Piano chords · Waltz garden
How to play Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht on piano
Written by Franz X. Gruber
- Bb major
- 3/4
- 85 BPM
- V7–I–V7–I loop
- 2009
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F7 – Bb – F7 – Bb
How it goes
Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
F7V7BbIF7V7BbI- F7F · A · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Waltzing river
How it goes
Flows up five notes with a little step near the top, in three. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-8-9-10 (3/4) (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 82 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Waltz chords
How it goes
A chord on each of the three beats: a simple waltz. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 85 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: Bb – F7 – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbF7Bb
Play next
Questions about Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht
What chords are in Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht?
The loop is F7 – Bb – F7 – Bb (V7 – I – V7 – I) in Bb major, and the song ends on Bb – F7 – Bb.
What key is Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht in?
Bb major, at about 85 beats a minute in 3/4.
What does the left hand play in Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht?
Waltzing river: open arpeggio 1-5-8-9-10 (3/4), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht 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.