Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play The Lonely Goatherd on piano
- F major
- 4/4
- 160 BPM
- 1959
- Medium
Learn The Lonely Goatherd in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – C7 – F – C
The Lonely Goatherd 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; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIC7V7FICV- FF · A · C
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Froggy bounce
Fifth, high root, low root, high root: a jolly hopping country bass. Musicians call it broken chord 5-8-1-8 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 133 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Slow-down chords
Quick chords rush through the first half, then slow down to land on 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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: F – C7 – F
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FC7F
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Questions about The Lonely Goatherd
What chords are in The Lonely Goatherd?
The loop is F – C7 – F – C (I – V7 – I – V) in F major, and the song ends on F – C7 – F.
What key is The Lonely Goatherd in?
F major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Lonely Goatherd?
Froggy bounce: broken chord 5-8-1-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Lonely Goatherd 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.