Nights In White Satin Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Nights In White Satin in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Em – D – Em – D
How it goes
Nights In White Satin sits in E minor: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Em is E, G and B; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EmiDVIIEmiDVII
- EmE · G · B
- DD · F# · A
50 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Cradle pulse
How it goes
A deep note, a rock to beat two, a soft pickup back: like a cradle. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2.3 (6/8) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 160 songs of the library.
Cradle pulseRoot bass rhythm · LullabyLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Rowing-boat chords
How it goes
Six even chords per bar, rolling along like oars on water. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Rowing-boat chordsSyncopated chords · LullabyRight handMedium
4
Both hands at 56 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 – Em
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDEm
- CC · E · G

What chords are in Nights In White Satin?

The loop is Em – D – Em – D (i – bVII – i – bVII) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.

What key is Nights In White Satin in?

E minor, at about 56 beats a minute in 6/8.

What does the left hand play in Nights In White Satin?

Cradle pulse: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2.3 (6/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Nights In White Satin 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.