

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Deck The Hall in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: F – C7 – Dm – C – F – C – F – Bb – F – C – F
How it goes
Deck The Hall sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 11 chords: F is F, A and C; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; Dm is D, F and A; C is C, E and G; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIC7V7DmviCVFICVFIBbIVFICVFI
- FF · A · C
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- DmD · F · A
- CC · E · G
- BbBb · D · F
2
Left hand: Hopscotch steps
How it goes
Step, step, skip a beat, step: like hopping over a square. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 668 songs of the library.
Hopscotch stepsRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Pausing chords
How it goes
Three steady chords, then beat 4 left empty to breathe. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Pausing chordsBlock chords · ClassicalRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 155 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: F – C7 – F
How it goes
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FC7F

What chords are in Deck The Hall?

The loop is F – C7 – Dm – C – F – C – F – Bb – F – C – F (I – V7 – vi – V – I – V – I – IV – I – V – I) in F major, and the song ends on F – C7 – F.

What key is Deck The Hall in?

F major, at about 155 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Deck The Hall?

Hopscotch steps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Deck The Hall easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 11 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Deck The Hall?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.