Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play I’ll Be Home For Christmas on piano
By Walter Kent
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 65 BPM
- 1943
- Medium
Learn I’ll Be Home For Christmas 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
I’ll Be Home For Christmas 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: Power fifths
Root and fifth together: big and bold. Musicians call it lh power fifths (left-hand chords), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Sprint-and-stop chords
Four quick chords in the first half, then a calm, empty second half. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 65 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 I’ll Be Home For Christmas
What chords are in I’ll Be Home For Christmas?
The loop is Bb – Bbsus4 – Bb – Bbsus4 (I – Isus4 – I – Isus4) in Bb major, and the song ends on Bb – Bbsus4 – Bb.
What key is I’ll Be Home For Christmas in?
Bb major, at about 65 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I’ll Be Home For Christmas?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I’ll Be Home For Christmas 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.
Can I hear the real melody of I’ll Be Home For Christmas?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 7 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.