Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play The Rambling Sailor on piano
By English Sea Chantey
- D major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 2012
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn The Rambling Sailor in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – Am – D – C
How it goes
The Rambling Sailor sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; Am is A, C and E; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIAmvDICbVII- DD · F# · A
- AmA · C · E
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Three-step climb
How it goes
Root, fifth, octave, then let it ring. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in thousands of 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 100 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: D – C – D
How it goes
The last chords are I – bVII – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DCD
Play next
Questions about The Rambling Sailor
What chords are in The Rambling Sailor?
The loop is D – Am – D – C (I – v – I – bVII5) in D major, and the song ends on D – C – D.
What key is The Rambling Sailor in?
D major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Rambling Sailor?
Three-step climb: broken chord 1-5-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Rambling Sailor 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.