Piano chords · Waltz garden
How to play The Lord Is My Shepherd on piano
Written by Keith Green & Melody Green
- G major
- 3/4
- 121 BPM
- 1982
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn The Lord Is My Shepherd in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – Am – C – Am
How it goes
The Lord Is My Shepherd sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Am is A, C and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIVAmiiCIVAmii- CC · E · G
- AmA · C · E
- 2
Left hand: Moon River roll
How it goes
A wide, flowing roll in three, the Moon River feel. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-10 (3/4) (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 441 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Sleepy waltz chords
How it goes
A long chord, then a double on beat 3: a lazy, rocking waltz. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 121 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: C – D – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- DD · F# · A
- GG · B · D
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Questions about The Lord Is My Shepherd
What chords are in The Lord Is My Shepherd?
The loop is C – Am – C – Am (IV – ii – IV – ii) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is The Lord Is My Shepherd in?
G major, at about 121 beats a minute in 3/4.
What does the left hand play in The Lord Is My Shepherd?
Moon River roll: open arpeggio 1-5-10 (3/4), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Lord Is My Shepherd 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.