Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Mary, Did You Know on piano
By Clay Aiken
- D# minor
- 4/4
- 56 BPM
- 1984
- Easy
Learn Mary, Did You Know in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D#m – C# – G#m – A#7
Mary, Did You Know sits in D# minor: D# is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D#m is D#, F# and A#; C# is C#, E# and G#; G#m is G#, B and D#; A#7 is A#, C##, E# and G#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
D#miC#VIIG#mivA#7V7- D#mD# · F# · A#
- C#C# · E# · G#
- G#mG# · B · D#
- A#7A# · C## · E# · G#
- 2
Left hand: Walking roots
One low note on every beat, steady as walking feet. Musicians call it root bass · quarters (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pausing chords
Three steady chords, then beat 4 left empty to breathe. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 56 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: B – C# – D#m
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BC#D#m- BB · D# · F#
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Questions about Mary, Did You Know
What chords are in Mary, Did You Know?
The loop is D#m – C# – G#m – A#7 (i – bVII – iv – V7) in D# minor, and the song ends on B – C# – D#m.
What key is Mary, Did You Know in?
D# minor, at about 56 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Mary, Did You Know?
Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Mary, Did You Know 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.