Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Mary Had A Baby on piano
Artist unknown
- F major
- 4/4
- 108 BPM
- 2017
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Mary Had A Baby in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – Dm – C7 – F
How it goes
Mary Had A Baby sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; Dm is D, F and A; C7 is C, E, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIDmviC7V7FI- FF · A · C
- DmD · F · A
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Gentle rocking
How it goes
Root, fifth, octave, fifth: the gentle rocking under countless pop ballads. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8-5 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 696 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Steady chords
How it goes
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 108 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- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
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Questions about Mary Had A Baby
What chords are in Mary Had A Baby?
The loop is F – Dm – C7 – F (I – vi – V7 – I) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Mary Had A Baby in?
F major, at about 108 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Mary Had A Baby?
Gentle rocking: broken chord 1-5-8-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Mary Had A Baby 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.