Piano chords · Lullaby boat
When Johnny Comes Marching Home: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore
- G minor
- 6/8
- 120 BPM
- vi–V–vi–V loop
- 1995
- Medium
When Johnny Comes Marching Home written out as piano music: the vi – V – vi – V loop in G minor for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays sea-breeze roll (open arpeggio 1-5-8-10 (6/8)) and the right hand cradle chords.
When Johnny Comes Marching Home chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in G minor. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Em | vi | E G B |
| 2 | D | V | D F# A |
| 3 | Em | vi | E G B |
| 4 | D | V | D F# A |
What the sheet music shows
The grand staff: the right hand on the treble staff, the left hand on the bass staff, with the chord names above and a finger number on each note (1 is the thumb). It is the accompaniment: sea-breeze roll (open arpeggio 1-5-8-10 (6/8)) in the left hand and cradle chords in the right, over the Em – D – Em – D chords.
Press play and a cursor follows the music. Above it, Colours paints each note in its key’s colour and Note names writes its letter on its head.
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Questions about When Johnny Comes Marching Home
Does the sheet music for When Johnny Comes Marching Home have finger numbers?
Yes: every note of both hands has its finger number, 1 being the thumb. To read the notes alone, turn Fingers off above the music.
What chords are in When Johnny Comes Marching Home?
The loop is Em – D – Em – D (vi – V – vi – V) in G minor, and the song ends on Eb – F – Gm.
What key is When Johnny Comes Marching Home in?
G minor, at about 120 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in When Johnny Comes Marching Home?
Sea-breeze roll: open arpeggio 1-5-8-10 (6/8), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is When Johnny Comes Marching Home 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 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.