Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Mary’s Boy Child on piano
Written by Jester Hairston
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 110 BPM
- I–IV–I–V7 loop
- 1956
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Mary’s Boy Child in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – Eb – Bb – F7
How it goes
Mary’s Boy Child sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; F7 is F, A, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIEbIVBbIF7V7- BbBb · D · F
- EbEb · G · Bb
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Power fifths
How it goes
Root and fifth together: big and bold. Musicians call it lh power fifths (left-hand chords), a medium pattern heard in thousands of 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 110 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 – Bbsus4 – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are I – Isus – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbBbsus4Bb- Bbsus4Bb · Eb · F
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Questions about Mary’s Boy Child
What chords are in Mary’s Boy Child?
The loop is Bb – Eb – Bb – F7 (I – IV – I – V7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Bb – Bbsus4 – Bb.
What key is Mary’s Boy Child in?
Bb major, at about 110 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Mary’s Boy Child?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Mary’s Boy Child 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.