Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Thy Loving Kindness on piano
Written by Hugh Mitchell
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- I–V7–I–V7 loop
- 1956
- Easy
Learn Thy Loving Kindness in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Bb7 – Eb – Bb7
Thy Loving Kindness sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIBb7V7EbIBb7V7- EbEb · G · Bb
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Wake-and-run chords
One long chord, then three quick ones running into the next bar. 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: Eb – Bb7 – Eb
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbBb7Eb
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Questions about Thy Loving Kindness
What chords are in Thy Loving Kindness?
The loop is Eb – Bb7 – Eb – Bb7 (I – V7 – I – V7) in Eb major, and the song ends on Eb – Bb7 – Eb.
What key is Thy Loving Kindness in?
Eb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Thy Loving Kindness?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Thy Loving Kindness 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.