Piano chords · Waltz garden

How to play Largo (from Xerxes) on piano

Tuning the piano…

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Learn Largo (from Xerxes) in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: F – Bb – C – Dm
How it goes
Largo (from Xerxes) sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; Bb is Bb, D and F; C is C, E and G; Dm is D, F and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIBbIVCVDmvi
- FF · A · C
- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
- DmD · F · A
34 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Sliding twins
How it goes
Two notes together step down beat by beat, like a hymn closing. Musicians call it lh power fifths (3/4) (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in 258 songs of the library.
Sliding twinsLeft-hand chords · WaltzLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Waltz chords
How it goes
A chord on each of the three beats: a simple waltz. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Waltz chordsBlock chords · WaltzRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 85 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: Bb – C – F
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF

What chords are in Largo (from Xerxes)?

The loop is F – Bb – C – Dm (I – IV – V – vi) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.

What key is Largo (from Xerxes) in?

F major, at about 85 beats a minute in 3/4.

What does the left hand play in Largo (from Xerxes)?

Sliding twins: lh power fifths (3/4), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Largo (from Xerxes) 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 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.