Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Do You Hear What I Hear on piano
By Noel Regney
- C major
- 4/4
- 78 BPM
- I–bVII–I–bVII loop
- 1962
- Medium
Learn Do You Hear What I Hear in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – Bb – C – Bb
Do You Hear What I Hear sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: 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.
CIBbbVIICIBbbVII- CC · E · G
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Breaking wave
Four notes roll up quickly to a bright high top, then let it ring. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-8-10 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 162 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Heartbeat chords
Long, short, long: chords on the pop heartbeat, then a rest. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 78 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 – Bb – C
The last chords are I – bVII – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CBbC
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Questions about Do You Hear What I Hear
What chords are in Do You Hear What I Hear?
The loop is C – Bb – C – Bb (I – bVII – I – bVII) in C major, and the song ends on C – Bb – C.
What key is Do You Hear What I Hear in?
C major, at about 78 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Do You Hear What I Hear?
Breaking wave: open arpeggio 1-5-8-10, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Do You Hear What I Hear 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.