Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play We’ll Gather Lilacs on piano
Artist unknown
- F major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- ii–V7–I–ii loop
- 1945
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn We’ll Gather Lilacs in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Gm – C7 – F – Gm
How it goes
We’ll Gather Lilacs sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Gm is G, Bb and D; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GmiiC7V7FIGmii- GmG · Bb · D
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Oom-pah
How it goes
A bass note, then three soft chords: oom, pah, pah, pah. Musicians call it bass + chords (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
How it goes
Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. 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: Gm – C7 – F
How it goes
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GmC7F
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Questions about We’ll Gather Lilacs
What chords are in We’ll Gather Lilacs?
The loop is Gm – C7 – F – Gm (ii – V7 – I – ii) in F major, and the song ends on Gm – C7 – F.
What key is We’ll Gather Lilacs in?
F major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in We’ll Gather Lilacs?
Oom-pah: bass + chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is We’ll Gather Lilacs 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.