Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play O Little Town Of Bethlehem on piano
By Lewis H. Redner
- F major
- 4/4
- 95 BPM
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn O Little Town Of Bethlehem in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – E – F – Gm
How it goes
O Little Town Of Bethlehem sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; E is E, G# and B; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIEVIIFIGmii- FF · A · C
- EE · G# · B
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: Boogie walker
How it goes
A walking line that climbs and falls through the chord. Musicians call it boogie-woogie line (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 807 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Steady chords
How it goes
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 95 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: Bb – C – F
How it goes
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
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Questions about O Little Town Of Bethlehem
What chords are in O Little Town Of Bethlehem?
The loop is F – E – F – Gm (I – VII – I – ii) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is O Little Town Of Bethlehem in?
F major, at about 95 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in O Little Town Of Bethlehem?
Boogie walker: boogie-woogie line, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is O Little Town Of Bethlehem 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.