Bobbing boat
High, higher, then a dive to the bottom and back: a bobbing boat. One of the left-hand arpeggio patterns.
How to play it
Find the notes
Put your left hand over a C chord. You need low C (little finger, 5), high C (fingers 4 and 1) and G (thumb, 1).
Count and play
Count 1, 2, 3, 4. Play high C on 1, then G on 2, then low C on 3, then high C on 4.
Move it with the chords
When the chord changes to G, the same rhythm moves to the notes of G: low G, high G and D. Play it slowly over the chord loop above, at 60% speed first, then faster.
Songs that use it
Questions
What is Bobbing boat on piano?
High, higher, then a dive to the bottom and back: a bobbing boat. An arpeggio spanning a 10th: the classic ballad left hand. Musicians call it open arpeggio 8-12-1-8.
Is Bobbing boat hard to play?
It is an intermediate pattern. Learn it with your left hand alone at 60% speed first, then play it over a chord loop.
Which songs use Bobbing boat?
Cat And Mouse by Carolyn Miller, These Four Walls by Miley Cyrus and Carnival Rag by Mona Rejino use Bobbing boat. The songs on this page all use it in the left hand, the most played first.