Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Waltz garden

How to play The Kerry Recruit on piano

By Irish Folksong

  • F major
  • 3/4
  • 130 BPM
  • Easy
Tuning the piano…
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Left hand Waltz seesawThe right hand sings the tuneChords the loop the song repeats most

Play the full song with sheet music

Learn The Kerry Recruit in 5 steps

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

  1. 1

    Chords: F – C7 – Bb – C7

    How it goes

    The Kerry Recruit sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    FIC7V7BbIVC7V7
    • FF · A · C
    • C7C · E · G · Bb
    • BbBb · D · F
  2. 2

    Left hand: Waltz seesaw

    How it goes

    One low note, then two higher ones: oom-pah-pah with single notes. Musicians call it root–fifth 1-5-5 (3/4) (root–fifth bass), an easy pattern heard in 74 songs of the library.

  3. 3

    Right hand: the chords, held

    How it goes

    In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.

  4. 4

    Both hands at 130 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. 5

    Ending: Bb – C – F

    How it goes

    The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.

    BbCF
    • CC · E · G

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Questions about The Kerry Recruit

What chords are in The Kerry Recruit?

The loop is F – C7 – Bb – C7 (I – V7 – IV – V7) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.

What key is The Kerry Recruit in?

F major, at about 130 beats a minute in 3/4.

What does the left hand play in The Kerry Recruit?

Waltz seesaw: root–fifth 1-5-5 (3/4), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is The Kerry Recruit 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.