Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play It Came Upon A Midnight Clear on piano
By Edmund Hamilton Sears
- Bb major
- 6/8
- 56 BPM
- IV–I–IV–I loop
- 2011
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn It Came Upon A Midnight Clear in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Bb – Eb – Bb
How it goes
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIVBbIEbIVBbI- EbEb · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Double-skip footsteps
How it goes
Steady steps with two quick skips, one mid-bar and one at the end. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4 · 4& (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 397 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 56 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: Eb – F – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb- FF · A · C
Play next
Questions about It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
What chords are in It Came Upon A Midnight Clear?
The loop is Eb – Bb – Eb – Bb (IV – I – IV – I) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is It Came Upon A Midnight Clear in?
Bb major, at about 56 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in It Came Upon A Midnight Clear?
Double-skip footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4 · 4&, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is It Came Upon A Midnight Clear 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.