Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play La Marseillaise on piano
Artist unknown
- G major
- 4/4
- 124 BPM
- V–I–V–I loop
- Easy
Learn La Marseillaise in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – G – D – G
La Marseillaise sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DVGIDVGI- DD · F# · A
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Climb-and-jump
Up the chord one note per beat, then a big jump back to the bottom. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8-1 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 146 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Steady chords
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 124 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: G – D7 – G
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GD7G- D7D · F# · A · C
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Questions about La Marseillaise
What chords are in La Marseillaise?
The loop is D – G – D – G (V – I – V – I) in G major, and the song ends on G – D7 – G.
What key is La Marseillaise in?
G major, at about 124 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in La Marseillaise?
Climb-and-jump: broken chord 1-5-8-1, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is La Marseillaise 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.