When The Children Are Asleep Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn When The Children Are Asleep in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: Bb7 – Eb – Fm – Bb7
How it goes
When The Children Are Asleep sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Fm is F, Ab and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Bb7V7EbIFmiiBb7V7
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
49 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Happy wiggle
How it goes
Root, fifth, a step up and back: a cheerful bluesy wiggle. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-6-5 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 165 songs of the library.
Happy wiggleBroken chord · BalladLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Hopscotch bells
How it goes
A high bell note, a chord, a skipped beat, and one more chord. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Hopscotch bellsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
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 – Bb7 – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBb7Eb
- AbAb · C · Eb

What chords are in When The Children Are Asleep?

The loop is Bb7 – Eb – Fm – Bb7 (V7 – I – ii – V7) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb7 – Eb.

What key is When The Children Are Asleep in?

Eb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in When The Children Are Asleep?

Happy wiggle: broken chord 1-5-6-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is When The Children Are Asleep 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.