Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play Funeral on piano
Written by Lukas Forchhammer, Stefan Forrest & others
- Eb major
- 6/8
- 81 BPM
- IV–I–vi–IV loop
- 2015
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Funeral in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – Eb – Cm – Ab
How it goes
Funeral sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Cm is C, Eb and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbIVEbICmviAbIV- AbAb · C · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb
- CmC · Eb · G
- 2
Left hand: Hammock heartbeat
How it goes
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: Hammock chords
How it goes
Long-short, long-short: soft chords sway like a hammock. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 81 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: Fm – Ab – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are ii – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FmAbEb- FmF · Ab · C
Play next
Questions about Funeral
What chords are in Funeral?
The loop is Ab – Eb – Cm – Ab (IV – I – vi – IV) in Eb major, and the song ends on Fm – Ab – Eb.
What key is Funeral in?
Eb major, at about 81 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Funeral?
Hammock heartbeat: root bass · 6/8 lilt, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Funeral 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.