Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play Wreck of the Day on piano
By Anna Nalick
- G major
- 6/8
- 75 BPM
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Wreck of the Day in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Em – G – C#m – C
How it goes
Wreck of the Day sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Em is E, G and B; G is G, B and D; C#m is C#, E and G#; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EmviGIC#m#ivCIV- EmE · G · B
- GG · B · D
- C#mC# · E · G#
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Bubbling climb
How it goes
Three notes climb, then start again: a rippling rise that sways in two. Musicians call it broken chord 1-3-5 (6/8) (broken chord), a medium pattern heard in 39 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 75 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: C – D – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- DD · F# · A
Play next
Questions about Wreck of the Day
What chords are in Wreck of the Day?
The loop is Em – G – C#m – C (vi – I – #iv – IV) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is Wreck of the Day in?
G major, at about 75 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Wreck of the Day?
Bubbling climb: broken chord 1-3-5 (6/8), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Wreck of the Day 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.