Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Softly As I Leave You on piano
Written by Giorgio Calabrese
- C major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- I–ii–V7–I loop
- 1960
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Softly As I Leave You in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – Dm – G7 – C
How it goes
Softly As I Leave You sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Dm is D, F and A; G7 is G, B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIDmiiG7V7CI- CC · E · G
- DmD · F · A
- G7G · B · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Rolling waves
How it goes
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: Hopscotch bells
How it goes
A high bell note, a chord, a skipped beat, and one more chord. 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: C – Fm – C
How it goes
The last chords are I – iv – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CFmC- FmF · Ab · C
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Questions about Softly As I Leave You
What chords are in Softly As I Leave You?
The loop is C – Dm – G7 – C (I – ii – V7 – I) in C major, and the song ends on C – Fm – C.
What key is Softly As I Leave You in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Softly As I Leave You?
Rolling waves: open arpeggio 1-5-10-5, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Softly As I Leave You 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.