Piano chords · Classical salon
How to play Hush Little Baby on piano
By Traditional
- E major
- 2/2
- 100 BPM
- I–ii–V7–I loop
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Hush Little Baby in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: E – F#m – B7 – E
How it goes
Hush Little Baby sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E is E, G# and B; F#m is F#, A and C#; B7 is B, D#, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EIF#miiB7V7EI- EE · G# · B
- F#mF# · A · C#
- B7B · D# · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Mozart murmur
How it goes
Low, high, middle, high, over and over: the Mozart murmur. Musicians call it alberti bass 1-5-3-5 (alberti bass), a medium pattern heard in 186 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pausing chords
How it goes
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 100 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: A – B – E
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ABE- AA · C# · E
- BB · D# · F#
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Questions about Hush Little Baby
What chords are in Hush Little Baby?
The loop is E – F#m – B7 – E (I – ii – V7 – I) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.
What key is Hush Little Baby in?
E major, at about 100 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Hush Little Baby?
Mozart murmur: alberti bass 1-5-3-5, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Hush Little Baby 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.