Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play The Rare Ould Times on piano
Artist unknown
- C major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- I–iii–IV–V loop
- Medium
Learn The Rare Ould Times in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – Em – F – G
The Rare Ould Times sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Em is E, G and B; F is F, A and C; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIEmiiiFIVGV- CC · E · G
- EmE · G · B
- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: River roll
Flows up five notes with a little step near the top, like a river. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-8-9-10 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 242 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Late-knock chords
One chord, a long wait, then a quick knock-knock at the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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 – G – C
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC
Play next
Questions about The Rare Ould Times
What chords are in The Rare Ould Times?
The loop is C – Em – F – G (I – iii – IV – V) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is The Rare Ould Times in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Rare Ould Times?
River roll: open arpeggio 1-5-8-9-10, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Rare Ould Times 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.