Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play O Come To The Altar on piano
Written by Chris Brown, Mack Brock & others
- C major
- 6/8
- 69 BPM
- I–ii–vi–IV loop
- 2016
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn O Come To The Altar in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – Dm – Am – F
How it goes
O Come To The Altar sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Dm is D, F and A; Am is A, C and E; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIDmiiAmviFIV- CC · E · G
- DmD · F · A
- AmA · C · E
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Hammock rocking
How it goes
Low, high, top, high in a long-short sway, like a swinging hammock. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8-5 (6/8) (broken chord), a medium pattern heard in 34 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Tug-of-war chords
How it goes
Four even chords stretched across a rocking bar: a gentle push and pull. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 69 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: Am – F – C
How it goes
The last chords are vi – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AmFC
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Questions about O Come To The Altar
What chords are in O Come To The Altar?
The loop is C – Dm – Am – F (I – ii – vi – IV) in C major, and the song ends on Am – F – C.
What key is O Come To The Altar in?
C major, at about 69 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in O Come To The Altar?
Hammock rocking: broken chord 1-5-8-5 (6/8), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is O Come To The Altar 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.