Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play Sticks And Stones on piano
Written by Dave Barnes
- Bb major
- 6/8
- 154 BPM
- I–V–IV–I loop
- 2002
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Sticks And Stones in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – F – Eb – Bb
How it goes
Sticks And Stones sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; F is F, A and C; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIFVEbIVBbI- BbBb · D · F
- FF · A · C
- EbEb · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Swelling 6/8
How it goes
Rises to the top and falls back in one rocking six-note wave. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-8-5 (6/8) (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 73 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Tug-of-war chords
How it goes
Four even chords stretched across a rocking bar: a gentle push and pull. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 154 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: F – Eb – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are V – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FEbBb
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Questions about Sticks And Stones
What chords are in Sticks And Stones?
The loop is Bb – F – Eb – Bb (I – V – IV – I) in Bb major, and the song ends on F – Eb – Bb.
What key is Sticks And Stones in?
Bb major, at about 154 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Sticks And Stones?
Swelling 6/8: open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-8-5 (6/8), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Sticks And Stones 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.