Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play Funiculi, Funicula on piano
By Luigi Denza
- Eb major
- 6/8
- 150 BPM
- I–V7–I–V7 loop
- 2000
- Medium
Learn Funiculi, Funicula in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Bb7 – Eb – Bb7
Funiculi, Funicula sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIBb7V7EbIBb7V7- EbEb · G · Bb
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- 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: Hammock chords
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 150 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: Eb – Bb – Eb
The last chords are I – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbBbEb- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about Funiculi, Funicula
What chords are in Funiculi, Funicula?
The loop is Eb – Bb7 – Eb – Bb7 (I – V7 – I – V7) in Eb major, and the song ends on Eb – Bb – Eb.
What key is Funiculi, Funicula in?
Eb major, at about 150 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Funiculi, Funicula?
Hammock heartbeat: root bass · 6/8 lilt, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Funiculi, Funicula 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.