Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play Oh! It's A Lovely War on piano
- F major
- 6/8
- 160 BPM
- Medium
Learn Oh! It's A Lovely War in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Fm – C – G7 – C
Oh! It's A Lovely War sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Fm is F, Ab and C; C is C, E and G; G7 is G, B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FmiCVG7II7CV- FmF · Ab · C
- CC · E · G
- G7G · B · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Pirate-ship sway
Bass, chord, bass, chord in a lilting long-short swing. Musicians call it lh chords (6/8) (left-hand chords), a medium pattern heard in 45 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 160 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: F – C7 – F
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FC7F- FF · A · C
- C7C · E · G · Bb
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Questions about Oh! It's A Lovely War
What chords are in Oh! It's A Lovely War?
The loop is Fm – C – G7 – C (i – V – II7 – V) in F major, and the song ends on F – C7 – F.
What key is Oh! It's A Lovely War in?
F major, at about 160 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Oh! It's A Lovely War?
Pirate-ship sway: lh chords (6/8), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Oh! It's A Lovely War 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.