Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play This Land Is Your Land on piano
Written by Woody Guthrie
- G major
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- I–IV–I–V loop
- 1956
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn This Land Is Your Land in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – C – G – D
How it goes
This Land Is Your Land sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; C is C, E and G; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GICIVGIDV- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Stair steps
How it goes
Three notes climb up the chord in the island rhythm. Musicians call it broken chord 1-3-5 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 438 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hopscotch bells
How it goes
A high bell note, a chord, a skipped beat, and one more chord. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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: C – D – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG
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Questions about This Land Is Your Land
What chords are in This Land Is Your Land?
The loop is G – C – G – D (I – IV – I – V) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is This Land Is Your Land in?
G major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in This Land Is Your Land?
Stair steps: broken chord 1-3-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is This Land Is Your Land 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.