Piano chords · Waltz garden
How to play Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People on piano
By Robert Lopez
- D major
- 3/4
- 130 BPM
- V–I–V–I loop
- 2013
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – D – A – D
How it goes
Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AVDIAVDI- AA · C# · E
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Moon River roll
How it goes
A wide, flowing roll in three, the Moon River feel. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-10 (3/4) (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 441 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Waltz chords
How it goes
A chord on each of the three beats: a simple waltz. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 130 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: D – A – D
How it goes
The last chords are I – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DAD
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Questions about Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People
What chords are in Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People?
The loop is A – D – A – D (V – I – V – I) in D major, and the song ends on D – A – D.
What key is Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People in?
D major, at about 130 beats a minute in 3/4.
What does the left hand play in Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People?
Moon River roll: open arpeggio 1-5-10 (3/4), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People 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.