Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play My Shining Hour on piano
Written by Harold Arlen
- Eb major
- 2/2
- 95 BPM
- 1943
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn My Shining Hour in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bbm – Eb7 – Ab – Abm
How it goes
My Shining Hour sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bbm is Bb, Db and F; Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Abm is Ab, Cb and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbmvEb7I7AbIVAbmiv- BbmBb · Db · F
- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- AbAb · C · Eb
- AbmAb · Cb · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Jazz-club climb
How it goes
Three slow notes rising to a soft, jazzy top, one per beat. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-7 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 122 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Soft chords
How it goes
Soft chords on beats 1, 3 and 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 95 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: Fm – Bb7 – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FmBb7Eb- FmF · Ab · C
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about My Shining Hour
What chords are in My Shining Hour?
The loop is Bbm – Eb7 – Ab – Abm (v – I7 – IV – iv) in Eb major, and the song ends on Fm – Bb7 – Eb.
What key is My Shining Hour in?
Eb major, at about 95 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in My Shining Hour?
Jazz-club climb: broken chord 1-5-7, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is My Shining Hour 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.