Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play The Little Road To Bethlehem on piano
By Aled Jones
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 56 BPM
- I–V–I–V loop
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn The Little Road To Bethlehem in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – Eb – Ab – Eb
How it goes
The Little Road To Bethlehem sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbIEbVAbIEbV- AbAb · C · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Boogie walker
How it goes
A walking line that climbs and falls through the chord. Musicians call it boogie-woogie line (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 807 songs of the library.
- 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
Both hands at 56 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: Db – Eb7 – Ab
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEb7Ab- DbDb · F · Ab
- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
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Questions about The Little Road To Bethlehem
What chords are in The Little Road To Bethlehem?
The loop is Ab – Eb – Ab – Eb (I – V – I – V) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb7 – Ab.
What key is The Little Road To Bethlehem in?
Ab major, at about 56 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Little Road To Bethlehem?
Boogie walker: boogie-woogie line, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Little Road To Bethlehem 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.