Gentle rocking
Root, fifth, octave, fifth: the gentle rocking under countless pop ballads. One of the broken chord patterns.
How to play it
Find the notes
Put your left hand over a C chord. You need low C (little finger, 5), G (index finger, 2) and high C (thumb, 1).
Count and play
Count 1, 2, 3, 4. Play low C on 1, then G on 2, then high C on 3, then G on 4.
Move it with the chords
When the chord changes to G, the same rhythm moves to the notes of G: low G, D and high G. Play it slowly over the chord loop above, at 60% speed first, then faster.
Songs that use it
Questions
What is Gentle rocking on piano?
Root, fifth, octave, fifth: the gentle rocking under countless pop ballads. Chord tones one at a time, within an octave. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8-5.
Is Gentle rocking hard to play?
It is a beginner pattern. Play it with your left hand alone at 60% speed until it feels steady, then add the other hand.
Which songs use Gentle rocking?
Experience by Ludovico Einaudi, A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton and Spanish Dance by Carolyn Miller use Gentle rocking. The songs on this page all use it in the left hand, the most played first.