Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play The River Kwai March on piano
By Malcolm Arnold
- C major
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- 1957
- Easy
Learn The River Kwai March in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – G7 – C – Dm
The River Kwai March sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; G7 is G, B, D and F; Dm is D, F and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIG7V7CIDmii- CC · E · G
- G7G · B · D · F
- DmD · F · A
- 2
Left hand: Trampoline bounce
Root, a jump up, a dip down, a jump up: a country-style bounce. Musicians call it broken chord 8-12-5-12 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 257 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Bossa chords
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: soft Brazilian chords. 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: Dm – G7 – C
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DmG7C
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Questions about The River Kwai March
What chords are in The River Kwai March?
The loop is C – G7 – C – Dm (I – V7 – I – ii) in C major, and the song ends on Dm – G7 – C.
What key is The River Kwai March in?
C major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in The River Kwai March?
Trampoline bounce: broken chord 8-12-5-12, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The River Kwai March 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.