Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play The Merry Ploughboy on piano
Written by Traditional Irish Folk Song
- C major
- 6/8
- 160 BPM
- V–IV–V–I loop
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn The Merry Ploughboy in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – F – G – C
How it goes
The Merry Ploughboy sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; F is F, A and C; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GVFIVGVCI- GG · B · D
- FF · A · C
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Swelling 6/8
How it goes
Rises to the top and falls back in one rocking six-note wave. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-8-5 (6/8) (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 73 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Cradle chords
How it goes
A chord, a rock to beat two, a soft pickup back: like a cradle. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC
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Questions about The Merry Ploughboy
What chords are in The Merry Ploughboy?
The loop is G – F – G – C (V – IV – V – I) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is The Merry Ploughboy in?
C major, at about 160 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in The Merry Ploughboy?
Swelling 6/8: open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-8-5 (6/8), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Merry Ploughboy 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.