Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play The Sermon on piano
By Hampton Hawes
- F major
- 4/4
- 145 BPM
- 1956
- Easy
Learn The Sermon in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D7 – G7 – C7 – F7
The Sermon sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D7 is D, F#, A and C; G7 is G, B, D and F; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F7 is F, A, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
D7VI7G7II7C7V7F7I7- D7D · F# · A · C
- G7G · B · D · F
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Happy wiggle
Root, fifth, a step up and back: a cheerful bluesy wiggle. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-6-5 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 165 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Run-up chords
Four steady chords plus a quick extra one leading into the next bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 145 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: Bb – C – F
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
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Questions about The Sermon
What chords are in The Sermon?
The loop is D7 – G7 – C7 – F7 (VI7 – II7 – V7 – I7) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is The Sermon in?
F major, at about 145 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Sermon?
Happy wiggle: broken chord 1-5-6-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Sermon 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.