Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play Overcome on piano
By Jon Egan
- Bb major
- 6/8
- 72 BPM
- I–vi–V–IV loop
- 2007
- Medium
Learn Overcome in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – Gm – F – Eb
Overcome sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; Gm is G, Bb and D; F is F, A and C; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIGmviFVEbIV- BbBb · D · F
- GmG · Bb · D
- FF · A · C
- EbEb · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Hammock rocking
Low, high, top, high in a long-short sway, like a swinging hammock. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8-5 (6/8) (broken chord), a medium pattern heard in 34 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 72 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 – Eb – Bb
The last chords are V – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FEbBb
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Questions about Overcome
What chords are in Overcome?
The loop is Bb – Gm – F – Eb (I – vi – V – IV) in Bb major, and the song ends on F – Eb – Bb.
What key is Overcome in?
Bb major, at about 72 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Overcome?
Hammock rocking: broken chord 1-5-8-5 (6/8), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Overcome 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.