Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play Oft In The Stilly Night on piano
Artist unknown
- A major
- 6/8
- 93 BPM
- I–IV–I–V7 loop
- Medium
Learn Oft In The Stilly Night in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – D – A – E7
Oft In The Stilly Night sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; D is D, F# and A; E7 is E, G#, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIDIVAIE7V7- AA · C# · E
- DD · F# · A
- E7E · G# · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Lilting climb
Three notes climbing in a long-short swing, then a pause to ring. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8 (6/8) (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 120 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hammock chords
Long-short, long-short: soft chords sway like a hammock. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 93 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: A – E7 – A
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AE7A
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Questions about Oft In The Stilly Night
What chords are in Oft In The Stilly Night?
The loop is A – D – A – E7 (I – IV – I – V7) in A major, and the song ends on A – E7 – A.
What key is Oft In The Stilly Night in?
A major, at about 93 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Oft In The Stilly Night?
Lilting climb: broken chord 1-5-8 (6/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Oft In The Stilly Night 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.