Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play The Jolly Miller on piano
Written by English Folksong
- G minor
- 6/8
- 120 BPM
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn The Jolly Miller in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Gm – D7 – Gm – F
How it goes
The Jolly Miller sits in G minor: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Gm is G, Bb and D; D7 is D, F#, A and C; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GmiD7V7GmiFVII- GmG · Bb · D
- D7D · F# · A · C
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Pirate-ship sway
How it goes
Bass, chord, bass, chord in a lilting long-short swing. Musicians call it lh chords (6/8) (left-hand chords), a medium pattern heard in 45 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hammock chords
How it goes
Long-short, long-short: soft chords sway like a hammock. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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: Eb – F – Gm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFGm- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about The Jolly Miller
What chords are in The Jolly Miller?
The loop is Gm – D7 – Gm – F (i – V7 – i – bVII) in G minor, and the song ends on Eb – F – Gm.
What key is The Jolly Miller in?
G minor, at about 120 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in The Jolly Miller?
Pirate-ship sway: lh chords (6/8), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Jolly Miller 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.