Piano chords · Waltz garden
How to play Six Ribbons on piano
Artist unknown
- E minor
- 3/4
- 116 BPM
- Medium
Learn Six Ribbons in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bm – Em – Bm – Em
Six Ribbons sits in E minor: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bm is B, D and F#; Em is E, G and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BmvEmiBmvEmi- BmB · D · F#
- EmE · G · B
- 2
Left hand: Waltz stride
A deep bass, a chord above, then the octave: a leaping waltz. Musicians call it stride (3/4) (stride & boom-chick), a medium pattern heard in 215 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Swaying waltz chords
Two waltz chords, then a late top note after beat 3 that leans forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 116 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: C – D – Em
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDEm- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
Play next
Questions about Six Ribbons
What chords are in Six Ribbons?
The loop is Bm – Em – Bm – Em (v – i – v – i) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.
What key is Six Ribbons in?
E minor, at about 116 beats a minute in 3/4.
What does the left hand play in Six Ribbons?
Waltz stride: stride (3/4), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Six Ribbons 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.