Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play MacNamara’s Band on piano
Artist unknown
- G major
- 6/8
- 160 BPM
- V7–I–V7–I loop
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn MacNamara’s Band in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D7 – G – D7 – G
How it goes
MacNamara’s Band sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D7 is D, F#, A and C; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
D7V7GID7V7GI- D7D · F# · A · C
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Hammock rocking
How it goes
Low, high, top, high in a long-short sway, like a swinging hammock. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8-5 (6/8) (broken chord), a medium pattern heard in 34 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Cradle chords
How it goes
A chord, a rock to beat two, a soft pickup back: like a cradle. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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: G – D7 – G
How it goes
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GD7G
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Questions about MacNamara’s Band
What chords are in MacNamara’s Band?
The loop is D7 – G – D7 – G (V7 – I – V7 – I) in G major, and the song ends on G – D7 – G.
What key is MacNamara’s Band in?
G major, at about 160 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in MacNamara’s Band?
Hammock rocking: broken chord 1-5-8-5 (6/8), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is MacNamara’s Band 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.