Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Hava Nagila on piano
By Moshe Nathanson
- Bb major
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- 1994
- Easy
Learn Hava Nagila in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – Cm – D – Cm
Hava Nagila sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; Cm is C, Eb and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIIICmiiDIIICmii- DD · F# · A
- CmC · Eb · G
- 2
Left hand: Heartbeat octaves
Low, high, low, high: a bouncing heartbeat. Musicians call it rocking octaves (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pausing chords
Three steady chords, then beat 4 left empty to breathe. 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 Hava Nagila
What chords are in Hava Nagila?
The loop is D – Cm – D – Cm (III – ii – III – ii) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is Hava Nagila in?
Bb major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Hava Nagila?
Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Hava Nagila easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.