Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Shall We Gather At The River? on piano
By Robert Lowry
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 70 BPM
- I–ii–I–ii loop
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Shall We Gather At The River? in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Fm – Eb – Fm
How it goes
Shall We Gather At The River? sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Fm is F, Ab and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIFmiiEbIFmii- EbEb · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
- 2
Left hand: Boogie walker
How it goes
A walking line that climbs and falls through the chord. Musicians call it boogie-woogie line (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 807 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Soft chords
How it goes
Soft chords on beats 1, 3 and 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 70 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: Eb – Fm – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are I – ii – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFmEb
Play next
Questions about Shall We Gather At The River?
What chords are in Shall We Gather At The River??
The loop is Eb – Fm – Eb – Fm (I – ii – I – ii) in Eb major, and the song ends on Eb – Fm – Eb.
What key is Shall We Gather At The River? in?
Eb major, at about 70 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Shall We Gather At The River??
Boogie walker: boogie-woogie line, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Shall We Gather At The River? 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.