Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play How Can I Keep From Singing on piano
By Chris Tomlin
- Bb major
- 6/8
- 104 BPM
- I–Isus–I–Isus loop
- 2006
- Medium
Learn How Can I Keep From Singing in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – Bbsus4 – Bb – Bbsus4
How Can I Keep From Singing sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; Bbsus4 is Bb, Eb and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIBbsus4Isus4BbIBbsus4Isus4- BbBb · D · F
- Bbsus4Bb · Eb · F
- 2
Left hand: Rowing-boat pulse
Six even low notes per bar, rolling along like oars on water. Musicians call it root bass · 6/8 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 240 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Rowing-boat chords
Six even chords per bar, rolling along like oars on water. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 104 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 – Bbsus4 – Bb
The last chords are I – Isus – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbBbsus4Bb
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Questions about How Can I Keep From Singing
What chords are in How Can I Keep From Singing?
The loop is Bb – Bbsus4 – Bb – Bbsus4 (I – Isus – I – Isus) in Bb major, and the song ends on Bb – Bbsus4 – Bb.
What key is How Can I Keep From Singing in?
Bb major, at about 104 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in How Can I Keep From Singing?
Rowing-boat pulse: root bass · 6/8 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is How Can I Keep From Singing 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 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.