Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Nearer, My God, To Thee on piano
By Sarah F. Adams
- G major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- I–IV–I–V7 loop
- 2000
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
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 – G – D7
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; D7 is D, F#, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GICIVGID7V7- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
- D7D · F# · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Rolling waves
How it goes
Rolls up to the high third and back down, like a wave on the shore. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-10-5 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 545 songs of the library.
- 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.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: G – D7 – G
How it goes
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GD7G
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Questions about Nearer, My God, To Thee
What chords are in Nearer, My God, To Thee?
The loop is G – C – G – D7 (I – IV – I – V7) in G major, and the song ends on G – D7 – G.
What key is Nearer, My God, To Thee in?
G major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Nearer, My God, To Thee?
Rolling waves: open arpeggio 1-5-10-5, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Nearer, My God, To Thee 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 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.