Little rainbow
Six notes up the chord and back down: an arch in one rocking bar. 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), E (middle finger, 3), G (index finger, 2) and high C (thumb, 1).
Count and play
Count the eighth notes: 1 2 3 4 5 6. Play low C on 1, then E on 2, then G on 3, then high C on 4, then G on 5, then E on 6.
Move it with the chords
When the chord changes to G, the same rhythm moves to the notes of G: low G, B, 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 Little rainbow on piano?
Six notes up the chord and back down: an arch in one rocking bar. Chord tones one at a time, within an octave. Musicians call it broken chord 1-3-5-8-5-3 (6/8).
Is Little rainbow 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 Little rainbow?
Nothing Else Matters by Metallica, Stairway To Heaven by Led Zeppelin and O Holy Night by Carpenters use Little rainbow. The songs on this page all use it in the left hand, the most played first.