Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play Unchained Melody on piano
By Gareth Gates
- Bb major
- 6/8
- 108 BPM
- Medium
Learn Unchained Melody in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – F – Eb – Db
Unchained Melody sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; F is F, A and C; Db is Db, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIVFVEbIVDbbIII- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- DbDb · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Rowing-boat pulse
Six even low notes per bar, rolling along like oars on water. Musicians call it root bass · 6/8 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 240 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 108 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: Gm – Eb – Bb
The last chords are vi – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GmEbBb- GmG · Bb · D
- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about Unchained Melody
What chords are in Unchained Melody?
The loop is Eb – F – Eb – Db (IV – V – IV – bIII) in Bb major, and the song ends on Gm – Eb – Bb.
What key is Unchained Melody in?
Bb major, at about 108 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Unchained Melody?
Rowing-boat pulse: root bass · 6/8 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Unchained Melody 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.