Greensleeves Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Greensleeves in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: A7 – Dm – A7 – Dm
Greensleeves sits in D minor: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A7 is A, C#, E and G; Dm is D, F and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
A7V7DmiA7V7Dmi
- A7A · C# · E · G
- DmD · F · A
35 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Moon River roll
A wide, flowing roll in three, the Moon River feel. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-10 (3/4) (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 441 songs of the library.
Moon River rollOpen arpeggio · WaltzLeft handMedium
3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
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: Bb – C – Dm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCDm
- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G

What chords are in Greensleeves?

The loop is A7 – Dm – A7 – Dm (V7 – i – V7 – i) in D minor, and the song ends on Bb – C – Dm.

What key is Greensleeves in?

D minor, at about 160 beats a minute in 3/4.

What does the left hand play in Greensleeves?

Moon River roll: open arpeggio 1-5-10 (3/4), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Greensleeves 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.