Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Snowfall on piano
By Tony Bennett
- Db major
- 4/4
- 88 BPM
- Medium
Learn Snowfall in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Db – Dbmaj7 – Db7 – Ab7 – Dbmaj7 – Db7 – Db7
Snowfall sits in Db major: Db is home, where the song ends. It goes round 7 chords: Db is Db, F and Ab; Dbmaj7 is Db, F, Ab and C; Db7 is Db, F, Ab and Cb; Ab7 is Ab, C, Eb and Gb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DbIDbmaj7Imaj7Db7I7Ab7V7Dbmaj7Imaj7Db7I7Db7I7- DbDb · F · Ab
- Dbmaj7Db · F · Ab · C
- Db7Db · F · Ab · Cb
- Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb
- 2
Left hand: Rolling waves
Rolls up to the high third and back down, like a wave on the shore. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-10-5 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 545 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
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 88 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: Db – Ab7 – Db
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbAb7Db
Play next
Questions about Snowfall
What chords are in Snowfall?
The loop is Db – Dbmaj7 – Db7 – Ab7 – Dbmaj7 – Db7 – Db7 (I – Imaj7 – I7 – V7 – Imaj7 – I7 – I) in Db major, and the song ends on Db – Ab7 – Db.
What key is Snowfall in?
Db major, at about 88 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Snowfall?
Rolling waves: open arpeggio 1-5-10-5, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Snowfall easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 7 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Snowfall?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.