Piano chords · Slow dance ’50s
How to play We Shall Overcome on piano
By Pete Seeger
- G major
- 12/8
- 111 BPM
- I–IV–I–IV loop
- 1960
- Easy
Learn We Shall Overcome in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – C – G – C
We Shall Overcome sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GICIVGICIV- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Slow-dance heartbeat
Four slow, deep beats under a swaying fifties ballad. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 134 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Slow-dance chords
Four slow chords per bar under a swaying fifties ballad. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 111 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: G – C – G
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GCG
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Questions about We Shall Overcome
What chords are in We Shall Overcome?
The loop is G – C – G – C (I – IV – I – IV) in G major, and the song ends on G – C – G.
What key is We Shall Overcome in?
G major, at about 111 beats a minute in 12/8.
What does the left hand play in We Shall Overcome?
Slow-dance heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is We Shall Overcome 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.