Piano chords · Waltz garden

How to play His Eye Is On The Sparrow (arr. Phillip Keveren) on piano

By Mahalia Jackson

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn His Eye Is On The Sparrow (arr. Phillip Keveren) in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Dm – G7 – C – F7
How it goes
His Eye Is On The Sparrow (arr. Phillip Keveren) sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm is D, F and A; G7 is G, B, D and F; C is C, E and G; F7 is F, A, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmvG7I7CIVF7bVII7
- DmD · F · A
- G7G · B · D · F
- CC · E · G
- F7F · A · C · Eb
2
Left hand: Moon River roll
How it goes
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: Waltz chords
How it goes
A chord on each of the three beats: a simple waltz. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Waltz chordsBlock chords · WaltzRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 120 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: Am – D7 – G
How it goes
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AmD7G
- AmA · C · E
- D7D · F# · A · C
- GG · B · D

What chords are in His Eye Is On The Sparrow (arr. Phillip Keveren)?

The loop is Dm – G7 – C – F7 (v – I7 – IV – bVII7) in G major, and the song ends on Am – D7 – G.

What key is His Eye Is On The Sparrow (arr. Phillip Keveren) in?

G major, at about 120 beats a minute in 3/4.

What does the left hand play in His Eye Is On The Sparrow (arr. Phillip Keveren)?

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 His Eye Is On The Sparrow (arr. Phillip Keveren) 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 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.