Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen on piano
By Traditional
- Bb major
- 6/8
- 160 BPM
- vi–ii–vi–ii loop
- Medium
Learn God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Gm – Cm – Gm – Cm
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Gm is G, Bb and D; Cm is C, Eb and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GmviCmiiGmviCmii- GmG · Bb · D
- CmC · Eb · G
- 2
Left hand: Swelling 6/8
Rises to the top and falls back in one rocking six-note wave. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-8-5 (6/8) (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 73 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Tug-of-war chords
Four even chords stretched across a rocking bar: a gentle push and pull. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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 – F – Bb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
What chords are in God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen?
The loop is Gm – Cm – Gm – Cm (vi – ii – vi – ii) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen in?
Bb major, at about 160 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen?
Swelling 6/8: open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-8-5 (6/8), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 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.