Piano chords · Lullaby boat
I Saw Three Ships: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Traditional
- C major
- 6/8
- 135 BPM
- I–V7–I–V7 loop
- Medium
I Saw Three Ships written out as piano music: the I – V7 – I – V7 loop in C major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays swelling 6/8 (open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-8-5 (6/8)), and the right hand sings the tune.
I Saw Three Ships chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in C major. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | I | C E G |
| 2 | G7 | V7 | G B D F |
| 3 | C | I | C E G |
| 4 | G7 | V7 | G B D F |
What the sheet music shows
The grand staff: the right hand on the treble staff, the left hand on the bass staff, with the chord names above and a finger number on each note (1 is the thumb). It is the accompaniment: swelling 6/8 (open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-8-5 (6/8)) in the left hand, with the right hand free for the melody, over the C – G7 – C – G7 chords.
Press play and a cursor follows the music. Above it, Colours paints each note in its key’s colour and Note names writes its letter on its head.
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Questions about I Saw Three Ships
Does the sheet music for I Saw Three Ships have finger numbers?
Yes: every note of both hands has its finger number, 1 being the thumb. To read the notes alone, turn Fingers off above the music.
What chords are in I Saw Three Ships?
The loop is C – G7 – C – G7 (I – V7 – I – V7) in C major, and the song ends on C – G7 – C.
What key is I Saw Three Ships in?
C major, at about 135 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in I Saw Three Ships?
Swelling 6/8: open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-8-5 (6/8), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Saw Three Ships 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.