Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play We Wish You The Merriest on piano
Written by Les Brown
- C major
- 4/4
- 160 BPM
- 1961
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn We Wish You The Merriest in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Dm – G7 – C – C#dim
How it goes
We Wish You The Merriest sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm is D, F and A; G7 is G, B, D and F; C is C, E and G; C#dim is C#, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmiiG7V7CIC#dimbii°- DmD · F · A
- G7G · B · D · F
- CC · E · G
- C#dimC# · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Boom-chick
How it goes
Bass, chord, bass, chord: the bounce of ragtime and country. Musicians call it boom-chick (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in 762 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 160 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
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Questions about We Wish You The Merriest
What chords are in We Wish You The Merriest?
The loop is Dm – G7 – C – C#dim (ii – V7 – I – biio) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is We Wish You The Merriest in?
C major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in We Wish You The Merriest?
Boom-chick: boom-chick, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is We Wish You The Merriest 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.