Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play Sister Susie’s Sewing Shirts For Soldiers on piano
By Herman Darewski
- Eb major
- 2/4
- 100 BPM
- I–ii–V7–I loop
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Sister Susie’s Sewing Shirts For Soldiers in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Fm – Bb7 – Eb
How it goes
Sister Susie’s Sewing Shirts For Soldiers 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; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIFmiiBb7V7EbI- EbEb · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Brass-band march
How it goes
A bold open chord, then a low note: oom-pah like a marching band. Musicians call it lh power fifths (2/4) (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in 234 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Sleigh bells
How it goes
A high note and two quick chords in a short bar, jingling along. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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 – Bb7 – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbBb7Eb
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Questions about Sister Susie’s Sewing Shirts For Soldiers
What chords are in Sister Susie’s Sewing Shirts For Soldiers?
The loop is Eb – Fm – Bb7 – Eb (I – ii – V7 – I) in Eb major, and the song ends on Eb – Bb7 – Eb.
What key is Sister Susie’s Sewing Shirts For Soldiers in?
Eb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 2/4.
What does the left hand play in Sister Susie’s Sewing Shirts For Soldiers?
Brass-band march: lh power fifths (2/4), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Sister Susie’s Sewing Shirts For Soldiers 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.