He Was A Friend Of Mine Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn He Was A Friend Of Mine in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: A7 – D – A7 – D
How it goes
He Was A Friend Of Mine sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A7 is A, C#, E and G; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
A7V7DIA7V7DI
- A7A · C# · E · G
- DD · F# · A
414 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Seesaw bass
How it goes
Low, higher, low, higher on every beat: a steady seesaw. Musicians call it root–fifth 1-5-1-5 (root–fifth bass), an easy pattern heard in 481 songs of the library.
Seesaw bassRoot–fifth bass · Blues and boogie-woogieLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
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 112 BPM
How it goes
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: D – A7 – D
How it goes
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DA7D

What chords are in He Was A Friend Of Mine?

The loop is A7 – D – A7 – D (V7 – I – V7 – I) in D major, and the song ends on D – A7 – D.

What key is He Was A Friend Of Mine in?

D major, at about 112 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in He Was A Friend Of Mine?

Seesaw bass: root–fifth 1-5-1-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is He Was A Friend Of Mine 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.