Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Up On The Housetop on piano
Written by Traditional
- Db major
- 4/4
- 102 BPM
- IV–I–V–I loop
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Up On The Housetop in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Gb – Db – Ab – Db
How it goes
Up On The Housetop sits in Db major: Db is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Gb is Gb, Bb and Db; Db is Db, F and Ab; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GbIVDbIAbVDbI- GbGb · Bb · Db
- DbDb · F · Ab
- AbAb · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Walking roots
How it goes
One low note on every beat, steady as walking feet. Musicians call it root bass · quarters (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
How it goes
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 102 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: Gb – Ab – Db
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GbAbDb
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Questions about Up On The Housetop
What chords are in Up On The Housetop?
The loop is Gb – Db – Ab – Db (IV – I – V – I) in Db major, and the song ends on Gb – Ab – Db.
What key is Up On The Housetop in?
Db major, at about 102 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Up On The Housetop?
Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Up On The Housetop 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.