Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play Old Deuteronomy on piano
Written by Andrew Lloyd Webber
- G major
- 6/8
- 75 BPM
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Old Deuteronomy in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – Fm – G – Dm
How it goes
Old Deuteronomy sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; Fm is F, Ab and C; Dm is D, F and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIFmbviiGIDmv- GG · B · D
- FmF · Ab · C
- DmD · F · A
- 2
Left hand: Lilting climb
How it goes
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: Rowing-boat chords
How it goes
Six even chords per bar, rolling along like oars on water. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 75 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: C – D – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
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Questions about Old Deuteronomy
What chords are in Old Deuteronomy?
The loop is G – Fm – G – Dm (I – bvii – I – v) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is Old Deuteronomy in?
G major, at about 75 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Old Deuteronomy?
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 Old Deuteronomy 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.