Piano chords · Waltz garden
How to play Wayfaring Stranger on piano
By Southern American Folk Hymn
- C minor
- 3/4
- 100 BPM
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Wayfaring Stranger in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb7 – Eb – Ab – G7
How it goes
Wayfaring Stranger sits in C minor: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; G7 is G, B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Bb7VII7EbIIIAbVIG7V7- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- AbAb · C · Eb
- G7G · B · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Moon River roll
How it goes
A wide, flowing roll in three, the Moon River feel. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-10 (3/4) (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 441 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Sleepy waltz chords
How it goes
A long chord, then a double on beat 3: a lazy, rocking waltz. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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 – Cm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbCm- BbBb · D · F
- CmC · Eb · G
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Questions about Wayfaring Stranger
What chords are in Wayfaring Stranger?
The loop is Bb7 – Eb – Ab – G7 (bVII7 – bIII – bVI – V7) in C minor, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Cm.
What key is Wayfaring Stranger in?
C minor, at about 100 beats a minute in 3/4.
What does the left hand play in Wayfaring Stranger?
Moon River roll: open arpeggio 1-5-10 (3/4), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Wayfaring Stranger 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 6 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.