Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play Shepherds, Shake Off Your Drowsy Sleep on piano
Written by Traditional French Carol
- C major
- 6/8
- 117 BPM
- I–IV–V7–I loop
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Shepherds, Shake Off Your Drowsy Sleep in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – F – G7 – C
How it goes
Shepherds, Shake Off Your Drowsy Sleep sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; F is F, A and C; G7 is G, B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIFIVG7V7CI- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
- G7G · B · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Swelling 6/8
How it goes
Rises to the top and falls back in one rocking six-note wave. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-8-5 (6/8) (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 73 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
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 117 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: Dm – G7 – C
How it goes
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DmG7C- DmD · F · A
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Questions about Shepherds, Shake Off Your Drowsy Sleep
What chords are in Shepherds, Shake Off Your Drowsy Sleep?
The loop is C – F – G7 – C (I – IV – V7 – I) in C major, and the song ends on Dm – G7 – C.
What key is Shepherds, Shake Off Your Drowsy Sleep in?
C major, at about 117 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Shepherds, Shake Off Your Drowsy Sleep?
Swelling 6/8: open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-8-5 (6/8), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Shepherds, Shake Off Your Drowsy Sleep 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.