Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play One King on piano
Written by Jeff Borders, Gayla Borders & others
- C minor
- 6/8
- 84 BPM
- 1998
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn One King in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – C – Cm – Bb
How it goes
One King sits in C minor: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; C is C, E and G; Cm is C, Eb and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbVIICICmiBbVII- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
- CmC · Eb · G
- 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: Hammock chords
How it goes
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 84 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: Ab – Bb – Cm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbCm- AbAb · C · Eb
Play next
Questions about One King
What chords are in One King?
The loop is Bb – C – Cm – Bb (bVII – I5 – i – bVII) in C minor, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Cm.
What key is One King in?
C minor, at about 84 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in One King?
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 One King 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.