Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play My Old Kentucky Home on piano
Artist unknown
- G major
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- V–I–IV–I loop
- Medium
Learn My Old Kentucky Home in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – G – C – G
My Old Kentucky Home sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; G is G, B and D; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DVGICIVGI- DD · F# · A
- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: River roll
Flows up five notes with a little step near the top, like a river. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-8-9-10 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 242 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 90 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: G – Gsus4 – G
The last chords are I – Isus – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GGsus4G- Gsus4G · C · D
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Questions about My Old Kentucky Home
What chords are in My Old Kentucky Home?
The loop is D – G – C – G (V – I – IV – I) in G major, and the song ends on G – Gsus4 – G.
What key is My Old Kentucky Home in?
G major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in My Old Kentucky Home?
River roll: open arpeggio 1-5-8-9-10, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is My Old Kentucky Home 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.