Piano chords · Blues & boogie

How to play In The Hall Of The Mountain King on piano

By Edvard Grieg

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn In The Hall Of The Mountain King in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Am – Am – Am – C
How it goes
In The Hall Of The Mountain King sits in A minor: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Am is A, C and E; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmiAmiAmiCIII
- AmA · C · E
- CC · E · G
2
Left hand: Seesaw bass
How it goes
Low, higher, low, higher on every beat: a steady seesaw. Musicians call it root–fifth 1-5-1-5 (root–fifth bass), an easy pattern heard in 481 songs of the library.
Seesaw bassRoot–fifth bass · Blues and boogie-woogieLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
How it goes
Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Wait-a-beat chordsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 92 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: F – G – Am
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGAm
- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D

What chords are in In The Hall Of The Mountain King?

The loop is Am – Am – Am – C (i – III – i – III) in A minor, and the song ends on F – G – Am.

What key is In The Hall Of The Mountain King in?

A minor, at about 92 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in In The Hall Of The Mountain King?

Seesaw bass: root–fifth 1-5-1-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is In The Hall Of The Mountain King easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of In The Hall Of The Mountain King?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.