Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play Yo Ho on piano
Written by George Bruns
- F major
- 6/8
- 160 BPM
- I–IV–I–V7 loop
- 1967
- Medium
Learn Yo Ho in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – Bb – F – C7
Yo Ho sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; Bb is Bb, D and F; C7 is C, E, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIBbIVFIC7V7- FF · A · C
- BbBb · D · F
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Swelling 6/8
Rises to the top and falls back in one rocking six-note wave. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-8-5 (6/8) (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 73 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pendulum swing
One note ticking on every quick beat, rocking in two big swings. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 BPM
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 – C7 – F
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FC7F
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Questions about Yo Ho
What chords are in Yo Ho?
The loop is F – Bb – F – C7 (I – IV – I – V7) in F major, and the song ends on F – C7 – F.
What key is Yo Ho in?
F major, at about 160 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Yo Ho?
Swelling 6/8: open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-8-5 (6/8), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Yo Ho 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.