Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play The World We Knew on piano
Artist unknown
- D major
- 6/8
- 90 BPM
- vi–iii–vi–iii loop
- Medium
Learn The World We Knew in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bm – F#m – Bm – F#m
The World We Knew sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bm is B, D and F#; F#m is F#, A and C#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BmviF#miiiBmviF#miii- BmB · D · F#
- F#mF# · A · C#
- 2
Left hand: Cradle pulse
A deep note, a rock to beat two, a soft pickup back: like a cradle. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2.3 (6/8) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 160 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Rowing-boat chords
Six even chords per bar, rolling along like oars on water. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 90 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: G – A – D
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD- GG · B · D
- AA · C# · E
- DD · F# · A
Play next
Questions about The World We Knew
What chords are in The World We Knew?
The loop is Bm – F#m – Bm – F#m (vi – iii – vi – iii) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is The World We Knew in?
D major, at about 90 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in The World We Knew?
Cradle pulse: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2.3 (6/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The World We Knew 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.