Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play Thy Will on piano
Written by Bernie Herms, Emily Weisband & others
- Eb major
- 6/8
- 78 BPM
- 2016
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Thy Will in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – Bb – Cm – Gm
How it goes
Thy Will sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Bb is Bb, D and F; Cm is C, Eb and G; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbIVBbVCmviGmiii- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
- CmC · Eb · G
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: Lilting climb
How it goes
Three notes climbing in a long-short swing, then a pause to ring. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8 (6/8) (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 120 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pendulum swing
How it goes
One note ticking on every quick beat, rocking in two big swings. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 78 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- EbEb · G · Bb
Play next
Questions about Thy Will
What chords are in Thy Will?
The loop is Ab – Bb – Cm – Gm (IV – V – vi – iii) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is Thy Will in?
Eb major, at about 78 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Thy Will?
Lilting climb: broken chord 1-5-8 (6/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Thy Will 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.