Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Nearer, My God, To Thee on piano

Tuning the piano…

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Learn Nearer, My God, To Thee in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: G – C – C#dim – G
How it goes
Nearer, My God, To Thee sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; C is C, E and G; C#dim is C#, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GICIVC#dim#iv°GI
- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
- C#dimC# · E · G
12 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Walking roots
How it goes
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.
Walking rootsRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Heartbeat chords
How it goes
Long, short, long: chords on the pop heartbeat, then a rest. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Heartbeat chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 105 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: C – D – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG
- DD · F# · A

What chords are in Nearer, My God, To Thee?

The loop is G – C – C#dim – G (I – IV – #ivo – I) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.

What key is Nearer, My God, To Thee in?

G major, at about 105 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Nearer, My God, To Thee?

Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Nearer, My God, To Thee 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.