Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play It's The Same Old Shillelagh on piano
By Pat White
- C major
- 6/8
- 135 BPM
- V7–I–V7–I loop
- 1940
- Medium
Learn It's The Same Old Shillelagh in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G7 – C – G7 – C
It's The Same Old Shillelagh sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G7 is G, B, D and F; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
G7V7CIG7V7CI- G7G · B · D · F
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Swelling 6/8
Rises to the top and falls back in one rocking six-note wave. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-8-5 (6/8) (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 73 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hammock chords
Long-short, long-short: soft chords sway like a hammock. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 135 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: C – G7 – C
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CG7C
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Questions about It's The Same Old Shillelagh
What chords are in It's The Same Old Shillelagh?
The loop is G7 – C – G7 – C (V7 – I – V7 – I) in C major, and the song ends on C – G7 – C.
What key is It's The Same Old Shillelagh in?
C major, at about 135 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in It's The Same Old Shillelagh?
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 It's The Same Old Shillelagh 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.