Would you like to learn how to play the notes of the song Hallelujah on the piano? You’ve come to the right place!
First recorded in 1984 on the album Various Positions, Hallelujah was composed by Canadian musician and poet Leonard Cohen.
Subsequently covered many times, including by artist Jeff Buckley in 1994, the track has become a staple of modern popular culture, and has been ranked in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
In this article, we’ll learn how to play Hallelujah on the piano. First we’ll look at the notes to be played with the right hand, followed by those with the left. Finally, we’ll learn how to play both hands at the same time. Several tutorial videos will also provide you with additional learning.
By the end of this article, the aim is for you to be able to play this timeless song perfectly on the piano.
Are you ready? Let’s get started!
Bonus : you can also learn to play this song at your own pace on our interactive piano learning app La Touche Musicale.
Free download: >> >> The guide to learn 10 easy piano pieces.
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To begin with, we’re going to take a quick look at the basics of piano playing. If the layout of the keys on the keyboard holds no secrets for you, don’t hesitate to skip to the next section. For the rest of us, we recommend that you pay particular attention to the diagram that follows:
The name of the notes on a piano keyboard.
In this diagram, you’ll discover all the keys on the keyboard and how they correspond to notes such as C, D and E.
If you pay special attention to the black keys, you’ll notice that they come in groups of two or three. This organization helps you find your way around the keyboard more easily.
To find a specific note, the note C is always your anchor point. It’s invariably located on the white key at the far left of a pair of black keys. Once you’ve identified the note C, recognizing other notes like F, G and D becomes much easier.
It’s a good idea to practice recognizing these notes on the keyboard. Once you’ve got the hang of it, our guide to playing the notes of Hallelujah on the piano will seem much less daunting.
Now that you know how to orient yourself on the piano keyboard, let’s get to the heart of the matter: the notes played by the right hand.
Let’s begin this section by identifying the first note your right hand should play. It’s E:
The note E is the first note you should play with your right hand for the song Hallelujah on piano.
Found the E on your keyboard? Perfect!
You now have your launch note. This equips you to play the sequence of notes that will make up the Hallelujah melody with your right hand. Execute the keys shown below, linking them together:
E – G – C – G – E – E – G – C – G – E – E – G – C – G – E – E – G – C – E – G – G – G – G – A – A – A – E – G – G – G – G – A – A – A – G – A – A – A – A – A – G – G – F – G – G – E – G – G – G – G – A – A – B – G – C – C – C – C – A+C – C – D – C – B+D – D – D – D – B+E – E – E – D – D – C – E – G – A – A – A – G – E – E – E – G – A – A – A – G – E – F – E – D – C.
By practicing this sequence of notes, you’ll be able to master the whole melody with your right hand on the piano.
It’s a good idea to practice these notes several times, to perfect your skills on this part of the song.
Hallelujah on the piano: the notes of the right hand.
What better way to speed up your learning than to watch a live video demonstration showing you precisely which keys to play with your right hand to recreate the melody of the song? Take a look at our video tutorial and tap the right keys when you see the relevant notes displayed and touch the numeric keypad:
Now you’ve managed to play the melody of this famous spiritual song with your right hand, congratulations!
Now let’s move on to the notes to be played with your left hand.
La Touche Musicale app waits for you to play the right note with your right hand on your piano before moving on to the next one.
It’s commonly accepted that the left hand is responsible for the chords on the piano, acting as the musical foundation, while the right hand is responsible for the melody. Your left hand adds depth and nuance to your piano performance.
Let’s move on to a method similar to that used for the right hand, to determine the first note to be played by your left hand. This first note is a C.
The note C is the first note you should play with your left hand for the song Hallelujah on piano.
You’ve located the right C in the corresponding octave on your keyboard? Excellent!
Just as you did for the right hand, you’re now going to concentrate on all the notes that the left hand will play.
Proceed according to the sequence of notes listed below:
C – A – C – A – C – A – C – A – F – F+C – G+D – C+E – G+D – C – F+C – G+D – A+E – F – G – G# – A+E – A – F+C – F+C – A+C – A+C – F+C – F+C – G+C – G+B.
To perform the musical accompaniment to Hallelujah with precision, link these notes together in the order given, using your left hand.
As with the right hand, we advise you to practice this section continuously until you feel perfectly comfortable with it. With enough repetition, you should be able to play this sequence smoothly and clearly.
Hallelujah on the piano: the notes of the left hand.
Of course, we’ve also put together an educational video that takes you step-by-step through the notes your left hand should play for this iconic piece of spiritual music. Pay close attention as you follow each note, and make sure you press the right keys at the right time to accurately reproduce the song’s accompaniment.
The La Touche Musicale app waits for you to play the correct note with your left hand on your piano before moving on to the next.
Well done! You’ve now acquired the skills needed to play the treble and bass parts of Hallelujah on your piano keyboard.
The next objective is to align the movements of your two hands to perform the piece in a fluid and balanced way.
Are you ready for this new challenge? Then let’s get started!
Learning to play the piano with both hands is an essential step for any novice. Be patient, and remember that you’re bound to find it difficult to synchronize your hands at first.
Start modestly, without aiming too high from the outset. The more you enjoy your musical journey, the faster you’ll progress.
Remember, it’s completely normal for it to take time to become comfortable with a new piece on the piano, sometimes even several weeks. After that, however, you’ll be able to play your favorite piece with ease. With regular practice, you’ll become so familiar with composition that you won’t even need aids such as sheet music. You can also use the app La Touche Musicale, which will guide you every step of the way.
Here’s a tip to keep in mind: divide the piece into short segments of around 5 to 10 seconds.
Concentrate initially on the melody played by the right hand for each segment, and repeat it several times. Then switch to the part played by the left hand. Once you feel comfortable with each respective part for that section of the piece, try playing them simultaneously.
Continue working segment by segment, using this method. When you feel ready, start linking these segments together. This gradual progression will help you savor each small victory, making the overall process more accessible as you practice.
Hallelujah on the piano: the notes of both hands.
Watch our comprehensive instructional video that guides you through the finer points of playing Leonard Cohen’s composition on the piano with both hands.
Tenacity and regular practice are essential, but be sure of your skills. Be vigilant about speed changes and make sure your hands are working in perfect harmony, as mentioned in the previous section.
There will be times when you need to press several keys at once to form chords, and others when notes are played one after the other.
If you find that the tempo is too fast, don’t hesitate to pause the video as the notes appear, allowing you to adjust the position of your fingers on the keyboard to make learning more comfortable.
If the action of pausing the video each time to readjust your fingers seems repetitive, our interactive app La Touche Musicale offers a solution to this problem. The app eliminates this need thanks to its multiple interactive features, including a “learning mode” where the video only progresses once you’ve pressed the keys requested by the tutorial. It also displays the musical notation on each note (such as C, D, E, etc.) visually, as illustrated in our videos. We suggest you take advantage of this feature as an instructive complement to this online guide.
With a wide range of pieces covering various genres and skill levels, we believe our app can really enrich your piano practice. So, are you ready to fully immerse yourself?
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The La Touche Musicale app waits for you to play the right notes with both hands on your piano before moving on to the next.
Congratulations! You’ve now acquired the skills needed to perform Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah in its entirety on the piano.
If this tutorial has been useful to you, please note that we have also created analogous manuals that cover a diverse range of popular titles in different musical genres:
With this guide, you’ll be able to play the notes of Hallelujah on your piano with both hands.
To make this content even richer, we’ve included a link to download the sheet music of Hallelujah as a PDF file.
Now you can play this song to your heart’s content, wherever you are.
Remember, for a learning experience that’s both enjoyable and instructive, our La Touche Musicale app is here to help.
We look forward to accompanying you in future piano tutorials!
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