Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Grandfather’s Clock on piano
Artist unknown
- G major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- I–V7–I–IV loop
- 2000
- Medium
Learn Grandfather’s Clock in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – D7 – G – C
Grandfather’s Clock sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; D7 is D, F#, A and C; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GID7V7GICIV- GG · B · D
- D7D · F# · A · C
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Popcorn bounce
A high and a low note popping back and forth on every quick beat. Musicians call it broken chord 5-12 (broken chord), a medium pattern heard in 78 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Late-knock chords
One chord, a long wait, then a quick knock-knock at the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: G – D7 – G
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GD7G
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Questions about Grandfather’s Clock
What chords are in Grandfather’s Clock?
The loop is G – D7 – G – C (I – V7 – I – IV) in G major, and the song ends on G – D7 – G.
What key is Grandfather’s Clock in?
G major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Grandfather’s Clock?
Popcorn bounce: broken chord 5-12, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Grandfather’s Clock 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.