The library · Gospel & spirituals
When the Saints Go Marching In
Traditional spiritual
The spiritual that became the anthem of New Orleans jazz: three pickup notes (G, B, C) leading to D, and the whole song is built on that motif.
G major · 4/4 · 240 beats per minute · 15 bars · 16 s · beginner level
The form
The sections of the piece and their chords: the map you learn before playing a single note.
Pickup A A A' B C D E Coda
| Section | Bars | Chords | Phrase ending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pickup | 0–0 | Cmaj7/G IVmaj7 |
— |
| A | 1–2 | G I |
— |
| A | 3–4 | G I |
— |
| A' | 5–6 | G I |
— |
| B | 7–8 | D · Bm7 V · iii7 |
— |
| C | 9–10 | G · Dm/F I · v |
Half cadence |
| D | 11–12 | C/E · Cm/E♭ IV · iv |
— |
| E | 13–14 | Bm/D · D7sus4 iii · V7sus4 |
Half cadence |
| Coda | 15–15 | G I |
— |
The key
- G major
- 1 sharp in the key signature: F♯
- Scale
- G · A · B · C · D · E · F♯
- Pillar chords
- I = G · IV = C · V7 = D7
The tricky passages
- Bar 2: fast runs (4.0 notes per second), a melodic leap (perfect fifth)
- Bar 4: fast runs (4.0 notes per second), a melodic leap (perfect fifth)
The plan: 10 days
Half an hour a day. First I help you understand the map of the piece, then we lay down the chord framework, learn each section phrase by phrase, work on the tricky passages, put it together and bring it up to tempo, until you can play it from memory.
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