Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Sailing on piano
By Rod Stewart
- C major
- 4/4
- 105 BPM
- 1972
- Easy
Learn Sailing in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: B – Abm – E – B
Sailing sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: B is B, D# and F#; Abm is Ab, Cb and Eb; E is E, G# and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BVIIAbmbviEIIIBVII- BB · D# · F#
- AbmAb · Cb · Eb
- EE · G# · B
- 2
Left hand: Gentle rocking
Root, fifth, octave, fifth: the gentle rocking under countless pop ballads. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8-5 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 696 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Run-up chords
Four steady chords plus a quick extra one leading into the next bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 105 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 – G – C
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
Play next
Questions about Sailing
What chords are in Sailing?
The loop is B – Abm – E – B (VII – bvi – III – VII) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Sailing in?
C major, at about 105 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Sailing?
Gentle rocking: broken chord 1-5-8-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Sailing easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.