Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op.9, No.2 on piano
By Frederic Chopin
- F major
- 6/8
- 56 BPM
- Medium
Learn Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op.9, No.2 in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – Gm – C7 – A7 – Dm – Bb7 – C7
Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op.9, No.2 sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 7 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; Gm is G, Bb and D; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; A7 is A, C#, E and G; Dm is D, F and A; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmvGmiiC7V7A7III7DmviBb7IV7C7V7- CmC · Eb · G
- GmG · Bb · D
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- A7A · C# · E · G
- DmD · F · A
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Carousel
Boom-chick-chick, boom-chick-chick: round and round like a carousel. Musicians call it waltz 6/8 oom-pah (waltz), a medium pattern heard in 26 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 56 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: Bb – C – F
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
Play next
Questions about Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op.9, No.2
What chords are in Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op.9, No.2?
The loop is Cm – Gm – C7 – A7 – Dm – Bb7 – C7 (v – ii – V7 – III7 – vi – IV7 – V7) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op.9, No.2 in?
F major, at about 56 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op.9, No.2?
Carousel: waltz 6/8 oom-pah, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op.9, No.2 easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 7 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op.9, No.2?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.