Stepsisters' Lament Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Stepsisters' Lament in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: C – F – Dm – C
Stepsisters' Lament 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; Dm is D, F and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIFIVDmiiCI
- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
- DmD · F · A
25 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Toy-soldier march
A bright two-note chord, then the low root: a toy soldier’s left-right. Musicians call it lh triads (2/4) (left-hand chords), a medium pattern heard in 205 songs of the library.
Toy-soldier marchLeft-hand chords · StrideLeft handMedium
3
Right hand: Polka-hop chords
Chords only on the “ands” in a quick two-beat bar: the “pah” of a polka. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Polka-hop chordsOffbeat chords · StrideRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 100 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: F – G7 – C
The last chords are IV – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FG7C
- G7G · B · D · F

What chords are in Stepsisters' Lament?

The loop is C – F – Dm – C (I – IV – ii – I) in C major, and the song ends on F – G7 – C.

What key is Stepsisters' Lament in?

C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 2/4.

What does the left hand play in Stepsisters' Lament?

Toy-soldier march: lh triads (2/4), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Stepsisters' Lament 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.