Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play Famous One on piano
By Chris Tomlin
- G major
- 6/8
- 98 BPM
- I–IV–vi–V loop
- 2002
- Medium
Learn Famous One in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – C – Em – D
Famous One sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; C is C, E and G; Em is E, G and B; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GICIVEmviDV- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
- EmE · G · B
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Hammock heartbeat
Long-short, long-short: the low notes sway like a hammock. Musicians call it root bass · 6/8 lilt (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 128 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Rowing-boat chords
Six even chords per bar, rolling along like oars on water. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 98 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: Em – D – G
The last chords are vi – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EmDG
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Questions about Famous One
What chords are in Famous One?
The loop is G – C – Em – D (I – IV – vi – V) in G major, and the song ends on Em – D – G.
What key is Famous One in?
G major, at about 98 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Famous One?
Hammock heartbeat: root bass · 6/8 lilt, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Famous One 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.