In this tutorial we look at how to play the 19th century Irish folk tune Londonderry Air, which is also used as the tune for the song Danny Boy.
The popular tune has been played in many variations, and used as the basis for a number of popular and religious songs. Here we offer simple versions with harmonies, which can be played by beginner pianists.
Londonderry Air: Introduction
Amazing Grace is an iconic hymn that nearly everyone knows. It’s not particularly difficult to play, and the wonderful thing is that it’s open to a lot of interpretation and creativity once you get the basic chord structure right.
We’ll look at:
- the main melody line
- a version with a very simple bass line
- the basic chord structure (and a variation)
- a few styles to whet your appetite at the creative possibilities
Londonderry Air: Main Melody
All of our examples are played in the key of F major [find out about major and minor chords]. This means one flat — B flat — to watch out for.
According to Wikipedia, the original tune was played in Eb major. However, this is arguably a little more difficult to play, with three flats to contend with, and many versions have been recorded in various keys.
You might not feel as comfortable playing in F major as you do in, say, G major or C major. However, I’ve chosen this key as it makes the pitch for singing quite reasonable.
If you end up playing with other musicians, you could be asked to play in another key. If so, it’s definitely worth learning not just the actual chords and notes in this piece, but how they relate to one another. That way, it’s not such a wrench if having to transpose up and down a key or two.
(You may find our article How To Play Piano Using Chord Symbols useful if presented with a lead sheet (just the chords))
Here’s the melody written out in the treble clef in standard musical notation:
Londonderry Air: Simple Bass Line
To add very basic harmony without making the piece much more complicated, we add a single bass note — generally one per bar — to be played with the left hand.
There a few instances of half notes, also tied notes which last for two measures.
Here’s how it looks:
Londonderry Air simple bass line PDF
Londonderry Air simple bass line MP3
Londonderry Air simple bass line MIDI
Londonderry Air: Right Hand Chords
This version adds chords to the right hand to give fuller harmony. The melody notes still remain. It may seem daunting to have to play these chords as well as the melody. Practice using the sustain pedal to help smooth out transitions, but not so much as to sound ‘muddy’.
Note the B natural in the right hand chord of bar 29. This is not a misprint. It adds an interesting harmony to the end of the piece.
Londonderry Air: Simple Performance Version
I’ve recorded a very simple version of Londonderry Air to demonstrate that it’s possible to create something beautiful from very simple notes.
Londonderry Air performance PDF
Londonderry Air performance MP3
Londonderry Air performance MIDI
Conclusion
There you go. A very basic introduction to playing Londonderry Air. Play it, learn it by heart, transpose it, play it the way you want to.
Most importantly, enjoy it.
If you find yourself needing to play Londonderry Air — or any other piece of music — as an accompaniment to a singer, you may find our article How to accompany a singer on piano: 15 tips useful.
