Piano chords · Waltz garden

How to play The First Noël on piano

Tuning the piano…

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Learn The First Noël in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Dm – C – Dm – C
The First Noël sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm is D, F and A; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmiiCIDmiiCI
- DmD · F · A
- CC · E · G
52 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Waltz ripple
A ripple of three notes in three-time. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8 (3/4) (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 473 songs of the library.
Waltz rippleBroken chord · WaltzLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Waltz chords
A chord on each of the three beats: a simple waltz. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Waltz chordsBlock chords · WaltzRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 65 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: C – G7 – C
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CG7C
- G7G · B · D · F

What chords are in The First Noël?

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

What key is The First Noël in?

C major, at about 65 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in The First Noël?

Waltz ripple: broken chord 1-5-8 (3/4), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is The First Noël easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.